It was 1998, a decade since Michele Litzky, a publicist and marketer with both agency and in-house experience, decided to set up shop on her own. Litzky Public Relations (LPR) was blazing a new path as an agency firmly planted in the kids and family space and Litzky was sharing her knowledge and experience by leading an introductory PR class at New York University (NYU). There, one student stood out.
“She was different, unusual,” Litzky recalls, noting a pair of braids, a purple pen, and an attitude that stood out among the others. The rebellious student, Josslynne Welch, soon joined LPR as an intern.
Fast forward 25 years and now, on the eve of Toy Fair’s long-awaited return to New York City, a new era begins as Welch — President of LPR since 2018 — takes the helm as sole proprietor and Litzky retires from the agency that bears her name to embark on new adventures in consulting.
When I opened the agency in 1988, I was a niche marketer with an Ivy League toy industry education, taught by some of the best. Stephen Hassenfeld and his team at Hasbro sparked by the brilliance of Tom Griffin and Joe Bacal gave me both a foundation in the industry in which I devoted my career and a love of the toy business that remains today.”
Litzky’s love of the toy business fueled the evolution of LPR into a full-service communications agency connecting brands and families and serving the business-to-business market.
I have spent more than half my life with Michele and Litzky PR, this agency is part of who I am and I can’t imagine being anywhere else. I’m forever grateful to Michele for seeing something in me when I took her PR class at NYU and her continued mentorship over the years. Our relationship has grown from partnership to family and as she retires it’s my great honor to care for her legacy.”
That legacy includes past work with Hasbro and continues with a stacked lineup of current toy industry clients including The Pokémon Co., KidKraft, Horizon, Cepia, and Schleich. Additionally, LPR’s roster also includes Disney Publishing Worldwide, National Geographic Books, Ringling Brothers and Barnum & Bailey, Kamik, Schwinn, Ageless Innovation, American Mensa, Sony Pictures Consumer Products, The Toy Association, and Licensing International.
“I’ve known for a long time that Josslynne would succeed me and continue the legacy we built together over the past 25 years,” Litzky adds. “From student to mentee to protégé, she’s already diversified the agency into new business sectors that can only benefit from her expertise in marketing to children and their parents. As I move into my next chapter, I’m also looking ahead to see where Joss takes LPR.”
The next chapter includes Michele Litzky Consulting under which Michele will continue her work with occasional Toy Book contributor Chris Byrne, The Toy Guy.
Looking ahead beyond this week’s Toy Fair, Welch is already gearing up for continued growth in the years ahead.
“The last 25 years have been so much fun — how could it not be working in the industry of play?! I’m indebted to many people for taking the time to teach, share, and collaborate over the years; the toy community is a special place,” Welch says. “As I look forward, it’s an exciting time to be in PR, and with so much change comes opportunity. I’m enjoying nurturing my team, building our client portfolio, and strengthening our services.”
