Husband and wife duo Anthony and Naomi Green are the brains behind the popular children’s brand, Tiger Tribe.
Established in 2007 from the garage of their family home in the southeast, their vision was to create thoughtful and fun children’s gifts and toys.
Here they chat to Danielle Galvin about the creative process and what the brand means to them and families.
1. Tell me about the evolution of Tiger Tribe .. what inspired the start of the brand? What was your first product? What were your backgrounds?
Anthony: Tiger Tribe was founded in 2007. The catalyst for starting the business was pretty simple. Firstly, we wanted to create toys and activity sets that our kids would want to play with. Products that were engaging, fun and fuelled with imagination. At the same time we felt there was a big gap in the market for interesting, quality children’s gifts and activity sets at affordable prices. We both decided that it was the right time to launch a children’s brand in the Australian market.
After many months of planning, Naomi and I went on our first sourcing trip to Hong Kong. We discovered many interesting manufacturers — more than we could afford! We selected our five favourite suppliers and then came home and designed a co-ordinated range that we presented at the 2007 Gift Fair in Melbourne. Our very first product was a butterfly mobile made from wire, fabric and plastic beads. Our first warehouse was a small shop front around the corner from home. And the office was our garage – under the house.
Prior to starting Tiger Tribe I worked in a children’s wholesale accessories business. This experience helped me to understand that there were a lot of independent retailers out there, looking for appealing and affordable children’s products.
Naomi initially studied law, then went back to uni to study a communications degree. In the year before we started, she was busy at home looking after our two small children and working as a freelance editor.
Both Naomi and I enjoy the creative aspects of life – so it was a good fit for us to start a business that was all about encouraging imagination and creativity.
2. Over the years, I’ve bought and received a lot of Tiger Tribe activity sets and kits for my preschool aged daughter who is now 4 years old. What I love about the brand is the fact that the kits are simple, thoughtful but also really affordable and accessible – is that something that’s front of mind for you both?
Naomi: We are so glad that you and your daughter have personally enjoyed our products. And you’ve hit the nail on the head — fundamentally our business has always been driven by a number of key values:
• Strong design – we believe that design is super important. By designing beautiful gifts and activity sets we can differentiate ourselves in a crowded market.
• Portable and compact – we work hard to ensure our products meet the lifestyle demands of modern families. Our activity sets are compact and portable — helping kids create and play at home and when out and about.
• Abundant content and high play value – we strive to pack in as much as we can into every product. We want TT products to last a long time and so we make them interesting and engaging enough for kids to want to revisit them!
• Great Value – we like to pack as much content as possible. Most of our sets retail for $20 which we see as a popular present price point.
3. How do you come up with the ideas for your products (without giving too much away!) It must take a lot of creativity! How do you know it will be a hit or a best seller with kids? What sort of things do kids need to feel engaged?
Anthony: Not wanting to take away any of the magic, but that famous quote from Thomas Edison often springs to mind … genius is 1 per cent inspiration and 99 per cent perspiration! Great ideas are only the beginning, then we have to make them work in a practical, doable way.
The product ideas process is a combination of business driven needs and creative ideas. On the business side we look at opportunities and gaps in our range – in relation to things such as age, price-points, competition and product category.
Naomi: And once we determine areas of new development, the fun stuff begins. All Tiger Tribe products are designed in house, here in Rowville. Our designers really are the heart of our company.
In fact, it’s the thing we love the most about our business – product development, the illustration and design work around product creation. We have regular discussions around the lunch table at work and also set aside time for collaborative design meetings where our team comes together (designers, marketing and sales, customer service).
The design team starts sketching and brainstorming new products about a year out from launch. There are so many steps along the way to getting a new product design delivered. From idea generation, sketching concepts and preliminary designs, prototypes, drafting and testing, sourcing components, manufacture and then shipping! It’s fair to say we feel like proud parents when a new bunch of our products arrive.
Anthony: There is no telling what will be a hit with kids … if only it was that easy! I think it comes down to a lot of variables. What’s currently on trend? Is it unique? Has it got a lot of play value? Does it span widely in age appeal? These attributes contribute to product success. Some of our best-sellers include Beat the Clock, our Outdoor Activity Set – Back to Nature, Unicorn and Friends – Neon Colouring Set and Roly Poly Koala – they are all completely different but each one a bestseller.
Naomi: And when it comes to engaging kids, we learnt a lot from our own two. As they were growing up, just watching how their different personalities steered them towards different activities. One of them is a patient detailed person, and the other doesn’t sit still for long and doesn’t really like instructions. So it is important that our products engage kids with differing interests and approaches. Not every product captivates every child but our range is diverse and we believe there is something within in our range for each and every kid.
4. How do you feel when you see Tiger Tribe products in stores?
Anthony: Even after 13 years it still gives us a thrill when retailers tell us that customers come into store looking specifically for our brand. We’ve created something that is available in more than 700 retailers across Australia, including a number of leading retail stores. Tiger Tribe also began exporting about four years ago and we are proud and excited to be available in over 30 countries around the world.
Naomi: And we never stop getting a buzz out of spotting a kid colouring in with a Tiger Tribe set in a café, or playing with a magnetic game on a plane or receiving customer feedback about how our products helped a child stay entertained during a hospital stay or how boredom was well and truly busted on a really long road trip!
5. Do kids get enough of the creative, pretend play these days, in your view?
Anthony: Kids certainly have an enormous amount of digital content to choose from. There are so many cool apps out there. Screen based activities have a place, of course. But there is definitely a groundswell encouraging parents to help their children find alternatives to screen time. So we feel it’s all about keeping the balance right. Clever apps stimulate the brain in very different ways to old fashioned pen and paper. Drawing, colouring and crafting allow kids to be calm and mindful. Moreover, this kind of creative play helps kids to discover their imagination and build a sense of confidence and self-sufficiency. All very important skills to develop in our kids.
6. One of the greatest challenges for parents these days is to manage their child’s screen time. Do you see Tiger Tribe playing a role in that?
Naomi: It’s easy to forget how quickly the challenge of screen time has evolved. When we started Tiger Tribe in 2007 there were not a lot of digital products for kids. The first iPhone was released that same year (2007) and iPads didn’t arrive till 2010. Thirteen years on we’ve watched a technological revolution in the toy market, including games, social media and apps for children. Of course, we understand the lure and attraction of technology through our own kids’ journey (they are now in their final years at high school). Demand for electronic and screen-based products to entertain and educate kids is strong. But at the same time we’ve always had enormous faith in the fact that parents understand the need to unplug kids. And if anything this need is growing stronger. There must be alternatives to screen time and that is what we have always provided.
Anthony: Quite simply, our products offer an antidote to screen time. We make it easy and fun for children to unplug and engage in creative play. Our activity sets in particular are all about Portable Play – they are easy to pack, convenient to carry and perfect for families on the go. So instead of reaching into your bag and pulling out a phone or tablet, it’s just as easy to pull out a compact activity set. We recommend creating a new habit with kids by offering them an alternative when you are at a cafe or on a road trip. You might be surprised how much children enjoy ‘old school’ activities using paper and pencils, magnets and imagination.
