NPD: Popular Toy IP Around the Globe

"There is a wealth of choice available for consumers when it comes to licensed toys. Reflective of the wide variety of markets NPD tracks, it is clear that there is a lot of diversity in the top 10 list. In certain markets, consumers favor content-driven or aspirational toys, whereas in others the draw is more toward branded products with no characters attached," says Frederique Tutt, global toys analyst, The NPD Group.

NPD says that the wide variety of toy categories is not determined by any singular factor, and can include varied thematic elements that are not sourced from any one channel or category. Tutt also notes that toy-based or comic/publishing properties can be boosted by crossover content.