Toy Talk | Toys Push Into Gaming As Holiday Playbook Shifts

Toy Talk

Here's what's happening this week in the world of toys marketing:
- Toycos step into gaming with build, buy, license strategies.
- Licensing study maps where categories rise and fall.
- LEGO x Nike extends collab, monetizing sneaker fandom.
- Hot Wheels racer lands Oct. 24; awareness tailwinds build.
- L.O.L. Surprise x Minions primes viral unboxings for Q4.

⏱️ Why Your Attribution Model Might Be Leading You Astray

At eTail Boston 2025, Fospha’s Chief Product Officer Dom Devlin joined leaders from Ahold Delhaize, Fleet Feet and Bonsai to tackle one of marketing’s most expensive blind spots: how brands measure performance across channels.

Too many brands still skew budgets toward the final click - because that’s the only place their reporting gives them certainty, all while under-funding the demand generation that actually drives long-term growth. Fleet Feet’s Tiffany Lee shared how cutting upper-funnel spend for just eight months saw new customer acquisition drop sharply, only recovering once awareness campaigns were restored.

Dom added another layer: the marketplace blind spot. Fospha’s data shows 42% of Amazon sales are influenced by non-Amazon ads - yet most reporting tools treat those sales as “organic,” meaning the channels that triggered the purchase never get the credit. Without that visibility, key growth drivers are left under-invested.

This is where Fospha’s Halo capability comes in - bringing DTC and marketplace sales into one Unified ROAS metric. It allows brands to see the true impact of channels like TikTok, Meta, and YouTube across all revenue streams, not just their own sites, and make confident, evidence-based decisions about where to spend next.

🔎 Read the full session insights to see all the panel’s takeaways on full-funnel measurement and closing marketplace gaps

📥️ Explore Fospha’s Halo Report to uncover how brands like Nécessaire used it to beat their Prime Day benchmarks by 47%

📌WEEKLY MUST-KNOWS

GAMING STRATEGY
Toy Companies Press Play On Gaming
Toy companies are moving into video games via internal development, outbound licensing, and acquisitions. This shift restructures launch calendars and marketing mixes while expanding LTV through live ops and content pipelines. Brand owners and platform partners will drive co-marketing, retail tie-ins, and new monetization models.

BRAND COLLABORATIONS
The LEGO Group, Nike Build On Partnership With New Sets
LEGO and Nike expand their collaboration with two Nike-styled brick sets, including the LEGO Nike Slam Dunk Set ($69.99). The tie-up underscores the maturing collector economy where sneaker culture meets construction play, creating cross-category traffic and drop-style merchandising moments. Retailers and DTC teams should expect demand spikes from adult fans and gift buyers.

MARKET INTELLIGENCE
Licensing International Releases 2025 Global Industry Study
Licensing International released a 100-page industry study (by Brandar Consulting) examining category performance, retail dynamics, and geographic shifts. The findings guide Q4 activation and 2026 rights negotiations, helping teams prioritize investment and channel strategy. Licensors, agents, and retail buyers are the immediate beneficiaries.

⚡QUICK READS

‘Hot Wheels Let’s Race: Ultimate Speed’ Game Launches This Fall: Mattel and GameMill drop a new arcade racer on Oct. 24—expect awareness tailwinds for track sets, die-cast, and streamer-friendly content. (More)

Big Attitude Meets Mischief With L.O.L. Surprise! And Minions Collab: MGA rolls out six new dolls with Illumination’s Minions, setting up viral unboxings and cross-demo gifting ahead of peak holiday. (More)

GUGA GAGA: Toys Made For Future Generations With EU Support: EU-backed sustainable toy design highlights tightening standards on plastics—expect packaging/material shifts to influence buyer requirements and margin planning. (More)

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