Posts Tagged ‘Toy Fair’
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Keeping the Momentum Going After Toy Fair
Thursday, February 23rd, 2012
Final post in a six-part series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event
By Julie Livingston, Director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications, New York City
With Toy Fair officially over, it is time to take a quick breath and capitalize on the media interest your company or brand received during those intense four days. You may return to a desk piled high and an overwhelming number of emails to answer, but don’t lose the momentum you’ve created. Many Toy Fair exhibitors come back from the show re-energized about their own businesses, so now is a good time to move fast. If you wait more than two weeks after Toy Fair to start following up on media leads, there’s a good chance you’ll never do it. Following are tips on the most effective ways to keep the momentum going after the show:
1. Re-read Toy Fair notes and identify next steps: Transcribe your Toy Fair meeting notes as soon as possible while the show experience is still fresh in your mind. Ask other colleagues to review and “weigh in” from their perspective. With input from everyone who worked the booth, keep a record of which media outlets stopped by and who worked with them. Importantly, note any issues or problems. Did a reporter come early or late to an appointment, finding that there was no one available to work with them? How was this handled? Were bloggers treated with respect? How were business cards collected? How could these things be handled better in the future?
Tags: Child's Play Communications, Julie Livingston, New York City, social media, Tips, Toy Fair
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This post was written by Jackie Breyer
This post was written by Guest Blogger
TIA’s Bossard Talks Licensing at Toy Fair
Friday, February 10th, 2012
by Marian Bossard, vice president of meetings and events, Toy Industry Association (TIA)
If I had a dollar for every key industry contact that told us the concept of a licensing showcase during American International Toy Fair was nothing short of brilliant, I would have at least $10. Maybe even $12.
After all, what isn’t right about endeavoring to create a “Licensing Upfront” for brand and property owners when all the right people with all the right innovation, influence, and interest are already in New York City for Toy Fair? And, what could be off the mark about bringing together an audience of Madison Avenue marketers, manufacturers from around the world, mass market and independent retailers, and critically important global media available only in New York City? The short answer is nothing. But the short answer just kind of falls short of telling the story.
A venture like this requires that you start with a clear objective, but just as important is the need to remain flexible and open to modification along the way. As it turned out, even with high levels of interest, the formats that prevailed were the small meetings with key partners, invitation-only breakfasts and cocktail receptions, and brand and property exposure through traditional advertising and promotional opportunities. So, while Toy Fair won’t be seeing “big screen showcases” this year, we are pleased that we have provided just the right solutions for these stakeholders’ needs.
Tags: licensing, Marian Bossard, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association
Posted in Exclusive, Guest blog, Licenses, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Nuremberg Toy Fair Welcomes 77,500 Visitors
Thursday, February 9th, 2012
Approximately 77,500 buyers and retailers from all over the world (119 countries) came to Nuremberg for the 63rd Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nuremberg. The share of international visitors increased to 55 percent, which Spielwarenmesse EG attributes to the new Wednesday start date of the fair. Most of the buyers came from the U.S., Russia, and Great Britain.
Most exhibitors plan to return for the fair next year. Of the 2,776 exhibitors, 92 percent said they will come back for International Toy Fair 2013, and 87 percent of visitors said they will attend the fair next year. Additionally, 347 exhibitors presented their products for the first time at this fair, compared to 325 new exhibitors in 2011. The 2013 show is slated to run from January 30 to February 4.
This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.
Tags: Nuremberg, Spielwarenmesse International Toy Fair Nurnberg, Toy Fair
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How to Best Work With Bloggers and Toy Industry Experts at Toy Fair
Friday, February 3rd, 2012
Fourth in a series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event.
by Julie Livingston, director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications
In addition to the hoards of journalists from traditional media channels covering Toy Fair, exhibitors should also consider outreach to bloggers (specifically, mom bloggers who write product reviews) and toy industry experts who cover the annual event. Both influential in their own right, the clout these individuals carry can be particularly valuable to small and mid-sized toy companies, driving brand awareness, social media prominence, and, ultimately, sales.
Getting your toy featured on the right product review blog is a marvelous way to generate grassroots buzz for your product. According to a recent study conducted by Child’s Play Communications and the NPD Group, 79 percent of all American moms with children under the age of 18 are active in social media. Of that number, about one in four have made purchasing decisions as a result of a social media recommendation; more than half (55 percent) said they made their purchase because of a recommendation from a personal review blog
To reach moms where they “live,” it is essential that toy and youth entertainment companies have a strong presence among mom bloggers. To clarify, a mom blogger is a mother, generally with young preschool-aged children, who blogs on a regular basis. Many of the mom bloggers we work with at Child’s Play turned to blogging as an outlet following earlier careers as journalists, writers, and marketers. Some were involved in other aspects of business, and many are moms looking to express themselves while connecting with other moms to share experiences and life lessons. These women are smart, dedicated, and energetic.
Tags: Adrienne Appell, Child's Play Communications, Debbie Bookstaber, Julie Livingston, Laurie Schacht, mom bloggers, Reyne Rice, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association, Toy Insider
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How to Pitch the Media Covering Toy Fair
Wednesday, January 25th, 2012
Third in a series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event
by Julie Livingston, director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications, New York City
With Toy Fair less than a month away, how will you engage the media to ensure coverage for your toys or youth entertainment products? Here at Child’s Play, we’ve been working overtime to fine-tune our media lists and pitches on behalf of clients. This week’s post will include some of our tried and true strategies and tactics for pitching the press.
Think Like a Journalist
With less space for toy coverage and so many exhibitors to see—more than 1,000 at the Javits Center alone, as well as those in private showrooms across New York City—reporters are pressed for time. So, when choosing media channels to pitch, focus on the “why”/reason an outlet would be interested, to determine the “where”/ specific outlets to concentrate on.
Prior to Toy Fair, many journalists will do an online search, hunting for toys that are a match for the following themes, so post your press release on all company social media platforms incorporating the following key themes and key words.
Tags: Child's Play PR, How to Pitch the Media, Julie Livingston, Reyne Rice, TIA, Toy Fair
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What Should Be in Your Toy Fair Media Tool Kit?
Tuesday, January 17th, 2012
Second in a series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event
by Julie Livingston, director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications, New York City
As the adage goes, “information is power,” and that is exactly why the nuggets of facts, photos, video and other details contained in your Toy Fair media kit can directly impact the depth and breadth of coverage you get during the show. Start planning out your content by thinking through the writer’s “5 W’s”—the Who, What, Where, When, and Why—as it relates to your product. Ask for input from colleagues in the product development, sales, and marketing areas, as their perspective can provide tremendous insight, and descriptive language to tell the story. In my experience, this process can be time consuming; be prepared for multiple rounds of edits so that the end product is one that will draw attention and interest.
From seeing literally hundreds of press materials in my years in the children’s entertainment business and PR, the following elements when executed well contribute to a successful press kit:
Tags: Child's Play PR, Julie Livingston, Media Kit, Reyne Rice, TIA, Toy Fair
Posted in Articles, Guest blog, New Products | 1 Comment »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Showrooms at Fifth Ave. Building to Display Products During NY Toy Fair
Friday, January 13th, 2012
During American International Toy Fair in New York City, 20 floors of showrooms at 230 Fifth Avenue will showcase various types of toys, gift items, general merchandise, books, seasonal, stationery, and related products. The Toy Fair will run from February 12-15.
A listing of all participating showrooms can be picked up from one of the registration coordinators at the lobby registration desk in the building. Special perks and amenities, including the newly designed Buyers Lounge, will be available to all attendees.
This post was originally written by Elizabeth A. Reid and published by ToyBook.com. For more news, visit www.toybook.com, follow The Toy Book on Twitter, and like The Toy Book on Facebook. The Toy Book is a bimonthly trade magazine covering the toy industry, published by Adventure Publishing Group.
Tags: 230 Fifth, New York City, Toy Fair
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Countdown to Toy Fair: Identifying Your Communications Objectives
Wednesday, January 11th, 2012
First in a series of posts on preparing for the annual trade event
By Julie Livingston, director, business development and accounts, Child’s Play Communications, New York City
Toy Fair is a month away, and for many toy and youth entertainment companies, the annual event is an important media platform that can help drive brand awareness and buzz for hot items throughout the year. With approximately one thousand media representatives from around the world in attendance, how will your company or brand garner the attention it deserves? Following are tips and information collected during the six years I served overseeing public relations for the Toy Industry Association and Toy Fair, as well as serving toy and youth entertainment industry clients as a PR professional.
1. Prioritize your communications goals and objectives. For example, is it a new product line review you want the media to see? Or, do you have a hot item you want to hype to help drive holiday orders? Do you have an announcement about a licensing agreement or strategic partnership? Identifying your primary goals and objectives will provide a framework for all related activities, including any responsibilities that you want other communications personnel or a public relations agency to handle.
Tags: Julie Livingston, Reyne Rice, Toy Fair
Posted in Articles, Exclusive, Guest blog, New Products | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
TIA Announces 2012 TOTY Finalists
Tuesday, November 22nd, 2011
The Toy Industry Association (TIA) has announced the 77 finalists for the 2012 Toy of the Year (TOTY) Awards. Through January 15, toy lovers of all ages can vote for their favorite toys by visiting www.ToyAwards.org.
The finalists, representing 67 unique products or properties from 51 companies, were selected from nearly 600 nominees. TIA invites consumers, mass retailers, specialty retailers, media, and members of the toy industry to vote. Each of the five types of ballots will be weighted and used to determine the winners and the overall “Toy of the Year” award. Winners will be announced during the awards ceremony on Saturday, February 11 as the kick-off to the 109th American International Toy Fair.
Tags: TIA, TOTY, Toy Fair, Toy Industry Association, Toy of the Year Awards
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