TFcon 2010 Hasbro Panel Answers and Summary

[Super_Megatron]

Thanks again to our friends at Hasbro Canada for taking the time to give us a sneak peak at the upcoming Transformers toylines this past weekend at TFcon 2010.

12345678901234 is the free promo code for the Hunt For The Decepticons Promotion that Hasbro gave out in the panel. Canadians can access the promotion at www.transformershunt.ca

Finally, read on for the full list of questions and answers that were presented in the TFcon 2010 Hasbro Panel.

[Super_Megatron]

1) How are characters chosen for toys - is there a sort of round table discussion to decide?
When characters have been chosen, what kind of process goes from the decision to make a character through to putting the figure in a package. How does this happen for "updates" in the Generations line?

It is indeed very much like a round table discussion. The TRANSFORMERS Global Brand and Design teams will sit down together and say “this is what we have to work with” or “this is what would like to work with” then we look at what we have done recently and perhaps at some characters who haven’t received a figure in the past few toy lines. And, sometimes we like to create entirely new characters such as the recent TOMAHAWK figure. We’re very excited to be releasing this brand new character in figure form.

To answer the second part of the question, the process is similar for the Generations line. We look through our “heritage characters” across all eras of TRANSFORMERS and try to update them to fit in the modern world. As aesthetics and technology have changed since many of the TRANSFORMERS characters were originally conceived – and in order for a character to fit in and really be a “robot in disguise” - their designs need to be so they can hide in plain sight in the modern world.

2) Does Hasbro ever ask the general fans and collectors for input on the figures before they are finalized and ready for production ?

Hasbro certainly keeps its ear to ground with the fan and collecting community. We want to be sure we are delivering products that are meaningful to both kids and fans, however we cannot accept unsolicited outside design, character or toy concepts.

3) Will the hub be carried by Canadian cable providers? Will any Canadian channels carry Hub content (such as YTV)?

Plans are not finalized but we are very excited about this new animated series. We look forward to being able to deliver this new series to all Transformers fans in Canada – stay tuned!

4) Most deluxe figures released last year had somewhat generic packaging with co-sells on the back of the card. The bio and tech specs were instead printed on the back of the instruction sheet. This was, however, discontinued starting with the N.E.S.T. line. Which style will be used going forward for Canadian releases? Bios on the card back or bios on the back of the instructions?

The fall deluxe figure assortments will have dedicated character cards with character specific bios on the back of each card.

5) Will the current more generalized direction of the Transformers toy lines be halted for the release of the new movie next year, or will there be enough room for a movie line and a separate line like "Generations" at the time time?

While it is still too early to discuss our line plans for 2011, when we developed the Generations line we approached it as a line that will have longevity and we don’t anticipate that it will go away anytime soon. Of course this all depends on how well it is received by fans and kids. The exciting aspect of the Generations line is that it can house many different characters from many different parts of the 26 year TRANSFORMERS lore such as characters from the War for Cybertron video game, characters from “G1,” etc.

6) Please go into more detail about retailer exclusive color schemes decided? Is there a catalog of potential colorschemes/molds that retailers are given to choose from? What departments design these potential figures? What happens to designs that are not chosen, are they discarded, or kept for use later? Do all retailers have access to the same choices?

We definitely look to team up with our retailers to deliver compelling products for their respective exclusives, however Hasbro ultimately decides the color schemes for each figure. We approach our exclusives similar to how we approach our “main line” items and ask ourselves the following questions: what hasn’t been seen recently, what makes the most sense, etc. Ultimately, we always want to make sure that we are putting out the best iterations of each character regardless of if it is a retailer exclusive or not.

7) Are there internal procedures in place at Hasbro for what is done with prototypes, resin hardcopies, or other such products relating to unreleased/cancelled figures? Are they given to or kept by the designer, thrown out / destroyed, archived in some manner, or something else entirely?

The team really looks to archive as much as possible – a brand like TRANSFORMERS is integrally tied to its history so we are very sensitive to what is kept and what is not.

8) Can you go into more detail about how collaboration between Hasbro and Takara works, especially in terms of design? Is bilingualism a necessity for wokring in design, or are translators used extensively? Are there certain aspects of the design process that each company is specialized towards?

The relationship between Hasbro and Takara Tomy is truly based on teamwork. We try not to approach the TRANSFORMERS line as two separate companies, but rather as one big team focused on collaborating to deliver the best figures possible to our fans. Sometimes there are definitely language barriers, however both sides of the team are so passionate about the brand that we’ll take the extra time to ensure everyone is on the same page and understand anything that may have been lost in translation. Both Hasbro and Takara Tomy work towards delivering the best products possible and that the brand essence remains true.

9) What aspects does Hasbro look for in terms of licensing out their brands to other companies for products beyond toys (eg. cards, bath products, candy, posters, etc.)?

When looking at potential licensees, Hasbro always wants to make sure that each license is complimentary to the TRANSFORMERS brand and that it makes sense from a business perspective. But most of all we want to make sure that each item – be it a new novel, comic book, video game or bedding – maintains the essence of the TRANSFORMERS brand.

10) What is the job of Hasbro Canada?
There is very much a collaborative relationship between each country and the global brand team. Product direction, storylines, relationships with the filmmakers and the brand strategy is managed by the global brand team, with feedback from each country (both the fans and Hasbro). Each market is then responsible for executing that plan relevant to their individual market’s needs. Transformers is a global brand and the objective is to ensure a consistent message across the globe, while tailoring that message to the appropriate use of the local market.

[UTF]

You guys didn't include the questions people got to ask on the spot. I thought those were a lot more interesting.

[ANDROID PRIME]

Thanks Hasbro. Its always great to put a friendly face to a large company.

see you next year.

[TFtoys]

^ Does Hasbro possible hire people in Canada ? ^^

[Bruticus82]

Originally Posted by UTF

You guys didn't include the questions people got to ask on the spot. I thought those were a lot more interesting.

I remember there was a good one someone asked about us not getting part of a wave, or the last wave, of some products, and the answer was it basically comes down to retailers trying to forecast how much product to purchase, When they overpurchase in early waves, it means they have to drop the end of waves to make up for it. They're constantly working with retailers to order and ship the right amount of product. Hasbro doesn't just push and try to sell massive amounts, because then they'll sit on shelves and that isn't good for either Hasbro or the retailer. It's all about forecasting accurately the amount of product that a retailer can handle, and shipping that amount of product. Of course they don't always get it right, but they try to be accurate, and are getting better all the time.


For what it's worth I'll include my paraphrased Question and Answer.

Question: We've seen some figures in Canada showing up at both Wal-mart and Toys R Us in US Cardbacks (English only). Example: Animated Arcee, ROTF Recon Ravage. Why does this happen? Is it a retailer request, or hasbro offer? What does it mean for our friends in Quebec?

Answer: Sometimes retailers can't order enough quantity to justify a run using multilingual packaging, but we still want to be able to offer them a certain product, or exclusive. So we might offer them the product on existing US cardbacks, which is a way of getting that product onto Canadian shelves where their order would otherwise be too small to justify Canada seeing the product at all.

We're trying to ensure that Canada has more access to product, and this will occassionally mean shipping US products. While we'd love to be able to offer every product to all Canadian fans it really is up to retailers, and offering product on US cardbacks is one way we can do that, although we're always looking for othere more inclusive options as well.