Location: Cybertron, Ontario
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Re: Answers from the TFcon 2009 Hasbro Panel
1. Can you describe in detail the process of how a transformer goes from an idea to the shelf? What exactly are transformers made of? What kind of factors go into this materials selection?
Overall, the process to get a Transformer from idea to shelf is a very involved one that takes almost a full year of development time. When you consider the fact that all of our figures are two toys in one, the level of design and engineering work is very complicated. Needless to say, we could spend hours discussing this, so let’s go with the 10,000 foot view!
At the beginning the team does a lot of analysis, planning and of course much discussion takes place between Design, Marketing and TakaraTomy. We try to spend a lot of time up front to make sure that we are putting out great product that we know collectors, kids and all fans can enjoy.
Before design begins working on the aesthetics of the toy, our teams meet together to plan out the look and feel of the line and possible new toy innovations. This can usually be dictated by what is the new entertainment news, such as Transformers: Animated or Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen. Once the theme of line has been solidified, our Design team sets out establishing which characters to focus on and of course draw out concepts for each item.
The designers then work with our Hasbro Engineering team to ensure that the features and aesthetic of the toy are accurate and able to be produced. These drawings and specs are then shared with TakaraTomy. Takara then produces the functional models that help to bring our Design team’s vision to life. After numerous discussions between Design, Hasbro Engineering and TakaraTomy all teams ultimately reach agreement and we then proceed to actually producing the toys and shipping them to shelves around the globe.
As for the specific materials, there is no standard answer. What we can say is that Transformers are made of various types of plastics, each dictated by the functionality that is required of specific pieces and assortments. So, while we would like to say this is any easy question to answer, it is actually a much more in depth answer that is better left in the hands of our engineers and designers!
2. Who writes the bios and tech specs for characters today? How does a characterization come together? Does it start before or after a toy has been designed?
Forest Lee is our copy writer extraordinaire! He is the one responsible for pulling together not only the characters’ bios, but also their tech specs. While many might think that pulling together a quick story and tech specs is an easy task, Forest has to work through 25 years of history to ensure that we are being consistent with key story beats for all of the characters. He then has check that all of the history a character might have is then made relevant to the story being told in present day, which certainly is no small feat!
As for the creation of the story, this begins at the time we start discussing toy development. It is critical that the stories that Forest creates be in-line with the features, functions and characters that our designers work hard to create. As the toy design becomes more refined, these details are shared with Forest and thus gets adapted into the story.
3. What kind of research goes into determining which characters, alt modes, etc. are popular enough to be reused, either as a repaint/remold or a new figure in another line? As a fan, what is the best way to make your voice heard?
Every year our design and marketing teams analyze the brand’s performance, consumer research and of course listen to fans’ feedback when planning out next year’s toy line. Additionally, because Transformers has 25 years of history, it allows us to look back to see what makes sense to incorporate in to the line. The vast history also serves as a check-in point to make sure that we are being consistent with the lore when deciding which characters/molds to create and how/if it can be repainted. For example, in the Universe line, we new that once we did Prowl, this would allow us to reuse that mold to do Silverstreak and Smokescreen. All natural fits with the history and story beats that were established 25 years ago! Then you also have Cheetor, which pretty much can only be used as Cheetor.
As for our beloved fans, there are multiple ways to communicate with us. Of course the best way to let us know what you really think is to vote with your purchases!! Everyone knows that if something sells well, there is a pretty good chance that we will revisit it later!! On a serious note though, whether it be through message boards, our Consumer Affairs Department or at Botcon, we always try to keep a finger on the pulse of our collectors. Granted, we cannot always do everything that everyone wants, but we certainly try!
4. What process is used to determine whether or not a trademark will be renewed (i.e. character names)? Can you tell us about any names that Hasbro is unlikely to pursue renewing their trademark on?
We have to say that maintaining trademarks for our brand is one of the more complex, time consuming processes that we have. Overall, when we are making decisions on what character names to use it is not our intention to just use it once. Typically, names are dictated by the entertainment, the key plot points of the story line and of course the direction of the brand, which of course is hard to predict years out.
For example, some of the characters from the 1980’s were dropped because they did not make sense as the brand transitioned into the Beast Wars and Beast Machines series. While these characters certainly were important to the brand during this time for the brand, they just did not fit into the direction of where the brand was headed.
The other tricky part for maintaining these names is that process is more or less dictated by the USPTO office. With 25 years of history and thousands of characters in our vault, it is difficult to fit every character into the toy line every year. Thus as a matter of circumstance, we sometimes lose the ability to protect certain trademarks because of the way that trademark/copyright laws work.
5. They have been telling us that Hasbro toyshop will ship to the Canada "soon" for the longest time. Why hasn't this happened, and what time frame do we have for this to happen?
Unfortunately, we have had some technical difficulties with our systems implementation that has delayed the “go live” date for Hasbro Toyshop in Canada. However, we are addressing the problem as we speak and while dates are not definite, we hope to be able to start shipping to Canada this summer.
6. Will Hasbro consider breaking the North American convention license which Botcon has, and split it into two, one for Canada, and one for the US?
Several years ago, Transformers was faced with an increasing amount of requests to support various Transformers conventions throughout the world. As we started to go through these requests, we quickly realized that it would be impossible to support each of these individual conventions or even find a method of how to choose which ones to support. Needless to say, it was impossible for us to first, fairly decide how many to go to and then second, which ones we would actually attend. Thus, we made the decision that the practical thing to do would be to establish one global convention that we could focus our support behind in order to pool our resources, focus our efforts and energy on building a better fan experience and provide an opportunity to our entertainment and licensing partnerships to help provide an engaging opportunity for all fans of the brand.
Because we truly appreciate, respect and value our fans’ passion for Transformers, we made the decision that each local market could still provide local conventions with access to the brand and Hasbro by having questions answered and product displayed. In the end, we try to do our best to support each of the local markets and thank those dedicated fans who put on great conventions such as TFCon.
7. The rise of the Internet has created a dramatic shift in how information reaches the public, especially in terms of marketing. How will the promotion of Transformers by Hasbro change due to this "digital revolution", and what role will the online fan communities play?
You are certainly correct that the Internet has created a dramatic shift in how people get and receive information. As a result, we have reacted to this change and have been taking active steps to increase the on-line experience. This includes: making bigger marketing investments in our website; creating a more user friendly site for fans of all ages; and, establishing it as a platform to deliver our content and entertainment.
Additionally, we see the internet continuing to become an even bigger part of our brand experience as the brand continues to grow throughout the world. For example, while it may be surprising to hear, not every country in the world airs our entertainment. By making the web experience a bigger part of the brand, we can allow fans, no matter where they live, the opportunity to share and participate in the brand.
As for the on-line fan communities, we fully realize and embrace that these fan sites are an additional source of information for their members and fans of the brand. This is particularly why we participate in the quarterly website Q&A forums and have asked for sites to help us with our collector research projects. Where else can we possibly get better, timely information than from speaking with our most dedicated fans?
8. Similarly, this shift has led to significant difficulties for Hasbro (and a great many other companies) keeping some information, such as toy designs, "under wraps". What changes in Hasbro policy have occurred as a result, and what can we expect in the future?
We certainly are aware that this has become a much larger issue over the past couple of years as the brand has become more popular and people seek to be in the “know”. Clearly we cannot get into the Hasbro’s policies when let’s say it pertains to illegal activity or leaking confidential information, but steps are being taken to address and mitigate this issue.
We certainly understand the excitement that all of our fans have for the brand as this has truly been an exciting time for Transformers and our design and development team too! Seeing new movie images or toys designs is always an exciting venture and we love to share this with our fans. With that said, and to be blatantly honest, the constant leaks that have taken place over the past couple of years often create many issues for us. For example, there have been numerous instances when a product image had been leaked the toy design often needed further development. This can cause issues not only on the manufacturing side, but also with the partnerships that have been fundamental in helping to elevate the brand to its status today. Needless to say, while we appreciate the enthusiasm fans have for the brand and desire for early and immediate information, these leaks are often more hurtful to the brand than helpful.
9. Have relations with Takara changed at all due to the merger with Tomy? If so, how?
First, we want to say that we could not be happier with our relationship with TakaraTomy and how it has continued to evolve over time and since the merger has had a minimal impact on business. TakaraTomy certainly has not missed a beat with the majority of the original team still remaining in place and we can honestly say that we have not seen any real change with how we go about developing our product line with them. TakaraTomy continues to drive great innovation in Transformers product that has allowed us to deliver a compelling product and play pattern to kids and fans alike. From the Hasbro side, we truly believe that with every year that goes by our relationship with TakaraTomy has strengthened and allowed us to better bring the magic of Transformers to life!
10. Can you explain the relationship between Hasbro Canada and Hasbro's main hub, especially in relation to the flow of information and decision-making?
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. The brand needs to be consistent around the world, but each market is responsible for tailoring specific needs of fans and consumers based on what is appropriate for that market. Our brands are global, but there is an understanding that each market is unique.
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