For some, jigsaw puzzles are a relaxing pastime. For others, a competitive sport. Or, if you're like me, they're half completed, collecting dust.
But for Ravensburger, a 143-year-old German company considered the gold standard of jigsaw puzzles, putting the pieces together is big business.
Ravensburger didn't invent jigsaw puzzles — that was London cartographer John Spilsbury in 1760 — but it's become the world's leading puzzle brand in a market expected to exceed $5B by 2028.
So, how does Ravensburger beat the competition — without cutting corners?
Lock in
Founded in 1883 by Otto Maier, Ravensburger produced its first interlocking puzzles in 1964. They've grown considerably since:
- 20M+ puzzles sold annually
- Puzzles earn $200m/year
- Covers 24% of global puzzle market share
- Designs range from children's puzzles to some of the world's largest
More than a pretty puzzle
Ravensburger's designs are part of an elaborate strategy that caters to different markets and demographics.
- Over 300 new designs are added annually to a 2k puzzle catalog, with 30k+ archived designs.
- Creatives and trend specialists develop seasonal themes based on data and past performance.
- Using artists worldwide keeps designs diverse.
- Landscapes and cityscapes account for 40% of the catalog.
- Others aim at trends (e.g. K-Pop Demon Hunters) and new audiences (e.g., home decor puzzles for millennials).
While many companies buy premade puzzle patterns, Ravensburger designs everything by hand.
- Puzzles are printed on reflection-free, linen-embossed paper that's laminated onto signature blue cardboard.
- Puzzle piece shapes are hand-drawn.
- Tool makers create individual steel blades to cut pieces with 1000 tons of force for precision edges.
- Puzzles are boxed by hand.
Putting the pieces together
The final piece of Ravensburger's strategy is getting puzzles into the hands of fans.
- Specific consumers are targeted with designs and where they buy (e.g. regional markets, hobby stores, online, etc.).
- Test batches of new puzzles are distributed to select markets.
- The most puzzles are sold in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, followed closely by the US.
These days, Ravensburger finds itself more relevant than ever as more people seek a digital detox with puzzles.
Maybe it's time I dust off that puzzle and finally finish it.
