m4e AG together with the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP lays the foundation stone to set up a high-class licencing programme for the KiKANiNCHEN pre-school programme brand.

Since its programme-start in October 2009, KiKANiNCHEN, the new pre-school brand by KI.KA, has very successfully established itself in the 3 to 6-year-old target group, and with outstanding viewing rates, has meanwhile become market leader in this area. Since mid May, the multimedia pre-school portal www.kikaninchen.de is now also online. The Grünwald-based brand management and media company – commissioned in March 2010 by ARD and ZDF’s Kinderkanal (children's channel) to develop a high-quality licence programme for KiKANiNCHEN – has now laid the foundation stone of its marketing strategy, and with the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP it presents the first important partner for the toys/soft-toy sector, within the scope of its first marketing stage.

With the help of an exclusive range of products that comprises many brands of the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP, the stories and content from KiKANiNCHEN are to be delivered via specialized trade to the children, without losing sight of quality, authenticity and playful knowledge transfer, for which this premium programme brand stands for.

Thus, under the brand name Nicotoy, various Kikaninchen soft-toys will be developed, Eichhorn will produce a beautiful range of high-quality wooden toys, Simba Toys with its “Art&Fun” range will present a series of creative toys such as painting and handicraft boxes, finger-painting colours, Softknete modelling clay etc., BIG offers outdoor toys such as its famous BIG-BOBBY-CAR, and a balance board, and Noris-Spiele is responsible for games and puzzles. Just as with Kikaninchen itself, all these toys are intended to encourage children to play creatively and artistically, to actively move about, and furthermore they communicate that learning can be fun. All these products will initially be presented at the Nuremberg International Toy Fair in February 2011, and should be available for retail purchase in the summer thereafter.

As a first step in the marketing of KiKANiNCHEN, m4e is concentrating on strategic alliances with manufacturers and distributors in the core-sectors of toys/soft-toys, publishing and audio/DVD. The SIMBA DICKIE GROUP appeared as the ideal partner, with ‘making children happy’ being its highest priority, and whose philosophy and ethics correspond with KiKANiNCHEN’s own mission. Thus, for example since 2008 the SIMBA DICKIE GROUP is one of the world’s first toy manufacturers to guarantee environmentally friendly production of its wooden toys with the internationally recognised Forest Stewardship Council’s accreditation. With its various brands, this internationally positioned company can offer a wide, high-quality product range from one source. An optimum distribution of all its products with corresponding presentation within the trade is guaranteed through its new specialized trade concept and the new company – SIMBA DICKIE Vertriebs GmbH – founded in April 2010.

“What lies behind KiKANiNCHEN is a pedagogically valuable and lasting licencing concept that addresses all children. The happy KI.KA character offers guidance and stands for responsible interaction with children and their own development. This philosophy matches perfectly with our own. With licence themes in the toys branch, we have had international success for over 25 years. We are now proud to begin with KiKANiNCHEN a long-term licencing cooperation for the German market. Within the development of the high-quality product range all around the attractive programme brand, we have focussed on creative and educational toys. From the BIG-BOBBY-CAR to wooden toys from Eichhorn, right up to creative sets from Simba Toys’ Art&Fun … there is something for everyone in its broad selection.” says Andreas Schmitt, chief executive of Simba Toys GmbH & Co. KG.