Toy Networx has been a wholesaler based in the north of Melbourne for many years and had generally played a distribution role for ranges of non-branded toys and represented some national brands, including Mattel Toys. Specializing in servicing the independent trade, bus trips and social clubs, they found themselves in a situation where the ownership of the business changed and the market had become much more challenging. The new owner, Ben Bliss, assessed the situation and concluded he needed some professional assistance. He brought Jonathan Byrnes an ex-Funtastic executive into the business as Chief Executive Officer and then looked to re-model the organization. Bugg Marketing Solutions met with Jonathan at the 2019 Australian Toy Association’s Mid-Year Toy Fair in Sydney and discussed their plans and needs; they engaged our services later on that year.
The Toy Networx Brief
The business was suffering from a lack of identity and did not have a real point of difference in the marketplace. Bugg Marketing Solutions carried out some market research on the organization and the market they were operating in. It quickly became clear that they needed a much higher profile and needed to be able to offer their customers products and services that they could not access elsewhere.
We identified that a rebrand was the first priority and Bugg Marketing Solutions set about developing some options for the Toy Networx team to consider. After proper consideration they chose one of our rebrand options and we integrated this into all touch-points of the business. The new logo has since proven to be highly visible and recognizable and has re-positioned their business.
Our research also found that they had a distinct lack of cohesion with their website, catalogue programs and the presentation of the business in general. We set out to re-format their seasonal catalogue program and will be working to bring their primary website in-line with the new branding.
As part of our role we regularly connect with Jonathan and Ben and recommend and discuss the things that they can do to improve their operations.
An important part of the role with Toy Networx
Over recent times Jonathan has strategically moved to secure exclusive distribution relationships with Hinkler, Toy Monster and has recently concluded a global relationship with Australian Geographic to develop and distribute their toy line. All of these arrangements tick the box in so far as providing them with exclusivity and a point-of-difference.
What Did We Learn?
- Re-inventing your business is vital for survival as times change
- Engaging the right professional advice is key
- Identifying key issues in order of priority requires proper research
- Having a point-of-difference is a must
- Branding is everything in the eyes of the consumer
- Having a plan and then working the plan is sound advice