I had been developing products from scratch with my previous brand, so I knew how to go about bringing this baby to life. It takes years to develop new products and I am a perfectionist so I want it to be perfect before I produce them for the public, as this is not just some junk toy you will pass on to another child or give away to a charity after your child is grown up. It’s a high-quality keepsake. Children, when they grow out of it, will want to keep this toy and pass it down to their own child.
The simple side of this toy is the Koala itself – I didn’t want to toss the special box into any random plush toy. I found a talented local doll maker in my home town to design a natural, unique looking koala. I am now finalising the final details with the factory and after that, I am certifying the doll for child safety standards in Europe, AU and USA so it will be sold internationally. And just to add another layer of greatness to the Koola, a percentage of profits will be going to a local animal hospital.
Is there a story behind the name ‘Koola’? How did you come up with this brand name?
Yes, actually there is. I was discussing my toy with some local mothers and asking for name suggestions. I had several indigenous mummas suggest Koola because it was an indigenous word meaning no water. The Australian Indigenous people called koalas this because they can go for long periods without water. Koala was introduced into the English vocabulary in the first decade of the 19th century. Apparently, the English got the pronunciation of Koola wrong and it evolved into Koala. Koola is considered obsolete now.
When will the Koola doll be made available?
I cannot say for sure, I wish I could, but in the manufacturing world nothing is ever rock solid when it comes to dates for new product development. It will be roughly 6 months before it is for sale. Covid really set everything back for Koola. While I have been waiting, I have been working on developing a baby photo app. It is a free app that parents can use to make professional newborn photos themselves! We couldn’t afford newborn photography when we had our babe so I came up with this idea (of course after she was too old) and I thought seeing as I had some time on my hands, I would make it. It will be on the Koola website for anyone who wants it and it is almost finished.
Do you have a social media page for Koola?
Yes we have our social media accounts set up. Even though our product isn’t available, parents can keep an eye on us and find out as soon as we reveal our sleep secret about the Koola! You can follow our updates on Instagram and Facebook.
Register for the pre order launch discount VIP list at: www.koolababy.com.
