Kate Scott

Tell us about your career journey and how you ended up here.

I began my professional journey as a Graphic Designer at a prominent media organization in Ireland. After that, I spent several years working as an Account Manager for various advertising agencies, where I discovered my passion for marrying digital innovation and creativity. I then moved client side and worked as head of Digital for a diverse portfolio of exciting brands in one of Ireland's leading suppliers of spirits and wines. Eventually, I decided to take the leap and establish myself as a Digital Marketing Consultant. Witnessing my own children's fascination with technology, I was inspired to develop a line of kid-safe products that integrate physical and digital play. This vision led to the creation of HoloToyz and I am excited to continue driving innovation and creativity in this space.

Describe yourself in 5-7 words - have fun with it!

I have the responsibilities of an adult but the mindset of a child

Tell us about a time when you thrived at work, and what you learned about yourself from that experience.

Oooh I'm going back to 2013 now.. it was actually when I worked on my first Augmented Reality project with a client when I worked in advertising. As the Account Manager on the project, I took on the challenge of introducing AR to an in-bar activation, which had never been done before in Ireland. I provided creative input and ensured the project was well managed from start to finish. Through this experience, I learned that I have a natural talent for implementing digital innovation and that I can bring a lot of value to the creative process. I also learned that I thrive in high-pressure situations and enjoy exploring new technologies to solve problems. This experience gave me the confidence to pursue more innovative projects in the future and to embrace new technologies in my work, which I continue to do.

What is your favorite part of your job?

My favourite part of my job is getting to play with toys and calling it market research... it's like being a kid again but with fewer scraped knees.

How about when you "turn off" and go home? Any hobbies or fun activities you are involved in?

In my free time, I pretty much manage my kid's diaries and work on my second job as their taxi driver. They are 7 and 9, so plenty to keep them busy between GAA football training, athletics, gymnastics and drumming. When I find some downtime for myself, I have taken up running to clear the head!

Any must-read, must-watch or must-follow recomendations?

I'm a huge fan of Azhelle Wade, the Toy Coach and listen to her podcast regularly. I've also very recently been introduced to Mary Couzin from People of Play and have signed up for her very inspiring newsletters. I love keeping on top of tech updates and trends by following a number of tech experts on LinkedIn, Twitter, YouTube and more recently TikTok. I'm not great at getting time to read but my most recent read was 'The secret of the highly creative thinker', which I loved and would recommend.

Anything else you want to share with the WiT Community?

Our most exciting news this year is that we won a ToyAward at Spielwarenmesse and were awarded an Editor's Choice badge as second best toy at London Toy Fair in 2022. While I don’t come from a toy background, I am a mother who understands the changing nature of play patterns in today's children. I have noticed a shift towards digital play experiences, but I also recognize the unique benefits that physical toys offer. I founded HoloToyz with the goal of ensuring that children can still experience the benefits of physical play while incorporating digital elements in a safe and positive way. I am passionate about working collaboratively with licensors to create innovative and exciting projects that prioritize children's safety and well-being. We have recoined Augmented Reality 'Awesome Reality' as we are doing it in a way that's never been done before. Our current range includes books, tattoos, stickers and wall decals and we are about to launch a new range of puzzles and creative sets. My ultimate dream is to see HoloToyz grow internationally, bringing our unique blend of physical and digital play experiences to children around the world. I'm hoping WIT will help me to achieve a little part of this.