I am indebted to Geof Lilleker for help with some of this information. Like most other such product launches of the day, BAYKO's initial marketing strategy was to use the services of a third party, well known and respected in the trade… |
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…Plimpton worked through : - | ||||
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However, Fred Rogerson of Berwicks persuaded C.B. Plimpton [BAYKO's inventor] to bring the marketing in house… |
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…and so Fred joined Plimpton, probably in 1938… |
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…I suspect Berwicks were less than happy! |
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I don't know if there was a direct link, but Berwicks didn't attend the annual British Industry Fair in the following February… |
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…still, you can see their point… |
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…does it also, perhaps, show how significant BAYKO had become? |
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Presumably it is also around this time that R.L. [Lester] Cooper was hired to service London and the home counties, as announced later, in the September, 1939 issue of 'Toy Trader', the leading publication for the U.K.'s toy trade. |
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He did this from : - |
22, Kempsford Gardens, London S.W.5. Telephone - Flaxman 7224 |
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The split from Berwick's was announced formally [Left] to the trade in 'Games & Toys' in May, 1939. |
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In the same announcement Plimpton also asked for overseas agents - unfortunate timing to put it mildly! |
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Strangely, an advert in 'Toy Trader' in September, 1939 made no specific reference to either of these changes, it simply printed the Plimpton address. |
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This was followed in the June, 1939 edition, by a brief article… |
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Although BAYKO's sales and marketing activities were generally dormant during the war, trade awareness was maintained via monthly, 'classified advert style' reminders in 'Games & Toys'… |
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After the break for the war, Fred Rogerson returned to Plimpton's, in 1946, and so did Lester Cooper, who again became BAYKO's key man for London and the home counties. |
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Eventually, together with their five other sales reps, they serviced some 3,500 toy stores and other retail outlets… |
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…indeed, they achieved pretty well 100% coverage of U.K. toyshops as well as the toy departments of all the major U.K. department stores. |
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Personal experience in Blackburn, during various holidays across the U.K. in seaside resorts, or whilst enduring the dreaded family shopping excursions, suggests that this was the case - I certainly don't remember ever finding a toyshop without stocks of the world's first, and finest, plastic construction toy. |
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By the middle of the 1950s, Plimpton were selling more than 150,000 BAYKO sets a year, but were beginning to come under increasing pressure from a wide range of other architectural toys, with the timing of the the launch of LEGO, in 1959, in the U.K., perhaps the most significant. |
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At its peak, BAYKO's export market reached 35% of total production - served either directly from the U.K. or via local import agents… |
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Adverts, produced by C. Vernon & Sons of Rodney Street, Liverpool were common in the 1950s. |
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Plimpton used a number of different printers to produce their various types of documentation over the life of the product… |
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After the MECCANO takeover, marketing in the 1960s was handled by MECCANO's own people - though not always particularly efficiently if their first flier is anything to go on! |
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There is comparatively little other marketing information available, but, thanks to an item in 'Games and Toys', December, 1961, I think we can make some useful deductions… |
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MECCANO also supported BAYKO with two excellent initiatives in the 'MECCANO Magazine'. |
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Firstly - the ‘Toyman’ articles : - |
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These often featured BAYKO buildings, drawing children's attention to the wider play possibilities of BAYKO models beyond their construction. I never felt that Plimpton pushed this aspect hard enough - e.g. the late arrival of Ramps and Garage Doors. |
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Left, is an example from November, 1961… |
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Secondly the ‘Architect’ articles : - |
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These began 6 months before BAYKO's death, running from July, 1963 to May, 1964 - the last being a month or so after production had stopped! An example can be seen to the right. |
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Below here are links to related info : - |
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Click on any of the links below for related information. |
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