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Family
Affair
ABC Development Making Push with Licensed Products
for Toddlers and Parents
September 18, 2007
The licensed sports industry is always on the lookout for a new up-and comer. ABC Development could well be the next big thing. The company has been around for two decades, but its primary focus was toys and feeding products for mass market and baby specialty. Starting in 2008, ABC will attack the sports licensed marketplace more aggressively than ever before.
“We’re really excited,” says Kelly Rundle, Director of Marketing. “ABC has grown and evolved with our retail partners over the years. Sports licensing will open new markets for us.”
It’s not like ABC is a total neophyte to the licensing game. The company has a full line of NASCAR items, including a very popular sippy cup. ABC also works with such noted brands as Spider-Man, Tonka and Strawberry Shortcake. According to Rundle, however, the company is prepared to take its sports licenses to the next level.
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“We just recently signed on with Major League Baseball,” she reports. “We also now have four NASCAR drivers under license—Jeff Gordon, Jimmie Johnson, Tony Stewart and Dale Earnhardt, Jr.”
The addition of MLB and the quartet of NASCAR superstars should benefit ABC and its retail partners greatly. Under the MLB banner, the company will offer a variety of toys and feeding products, plus a new line of stretched canvass paintings. Initially, ABC will market seven teams: Yankees, Mets, Red Sox, Cardinals, Dodgers, Cubs and Braves. “We will expand as we se fit,” adds Rundle.
The plans for NASCAR are equally ambitious. ABC is shifting its focus mainly to Gordon, Johnson, Stewart and Junior. Products will feature each driver’s number and signature. ABC is also introducing new items in its an auto accessories line for adults.
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“When it comes to marketing our products, there’s crossover between parents and their kids,” says Rundle. “When you’re dealing with the age range of three- and four-year-olds, they often know what they want. They can pick out their favorite driver or team.”
Of course, the buying decisions usually are made by mom and dad, which is why ABC is reaching out to parents as well. “We have an auto shade that has done quite well for us,” says Rundle. “We think out auto accessories line will be a big hit.”
ABC will get a good gauge in January of 2008 when it debuts at the Sports Licensing & Entertainment Marketplace and Tailgate • Picnic Show. “We’re very excited,” says Rundle. “We’ve seen success with NASCAR, and we believe we can match it with MLB.”
