The team is to increase its marketing drive into autumn with more TV and an extension to its growing social presence.
Simba Smoby UK is set to increase its marketing drive into autumn with more TV and an extension to its growing social presence.
The company’s ‘always on’ marketing campaign 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 £7 million 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. In addition, 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 programme, further contributing to the brand’s growth.
To support this growth, the company 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, 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,” commented 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.”
The brand’s regular partnerships with celebrities and high profile social mums and their children has also contributed to its success. Highlights include Greg Shepherd posting a series of content for the Smoby Teepee, with one Instagram post liked by more than 11k people including his wife, Billie Faiers.
The company has also worked with Gemma Atkinson, Rebekah Vardy, Stephanie Davis and Mario Falcone.
Mayur continued: “The celebrity and influencer endorsement remains a key part of strategy. 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.”
