Outset Media

Outset Media Corporation
Private
Founded British Columbia (1996 (1996))
Founder David Manga
Headquarters Warehouse in Brampton, Ontario and Buffalo, New York, Victoria, British Columbia, Canada
Area served
 Worldwide
Key people
 David Manga (CEO)
Products Games, Puzzles
Number of employees
 ~32
Website outsetmedia.com

Outset Media Corporation is a Canadian company which develops and distributes family entertainment products, specializing in board games, party games, card games, and jigsaw puzzles. In addition to developing its own games, Outset Media also distributes games and puzzles in Canada for United States-based companies.

History

The company was founded in 1996 by 23-year-old university student David Manga, originally with the sole purpose of publishing and distributing a single board game called All Canadian Trivia. Development of the product was 16 months. The original edition of All Canadian Trivia was released in May 1997. While the Original edition went on to become a Canadian bestseller - breaking 100,000 copies sold in Canada, the French edition was a flop and sold less than 3,000 copies.[1]

A limited print-run Millennium Edition of All Canadian Trivia was released in 1999. The game's creator embarked on a two-month guerilla marketing campaign across Canada to promote the game. David Manga was selected as one of a hundred young Canadians to watch in the new millennium by Maclean's magazine.

In 2002, Outset Media nearly closed its doors after its largest customer, Stewart House Publishing, a former gift division of book publisher McClelland & Stewart, ran into financial difficulties and went into bankruptcy. With nearly 50% of its annual revenue in bad debt and unrecoverable, Outset Media was bailed out with angel investments from family members and financing from the Royal Bank of Canada. Later that year, Outset Media added a new division, distributing other companies' games in Canada, when it began to distribute the line of "opoly" games from US-based Late for the Sky.

In 2003, Outset Media made its first appearance on the Profit magazine's annual ranking of Canada's Fastest-Growing Companies. The company would appear on the Profit 100 list for six consecutive years from 2003 to 2008.[2]

Professor Noggin's

Outset Media's most recognized brand is the Professor Noggin's series of educational card games.[3] First published in 2002, the series now includes 39 different titles, and has garnered 14 international toy awards to date. Over 800,000 copies have been sold worldwide, and the series has been translated into French as "Professeur Caboche".[4]

Cobble Hill Puzzles

Cobble Hill Puzzle Co is the sister company of Outset Media. The Cobble Hill brand is exclusively distributed by Outset Media. Cobble Hill big box puzzles are wholly made in the USA. The jigsaw puzzle, box board, and shrink film is 100% recyclable and the brand is considered environmentally friendly meeting all CONEG requirements, as well as meet or exceed all requirements by CPSIA. The line includes 2000 piece, 1000 piece, 500 piece, 400 piece Family Puzzles, 275 piece Easy Handling Puzzles, Kids 180 and 60 piece puzzles.[5]

Supplier of the Year

The Neighbourhood Toy Stores of Canada (NETS), a non-profit association representing independent toy retailers across Canada, has named Outset Media the "Supplier of the Year" six times(2004–2007, 2011, and 2013-2014), beating out such companies as Hasbro, Irwin Toy, Lego, Mattel, and Playmobil.

In 2013, Outset Media was named Supplier of the Year by the Canadian Gift Association (CGA), formerly CGTA. This is the first time CGA has awarded a company who isn't focused specifically on the gift industry.[6]

International partnerships

Outset Media has developed distribution partnerships with several European and American game and puzzle companies, including MindWare, Patch Products (now PlayMonster),[7] Fat Brain Toys, Royal & Langnickel, Late for the Sky, SmartLab Toys, Pressman, Goliath Games, Popular Playthings, Cheatwell Games, Maranda, Monkey Business Sports, Cobble Hill Puzzles, and D-Toys Puzzles.

List of products

Games developed by Outset Media

Games licensed by Outset Media

Games distributed in Canada by Outset Media

References

  1. ↑ "Member Spotlight", Buy Canadian First, March 2, 2011.
  2. ↑ ProfitGuide. "The Next 100". Profit Magazine, 2003, pp. 94, 96; 2005, p. 96; 2006, p. 106; 2008, p. 52.
  3. ↑ Lee, Jenny. "Game distributor is supplier of the year", The Vancouver Sun, February 23, 2011.
  4. ↑ Jeux Professeure Caboche Image
  5. ↑ "Cobble Hill Brands Page". Retrieved 21 February 2014.
  6. ↑ "Outset Media and Unicorn Enterprises Win Best Supplier Award from CanGift". Toys and Games. Retrieved 12 December 2013.
  7. ↑ "Outset Media named Canadian Distributor for Patch Products", Gifts and Tableware, January 23, 2008.

External links

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