The vast majority of the world's toys are manufactured in China. During the last decade, in order to ensure ethical manufacturing conditions in toy factories in China, the global toy industry put plans in motion not only to do its part, but also to break new ground in this type of endeavor. The effort was begun by the US Toy Industry Association (TIA) and then picked up and expanded by the International Council of Toy Industries (ICTI).

One challenge was that toy manufacturers in China were faced with a bewildering array of labor codes and monitoring protocols developed by individual toy brands, retailers and licensors - all meant to ensure the fair treatment of workers, but all differing to some degree. This led to considerable confusion among suppliers to the toy industry as well as cost inefficiencies resulting from multiple audits.

Strategy XXI, which has helped the TIA in the U.S. to address many different issues for nearly a decade, was called in, first by TIA and subsequently by ICTI, to spearhead the development of a single, fair, consistent monitoring program for toy factories in China.

Working with our clients, with  individual toy companies and with Chinese government contacts, we helped to create a new, industry-wide code of business practices. The monitoring protocols, documents, organizations and systems involved are now called collectively the ICTI CARE Process. 

We also developed  and implemented a communications and marketing strategy for the international toy industry in order to bring individual toy brands, retailers, licensors, national toy associations and regulatory bodies into agreement on a single program. In addition, we reached out to Chinese officials at all levels of government, to gain their understanding and support, through our office in Beijing.  Although still a work in progress, the ICTI CARE Process is well-advanced and enjoying good acceptance from all constituents. To date, brands and retailers representing over 70% of US and 50% of worldwide toy volume have signed on.

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