I have been very complementary of Topps and their business practices on this blog, even devoting an entire pillar post to it. However, being complementary does not exclude one from also being critical at the same time. I'm critical of Topps and the way they market to their target audience.
Kids today aren't aware of baseball cards generally unless they have a parent expose them at an early age. This is Topp's issue because as these older people start to age out of it or pass away, there will be no next generation to keep companies like Topps in business. Marketing to kids is something that the sport as a whole struggles with and this is puzzling to me given the NBA and NFL's general success in doing so. Why can't baseball reach kids in the same ways? Topps must some of these failures and learn something from them.
1. Kids first and foremost need to see the advertisements so putting ads on the History Channel isn't going to help their cause.
2. Kids need to be engaged by the commercial. Think lots of colors, quick cuts, make the sport of baseball and collecting cards exciting.
3. Build a easy to recognize brand.
If Topps followed these three simple steps, they would be in a much better position then they currently are. Their refusal to branch beyond older people is not a strategy that is going to bring them much success in the future. The problem is now in their hands.
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