Hasbro Q1 Report Now Available!

[lovesbabysquirmy]

If reading these sorts of things interests you, check out the sales earnings for Q1 at Hasbro:
 
http://files.shareholder.com/downloads/HAS/1827229657x0x561850/e3c2093b-3673-439c-8227-540153934c90/HAS_News_2012_4_23_Quarterly_Financials.pdf
 
Notice what they say about MLP...   

[cesprins]

Overall revenue went down though from last year. :/

[teresat]

Looks like MLP is the main toy line holding-up their girls products. I wonder if they will stick to "girls like pink" in their other toy-lines too. I'd give them a big "needs improvement" grade on their girl's products.  Maybe they will start listening to fans in toy lines like MLP and LPS now....

[StarDragon]

Adding to what teresat said, maybe Hasbro will consider the possibility that "everything pink" for girls is what is dragging down the department. I seriously hope they change up their game plan.

[Wardah]

LPS has been lagging for a while despite the line not being overly pink. I have hope that the new show they have on the way will breathe life into it.

[teresat]

Wardah, it's true that LPS has not been overly pink but they have moved away from normal coloring for the animals. Odd coloring works with the new fairy line for LPS. The new baby line is interesting as well.

Strawberry Shortcake isn't too pink either but I feel the characters lack an attraction that the Disney Princesses and Barbie figures seem to have for girls. The SS cartoon is terrible. I hope the LPS carton is better!

I think they've missed the mark with waiting for new MLP releases until later in the year. Most successful companies have new product releases during the spring because of the slow time after the holidays and another during the summer when people are focussing on outdoor activities.

Also, looking at the past MLP non-toy merchandising, the FIM line is very poor, especially in comparison to Barbie and Disney Princess. (I know this has been mentioned on numerous occasions here on the Arena.)

Here's to hoping there's much, much more in the second half of 2012 for MLP:FIM!

[Scraleos]

I don't really think its because everything is pink, I think it's because they keep re-releasing the same character over and over. I wouldn't mind another new pink pony over one of the mane 6.

[hathorcat]

For Hasbro we have to remember that their Boys lines and Games lines have always [or at least in the last 30 years] been their strongest and with their Hasbro Games range and brands like Transformers and Joe, it will probably continue to see the highest percentage of their focus. Hasbro have tried in the past to go up against Mattel in Girls lines - Jem, Maxie and a couple of others - but although popular these never captured the Girls market in quite the same manner as the ever dominant power woman that is Barbie. However with MLP the line has always been different enough from other brands that when Hasbro get the brand right [probably G1, early G3 and now G4] its successful.

The line is probably doing very well within the Girls sector itself...its just that the other lines are more financially powerful for Hasbro as a company.

Although you will get items released throughout the year, major toy brands tend to focus their expensive/major items on the back half of the year. A bit like how retailers have a focus on opening new stores within the last 1/4 of a year.

[Pangel]

I guess you also have to keep in mind is that My Little Pony is no longer 'just for girls'. We have a whole new brony community now who will also support the line of toys.

[kittybethy]

Thanks for sharing!

[hathorcat]

I guess you also have to keep in mind is that My Little Pony is no longer 'just for girls'. We have a whole new brony community now who will also support the line of toys.

Yes, but for HB they will always class the line within "Girls"...although I wonder if they have ever worked out an adult collector percentage across all lines from Transformers through to MLP...I bet that would make interesting reading...or make us all realise how teeny tiny a percentage of their market we are!!! 

[Sora]

I don't really think its because everything is pink, I think it's because they keep re-releasing the same character over and over. I wouldn't mind another new pink pony over one of the mane 6.

I agree with this. Parents aren't going to keep buying the same toy over and over just because it has a couple of different accessories. With all the cheap fakies out there, Hasbro need to step up their game.

[lovesbabysquirmy]

Thanks for all the comments everyone!  I find these topics fascinating, personally, so I love hearing what others are guessing and predicting for Hasbro!

[mlpfan]

my little pony is hasbro's bread and butter:)

[lovesbabysquirmy]

my little pony is hasbro's bread and butter:)

It is!  That's why we are on generation Four already, and it's only a 30 year old property of Hasbro.  Bonnie, the original creator of MLP, was a frackin' genius to capitalize on the idea that kids would love colorful, brushable horses.  I don't know if any other animal would be quite as versatile than the horse... 

I always look forward to seeing what MLP will turn into - whether I like the result is completely different!  LOL  I.E., G3: Core 7, G3.5, and now G4. 

I don't think much can recapture the same kind of magic that G1s had purely because we no longer live in a world where only a very small number of children expect to receive anything further than basic necessities.  I think a lot of us remember that ponies and gifts were only on holidays - we weren't asking for ponies everyday that we saw on the internet, and getting them within a month or two.  It was, Birthdays, Christmas, Easter, Family Reunion/Grandma's House, Reward For Good Behavior.  But if you can hop online and see the eleventy thousand ponies you DON'T have yet... well, it sort of depreciates the excitement of the pony that you DO have.  This is pretty much how I feel about collecting MLP in a modern context.
But yes, I do wonder about when Hasbro will pull MLP back into the vaults and give us another generation in another 5-10 years!  They always will...