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RC2 plans to devote their vast resources to researching and to creating only "winners
from the cnet mailer
RC2 ~ Johnny Lightning News
In our recent talks with RC2, we have confirmed some information about Johnny Lightning that we had previously suspected. RC2 has plans to devote their vast resources to researching and to creating only "winners" for the Johnny Lightning line. They have committed to reduce production numbers on some releases if warranted. We are very pleased with the direction that the Johnny Lightning brand is heading and our customers must agree with the new marketing strategy as our sales of all Johnny Lightning have been on a meteoric rise lately!
We have posted new pictures of the Mopar Muscle Release 10, Classic Plastic, and Firebirds Release 3.
We can't wait to see what the rest of 2005 brings for Johnny Lightning.
In case it hasn't been posted here yet, or you don't get Toy Cars & Models, here is an excerpt from the May '05 issue, Editor's Note, written by Merry Dudley.
"RC2 has owned Playing Mantis for about a year now, and the cars it had been working on before the sale are coming to an end, leading to fewer cars on the pegs. During the last few months, I've talked with several collectors about the lack of new Johnny Lightning product, and every person expressed concern about the future of the Johnny Lightning brand.
And I have to agree. My recent visit to RC2's Toy Fair showroom only heightened my fears about the fate of Johnny Lightning - I didn't see one person from the Playing Mantis group, and our tour guide spared less than 15 seconds on the Johnny Lightning line. In past visits, I've spent an hour or two with Playing Mantis executives. If I hadn't exclaimed my delight at seeing the 1983 Hurst Olds in the display, I'm not sure we would have even had those 15 seconds."
The main theme of the article is about licensing, and how PM was very good at listening to it's customers regarding a new casting, while other companies would say "Well, maybe someday." And about how Tom Lowe was a one-man licensing committee. Per Dave Metzner, "If Tom want to do a project, he handled the licensing end of things. If Tom liked a license, we renewed it. I don't think it is quite that simple at RC2. I'm sure they are trying to digest their acquisition and determine a logical way to continue."
Merry ends the article with this: "While RC2 "digests" its acquisition, let me send out one last heartfelt plea. Johnny lightning cars are beloved in this hobby. A new owner should be ecstatic that it now controls a brand that incites such loyalty."
[QUOTE=superduty455]I find this interesting:
"our customers must agree with the new marketing strategy"
(completing sentence) as our sales of all Johnny Lightning have been on a meteoric rise lately! I think they are trying to say that the customer is voting with their dollars. I for one hope that they cut down on some of the crap releases that we all know and love (not) and that is what I get out of this statement. I don't think they are into mind control.....yet!
Bob
Last edited by Bob Justbob; 04-24-2005 at 01:34 AM..
In our recent talks with RC2, we have confirmed some information about Johnny Lightning that we had previously suspected. RC2 has plans to devote their vast resources to researching and to creating only "winners" for the Johnny Lightning line. They have committed to reduce production numbers on some releases if warranted. We are very pleased with the direction that the Johnny Lightning brand is heading and our customers must agree with the new marketing strategy as our sales of all Johnny Lightning have been on a meteoric rise lately!
First of all, it's kind of hard to substantiate a "meteoric rise" in sales of JL products when so few new releases have been issued, no? Second, whenever there is a rare new release, starved collectors are most likely going to snap up whatever is finally released, so those sales trends are a little "skewed" as well, no?
So RC2 shelled out 20 mil to what, "shrink" the product line? And who is the qualified individual at RC2 who gets to determine exactly which casting/release will be a "winner"? By which set of standards? How "reduced" is production going to get?
Hate to be a "doomsayer", but this ain't lookin' too good for us, folks!
OK, to be the not doomsayer here, I seeat least 2 new releases coming out every month for the rest of the year like Mopar Muscle, Firebirds, Muscle Cars, Classic Gold, etc and another 2 releases of the other stuff, Street Freaks, Coke, Texas Hold'em, etc. Where in this mix is there a decrease? They may be cutting back on the production numbers of each release (that's a good thing right? makes the cars more special?) but I see an increase in releases planned.
If they reduce runs then still sell the e-tailers the same amount then there will be less found in the wild. Maybe that's why so few releases are being found in the stores....which is more fun to me. Bummer. Besides I don't want a whole inner, just a few. If the e-tailers sell broken down cases to help out those that don't want a a whole inner they will take the WLs for higher sale. I see this as bad news.
