Happy Marketer Connection Ep. 9: Alan Sutton, Jay At Play on “Heritage”
“Pivot” and “innovate” may be the buzzwords of the day, but for Alan Sutton and his family, they are core to the heritage of their family toy business. Alan’s family has been in the toy business since 1945 and has learned how to continually innovate and pivot to stay relevant and meet the demands of retailers, parents, and of course, children. In a trend-driven industry that Alan likens to fashion, staying small and nimble to meet the demands of the market has helped Jay At Play thrive, as he shares on this episode about “Heritage” on the Happy Marketer Connection podcast.
The support of his family – his Partners are his father and sister – and their belief in staying small and lean, working closely with the inventor community, and always putting the business first have helped Jay At Play find success in an ever-changing and trend-driven global market. Alan shares the pros and cons of working with family, how to build a global brand, the importance of staying nimble as a company, methods to resolve conflicts within your team and supply chain, and what the fashion and toy industry have in common.
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About Our Guest
Alan Sutton, VP Global Sales & Operations, Jay at Play
For Alan Sutton, work is about fun and family. At Jay@Play, Alan is the VP of Global Sales and Operations, working alongside his sister and father to aim to put smiles on children’s faces through their toy company. With a successful background in developing, manufacturing, marketing, distributing, selling, and licensing products globally in the consumer electronics and toy categories, Alan is a passionate and strategic leader at his company.