Understanding the Current and Potential Mainstream Consumers of Custom On-Demand Toy Goods Created and Delivered via Digital-Physical Sales Processes. Developing Prototypes and online-offline

MakieLab is a toys-and-games startup with first-mover advantage in facilitating and commoditising on-demand manufacture of physical toys created via a digital interface. Our near-beta product "Makies" is on the cutting edge of beginning to understand the patterns of behaviour in on-demand consumers of high-end custom dolls created via digital interfaces.
In reaching this point with Makies, we have established that there still remains a business- critical gap in consumer understanding, production efficiency and business development in the general custom, on-demand toy market: we have identified significant friction in on-demand toy creation versus existing Mainstream consumption patterns, retail/e-commerce models, and existing distribution chains.
In order to build viable and sustainable big business in on-demand custom goods production, products need to achieve desirability in the mass market to be considered anything but a niche or prototype business. This R&D project proposes in depth research, analysis and rapid testing of the potential global.market.
The results of this research and development will be in its entirety placed in the public domain within 6 months of project closure, allowing broader exploitation to encourage expansion in the market. It is our desire to open up the market with more data and understanding, whilst maintaining our valuable first mover status. We intend to work with the Knowledge Transfer Network and TSB Catapult Initiative to distribute the results of this project to other UK companies.