Business Chief Europe Magazine March 2016 | Page 9

DRESSING UP trend research to keep Smiffys products on top . They look at what ’ s previewing on catwalks and on the high street , what films and franchises are emerging , and brainstorm concepts before selecting 300 or 400 new product designs for release . “ We don ’ t hold licences for big franchises , but we are affected by films . A big trend not long ago was vampires , and now with big series like The Walking
Dead , it ’ s all about zombies . Day of The Dead has also had a huge spike of interest , thanks to a particular scene in Spectre . We ’ re very much influenced by popular culture .”
Large corporations selling licensed products , such as Disney , are the biggest competitors for Smiffys , and as such become the target
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