The team from Simba Smoby UK is to increase its marketing drive into autumn with more TV and an extension to its growing social presence
The always-on marketing campaign for Smoby has continued to deliver ever-increasing sales uplift and engagement for the brand. Last year, NPD retail sales across the Smoby portfolio were just shy of £7m for the full year, surpassing targets by 38% (Source: NPD Group) and for 2021 YTD there is further growth to report.
Smoby has seen +81% growth in the playhouse sub-category, driven by the Nature Playhouse with Kitchen, the Chef House and the Garden House, as well as slides. What’s more, across all categories the brand is up 39% YTD with the growth momentum set to continue in the second half, with role play ramping-up from September.
Outside of NPD, other retailers have come on board to support the brand which has also seen many independent retailers join Smoby’s drop ship program, further contributing to the brand’s impressive growth.To support this growth the firm has in place a raft of activity, including TV, celebrity endorsement and more.
Central to the strategy has been TV. This kicked off in late spring with an Outdoor TV campaign featuring playhouses that was massively successful, helping to generate major sales uplift across playhouses and slides. This will be echoed though autumn with a new TV drive on the role play ranges, which features kitchens, workbenches and supermarkets.
“Smoby’s TV presence has really grown in recent seasons, and we’ve seen the results across the board with sales,†said marketing manager Mayur Patni. “Now, with autumn being the time when our key role play items come to the fore, turning on the TV will be essential to keeping the Smoby brand top of mind with parents.â€
Adding to the brand’s success are the regular partnerships with celebrities and high-profile social mums and their children. Such endorsement is proving highly effective both in terms of sales and engagement. Highlights include Greg Shepherd posting a series of content for the Smoby Teepee. In an Instagram post, he told his followers: “So glad we got the kids this new Teepee from @SmobyUK in time for the Easter holidays and the nice weather… They’ve loved playing in this the last few days and making it into their own little house, especially Arthur, he even wanted to sleep in there overnight!†This post was liked by more than 11k people, including his wife Billie Faiers.
Smoby has also established a number of other partnerships this summer with high-profile parents and celebrities, who have also been telling their fans and followers all about Smoby. These included Gemma Atkinson, Rebekah Vardy, Stephanie Davis and Mario Falcone.
“The celebrity and influencer endorsement remains a key part of strategy,†added Mayur. “Our Q2 celebrity push had a combined following of over 5m with 11 top names being involved. This is enhanced with our mums’ reviews across blog and Instagram platforms. The Smoby products are highly sought after in the social mums’ circle and we are able to mix-up the coverage ensuring a wider reach with the correct mum for each individual product. At just half way through the year, we are looking forward to this activity continuing as the holiday season approaches and the focus switched from outdoor to indoor.â€
For more information, please email the Simba Smoby Toys UK team at sales@simbasmoby.com or call 01620 674 77
