“Knock-Knock” Goes Clump-o-Lump

What will be the hottest toy this year? It’s an annual question that plagues companies as they try to create and provide customers with quality, lasting playthings. And while there will always be those times when certain TV-characters-turned-toys make everyone empty their wallets, most of the time there are certain kinds of products that are winners year in and year out.

For example, the popularity of toys such as plastic building bricks and stylized construction logs can’t be understated. They make great gifts for every occasion and are perennial favorites come the holiday season. Their appeal lies largely in their modular design. Sets of building blocks typically come with dozens of pieces that can be assembled into a pre-set project. However, those same pieces can also be taken apart, connected with other sets or spun into new creative projects.

Modular products appeal to a broad audience because they continuously offer a challenge. Kids come back to them time and time again, getting engaged in fresh ways with each new play experience. This is part of the reason that Knock-Knock Co.’s head honcho Jen Bilik immediately saw the enormous potential in Max Knecht’s hand-sewn cuddly wonder, the Clump-o-Lump. Max Knecht has had an eye on creating fun, functional products ever since he was 13, but it wasn’t until a fateful meeting with Jen Bilik that his lovable prototype toy became a star. The two met up when Bilik was a guest speaker, passing her hard-won business knowledge on to an eager audience.

Bilik’s company, Knock-Knock, has a strong reputation for bringing clever, avant-garde products to market — making her the perfect spokeswoman for developing products for the real world. Bilik has the unique ability to grab customer attention with hip, forward-thinking items. Noteworthy sellers include the All Out Of Pad, which makes it easy to just check off the stuff needed on the weekly grocery list. The Parents’ Night Out Pad helps busy families provide important information for caregivers. Knock-Knock has a variety of innovative gift items, including the Instant Happiness Snow Globe (exactly what it sounds like) and the Big Word Flashcards, a generous compilation of vocab guaranteed to increase the word-hoard of kids and adults alike.

Humorous gifts abound, too, like the parenting manual How to Traumatize Your Children, which provides a giggle-inducing take on childhood and child rearing that can take some of the edge off of those stressful times. With a stable full of innovative items, adding the modular Clump-o-Lump soft plush toy was a no-brainer. “Knock Knock has always been more a sensibility than a particular product type, and we all felt that the Clump-o-Lump concept was gloriously consistent with Knock Knock’s emphasis on play, surprise, intelligence, innovation and design,” notes Bilik.

With the Clump-o-Lump, part of the advantage lay in being in the right place at the right time. Bilik was leading the audience through her presentation on “Bringing Your Product to Market.” One of those in attendance was Max Knecht, a budding designer and recent grad with one fabulous prototype. With the flourish of an old suitcase and the brandishing of his handmade creation, Knecht stepped out from the crowd and into the world of kids’ toys. Bilik was hooked. She recognized the intrinsic play value of the comforting pull-apart toy. “Play value,” a child development term frequently used to assess toys or games, refers to the continued engagement an item has. The longer the child is interested in playing with the toy or game, the higher its value. Clearly, the Clump-o-Lump was a high play value toy. And Knock-Knock was just the company to help bring it successfully to market.

Modular Play, Lasting Appeal

With over 2,000 combinations possible, the Clump-o-Lump line is the sentimental answer to hard plastic building blocks or semi-flexible magnetic connectors. With six creatures in the current line-up, there’s a little something squeezable for every imagination. Constructed of 100% polyester fleece (with plastic eyes and zippers with metal pulls), these soft swappables egg-on every kid’s imagination. Parents rest easy knowing the toys meet all the important safety standards (ASTM, CPSA, CPSIA (35000 LT-01/2012-01), FHSA, CCPSA, EN 71).

The soft characters come in three sections: a head, a torso and a bottom. Sections can be unzipped and swapped out with others to create new designs and characters. Frog-o the Frog is a green comical playmate, while Bee-o the Bee is a rather dapper insect. Shark-o the Shark sports a goofy, toothy mouth while the new bluebird of happiness, Bird-o the Bird, seems like a peaceful pet.

Tig-o the Tiger and Squid-o the Squid round out this eclectic bunch of mix-and-match toys. A backstory for the creatures is available on the website, as is a catchy jingle about the toys. Each creature has its own unique personality and is targeted at children 5 to 10 years old, although younger children adore them and there are quite a few “kids” who are well beyond the target market that are counted as fans. Knock-Knock’s social media page is chock-full of customer photos of humorous scenarios featuring Clump-o-Lumps and other rave product reviews.

Where will Knock-Knock go with its lines of snuggable swappables, cool gifts and creative leadership? Considering its products are sold throughout the world in over 6,000 stores, the only way to really go is up: www.knockknockstuff.com