"2012 results were positive for Miniland Baby thanks to our diversification in products and markets" | Key4Communications |

With over 50 years of history, Miniland Group bases its business strategy on the values of innovation and globalization. Juan Ramón Domenech, Marketing Director, explains that the company's goals are to introduce new products and enter new foreign markets in order to achieve positive results.

Miniland celebrated its 50th anniversary in 2012. How has the company grown over the years?
Miniland was established as an auxiliary industry of toy manufacturers. Today, Miniland Educational leads the Spanish educational toy market and is a clear world leader in the sector, exporting 60% of its production to over 50 countries. In addition, the light babycare products of our Miniland Baby business unit are present in most specialty shops in Spain, Russia, Italy and Portugal, as well as in the US and other European and Asian countries.

The big change for the company was in 1996, when the firm decided to invest in its own-brand products and changed its strategy to focus on the educational market, starting what is nowadays the Educational Miniland area. In 1997 we exhibited for the first time at the International Toy Fair in Nuremberg, which we have done every year since. In 2003, Miniland acquired a small business positioned in the babycare market. With this acquisition we began the journey of consolidating Miniland Baby diversification and ongoing innovation as a strategy of the business group. In 2009, we created the US subsidiary of Miniland Educational, based in Miami.

As explained, the company is divided into two areas: Miniland Educational and Miniland Baby. What is the purpose of this differentiation?
Miniland Educational counts with an offer for the education market, with toys and educational materials for the age groups between 0 and 14. Miniland Baby has a wide range of electronic light childcare products, offering the highest performance with the most advanced technology. I'd like to mention eMyBaby, the new universe for nowadays moms and dads. A whole world to discover in this new app for computers, tablets and smartphones.

In spite of the stagnant consumption in babycare products in the Spanish market, Miniland has closed a positive 2012
2012 results were positive for Miniland Baby thanks to our diversification in products and markets. The domestic market is in a moment of weakness, even though the childcare sector is less affected than others, but we offset this situation with sales in foreign markets, both in Europe and on other continents. The product is also essential to keep the brand positioning and the desired quality, and in this sense we launch new items every year that match a process of innovation and comprehensive development.

Innovation is one of the aspects to consider in business strategies. Which have been the major developments of the past year?
In 2013 we will introduce lots of new monitors, thermometers, mixers and software, as the eMyBaby app. There are more than 10 products to be launched, each of them meeting the quality standards intrinsic to Miniland, and responding to the needs of increasingly demanding end users. R & D allows Miniland Baby to grow in markets where it is already present and to enter into new ones - without innovation, new product development, and continuous improvement of existing items, it would be impossible to compete, as consumers count with increasingly more knowledge.

Do you think that parents are aware of the importance of the use of toys during the early childhood?
Toys are a key element in the development of babies and kids. Through toys babies learn motor skills, shapes, colours, textures and values. At this stage, when approaching 36 months, babies are absorbing everything that happens around them, interacting with all elements.