Hi Holly!
Firstly – congratulations! You became product and marketing director at Creative Party recently. What does that mean to you? And do you get your own parking space now?
“Thanks! It’s a really exciting time for me and for the business as a whole. The department is expanding and I will be recruiting a new team member to help support the growth plans. My role is changing slightly in that I will be having much more involvement in other parts of the business.
Having spent six years in product and marketing, it’s a great opportunity to learn all the other aspects of the business. We are growing and taking on new team members and it feels like a real new era for us. For me, it recognises my contribution to the business over the years and is a real personal achievement. Parking space? I wish! No, in all seriousness we are all one team together, no airs or graces about it.”
You’ve always had a strong focus on new product and clever design. How have they been received at retail?
“You’re right! We are always looking for those niches, trends and something different that still has mass market appeal. That is really where I try and focus the development. We really hit that with our glitter table decorations and our glitter numeral candles and now with our self- inflating balloon cake toppers.
These really were the ‘talk of Spring Fair’ it was so exciting to have a real buzz around the new launch. They are perfect to stock as a range as they are easily mix and matched and have uses beyond being a cake topper. I know some customers that have used them to create centrepieces with flowers and allsorts.
What’s great is that they are perfect for both our markets, traditional party, with Creative Party, but also our housewares customers with cake decorations brand Anniversary House. They have been received exceptionally well, and while Early Release 2019 is still under wraps, fans of this product type won’t be disappointed with our Early Release launch coming soon!”
Are we right in thinking they aren’t the only new milestone products that launched this year? Tell us about the others?
“My personal favourite new launch and the biggest launch for milestone is our new Pink Chic Birthday range, which brings a new blush pink and gold milestone ensemble to the market. It comes in all the ages 18-80 and coordinates in perfectly with all our gold glitter number décor products. I just love it, the plates have a foil treatment and the napkins are 3 ply 20 count with shimmering metallic ink, so have a real lux feel about them.
We also launched an extension to our range of glitter numeral cake candles, which we couldn’t get in soon enough! I could rave about the range for hours. The new ranges are like my babies!”
Does all this mean you’re moving away from the traditional partyware ranges, or are there more exciting new ideas in the pipeline?
“No, we’ll always have the staple partyware ranges but we just want to always have something different, something that we are proud and excited to launch, and something that our customers can’t wait to get into stock. That’s the best feeling, when we launch a range and we get the direct feedback that customers cannot wait to list the products and get them selling.
There is a lot of personal satisfaction being so closely involved in the product development. We are already signed off with Early Release 2019 and I really want to tell you about it all! For now it remains a closely guarded secret, but I know we have some strong winners in there, many of the continuing trends are hits along with the up-and-coming ones.”
And finally, Creative Party is celebrating 65 years in business this year – very impressive! Are there any plans in place for a big party?
“Isn’t it a fantastic achievement? We feel really proud of our family business, and it’s really nice for us to have that point of difference in this marketplace. 65 years strong, and still supporting British manufacturing, with our edibles manufacturing facility here in Bournemouth.
We always have a summer get together here at Creative Party HQ and a Christmas party Dinner Dance extravaganza, so this year will be no different but will have an extra special edge as we celebrate our 65 years. Marketing have a few things up their sleeves!”
Thanks for your time Holly!
