Hasbro deploys its open innovation platform worldwide

It was the winter of 1987 and I was working at the startup Worlds of Wonder back then Hasbro invited us to their showroom in New York City during Toy Fair. For an aspiring toy inventor, it was a dream come true. Technically, with our two number one hit toys, we were their competition. But I’ve never forgotten how the Hasbro staff made us feel, because they were so warm and welcoming.

Thirty years later, that same spirit of openness is still very much alive at Hasbro. Since the leading global games and entertainment company launched its open innovation platform Spark in 2016, it received thousands of idea submissions from US-based fans of its approximately 1,500 brands.

Starting this fall, fans in five additional markets – including Canada, UK, Australia, New Zealand and Hong Kong – now have the opportunity to share their creativity with Hasbro as well. Spark will be rolled out to other innovation hubs “as soon as possible”, including countries such as Germany, Israel and Brazil.

Why is Hasbro expanding its platform for everyday people to share their ideas for new products with them? The answer is very simple: because it knows that the best ideas can and will come from anyone and anywhere.

In an interview, Jared Wade, Senior Vice President, Design Innovation at Hasbro, said there are so many great outside ideas coming to the company that they want to make it even easier for creative people to connect with their inventing relationships. team.

When it comes to valuing the contributions of independent inventors, the toy and game industry has long been way ahead of the rest. In the past, however, there were barriers for aspiring toy and game inventors to overcome, including hiring a sales representative.

Today that has changed. Online submission portals like Spark have made the process of figuring out who to share a new idea with and how much easier for inventors.

“Removing those barriers and making it as easy as possible benefits the creators and it benefits us because we get the best ideas in the world,” Wade explains.

Typically, submission portals for invention ideas are no different from black holes in the sense that it’s unclear what and when (or ever) an inventor can expect to hear back about their idea. Spark is different.

Leo Taylor, an amateur board game designer turned professional four years ago, described his experience with the Spark platform as a “pleasant surprise.” Taylor is the co-inventor, co-owner and designer of Just play games that came to Hasbro through the Spark platform. He is currently developing several games for Hasbro, some of which are now on sale.

Taylor had always heard that setting up big toy and game companies was an uphill battle, so he didn’t bother. On a lark, he decided to send a video of one of his games to Hasbro using Spark. He put time and effort into the video, including hiring a professional film photographer.

It worked. Shortly thereafter, he received a call from Tanya Thompson, a game scout at Hasbro’s Inventor Relations Department. She was impressed with the quality of the video and wanted to know more about him. Did he have other ideas? She welcomed him with open arms, he said.

“It was, out of the gate, relationship building,” Taylor said.

Here are my tips from my interview with Wade and Taylor for toy and game inventors:

— Focus on making a 60 second video that captures the thrill and fun of your toy or game. As Wade says, nothing beats a good video.

“If you’re able to tell how to play with the toy or game and convey the fun in that early video – a little taste of that commercial moment, that moment under the tree or when the kid unwraps it and around dinner with their families — that’s magical,” Wade explained. “That’s the spark that can really draw attention to an idea.”

In other words: focus on showing the influence your idea has on the end user. (Rather than just what the item does or what it’s made of.)

Hasbro searches for ‘revolutionary innovations’ through Spark. This means new ways to play, whether it’s how to use a material in a new way or how to create a new experience.

Taylor doubled down on the importance of taking the time to write a great pitch as this may be your only chance to make a great first impression.

— Be ready to send a prototype in case they ask to see one.

— Be open to receive feedback and to steer your original idea in a different direction. Relationships are extremely important in this industry, especially since people tend to linger. If you have a positive attitude and are a team player, you will stand out. Be the kind of person people want and want to work with. Two-way traffic is necessary for open innovation partnerships to succeed.

“The most valuable thing we have is not the idea itself, but the relationships that keep those ideas coming and growing,” Wade said.

— Find and pitch companies like Hasbro that have embraced open innovation and are really looking for your ideas.

— Intellectual property is not required to submit an idea to Spark.

Another prerequisite for becoming a successful inventor of toys and games? Perseverance and passion. This industry is full of extremely creative people. Fighting them is not for the faint of heart.

It’s commendable that Hasbro is making it easier for people around the world to share their creativity with them!