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This post was written by Guest Blogger
What Should Be in Your Toy Fair Media Tool Kit?
17
Jan
12
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
Clifford Musical Kicks Off 50-City Tour
16
Jan
12
“Clifford The Big Red Dog Live! A BIG Family Musical” kicked off earlier this month in Vermont and Connecticut. The 50-city live touring show includes both school and public performances. The new musical adventure teaches audience members that “it only takes a little to be big.” Through laughter, songs, and dancing, the characters and audience learn about Clifford’s Big Ideas (share, play fair, have respect, work together, be responsible, be truthful, be kind, help others, believe in yourself, and be a good friend) from the PBS Kids series Clifford the Big Red Dog. The production is directed by Mark Fleischer and produced by Mills Entertainment, in cooperation with Scholastic Media. The Brad Simon Organization serves as the exclusive booking agency for the production.
For more information on the show, click here.
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: Clifford the Big Red Dog, Mills Entertainment, PBS Kids, Scholastic Media, The Brad Simon Organization
Posted in News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Showrooms at Fifth Ave. Building to Display Products During NY Toy Fair
13
Jan
12
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
Posted in News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Sesame Workshop Partners with Qualcomm for Augmented Reality Prototype
13
Jan
12
Qualcomm Incorporated and Sesame Workshop have joined forces to explore augmented reality experiences for children by creating a prototype play set that brings physical toys to life. An application is being demonstrated at the International Consumer Electronics Show (CES), running January 10-13.
The collaborative project explores the use of a tablet with a traditional play set, aiming to make children’s’ playtime more fun and educational. The prototype play set includes traditional elements such as common household objects and figurines of classic Sesame Street characters Cookie Monster, Bert, and Ernie. Additionally, the demo includes a tablet and an application that uses Qualcomm’s newly branded Vuforia augmented reality platform. When the tablet is pointed at the play set, the pieces and the play environment come alive through the tablet’s camera, transforming the play set into an interactive experience.
Qualcomm is exhibiting at Booth No. 30313 in South Hall 3 at CES.
Tags: CES, International Consumer Electronics Show, Qualcomm Incorporated, Sesame Street, Sesame Workshop, Vuforia
Posted in New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Hit Partners for Bob the Builder App
12
Jan
12
Hit Entertainment has partnered with BigPlay Studios, a developer of game, education, and book apps, for the launch of Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble for the iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, available in Apple’s App store this week. This marks the first app release for the Bob the Builder brand.
Bob the Builder: Muck’s Train to Trouble is an interactive reading experience, which also features painting activities, video clips, and games. Every page includes narration, character voices, custom animations, and easy-to-read words with highlighted text.
With this first Bob the Builder app, Hit Entertainment adds to its iOS apps portfolio, which includes apps featuring Thomas & Friends, Angelina Ballerina, Fireman Sam, and Barney.
Tags: app, Bob the Builder, HIt Entertainment, iOS
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
About the Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair
12
Jan
12
The HKTDC Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair kicked off Monday at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre (HKCEC). The fair, organized by the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC), runs through Thursday, January 12. Three complementary fairs—the Hong Kong International Stationery Fair (staged by HKTDC and Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.), the Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, and the HKTDC Hong Kong International Licensing Show—are also running concurrently with the toy fair.
The 38th Toys & Games Fair is welcoming first-time participants from Greece, Macau, Russia, and Ukraine. Group pavilions are bringing together companies from the Chinese mainland, India, South Korea, Spain, Taiwan, and Thailand. Other highlights include the World of Toys Pavilion, a new Animal Kingdom product zone, the return of the Eco Toys Display Zone, and the Brand Name Gallery, which boasts a record 80 exhibitors—30 percent more than last year. The Hong Kong Toys Conference looks at the latest safety directives from the European Union and the U.S.
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: HKTDC, Hong Kong Baby Products Fair, Hong Kong International Licensing Show, Hong Kong International Stationery Fair, Hong Kong Toys & Games Fair, Messe Frankfurt (HK) Ltd.
Posted in News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Sun-Mate Announces Slew of New Licenses for Entertainment Brands
11
Jan
12
Sun-Mate Corporation has obtained a number of licensing rights to a broad spectrum of entertainment brands, including Star Wars, Spider-Man, Power Rangers, WWE, the recently announced Hello Kitty and KISS joint branding, and the fashion art brand Public Zoo.
For Star Wars, Sun-Mate will develop ATM machines, arcade-style games, tabletop games, and guitars based on the brand.
Spider-Man and other Marvel Heroes, including Wolverine, Captain America, Iron Man, and Thor, will be featured among keyboards, drums, ATM machines, and other activities being developed by the company for U.S. consumers. Sun-Mate will also develop various Power Rangers-branded pinball game machines, which will incorporate Power Rangers’ themes of fitness, responsibility, teamwork, and helping others.
Tags: Hello Kitty, KISS, Marvel Heroes, Power Rangers, Public Zoo, Spider-Man, Star Wars, Sun-Mate, Sun-Mate Corporation, WWE
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Guest Blogger
Countdown to Toy Fair: Identifying Your Communications Objectives
11
Jan
12
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
Innovation First International Launches Moshi Monsters Bobble Bots
10
Jan
12
Innovation First International is launching Bobble Bots, a new brand and product line. As part of the launch, the company has joined forces with Mind Candy, the brains behind the Moshi Monsters brand, for the debut of Bubble Bots Moshi Monsters. The line will hit store shelves across Europe and North America this spring.
The line of bobblehead mini robotic pets and customizable play sets will feature the patented Hexbug Nano vibration technology. Moshi Monsters will be brought to life in their own customizable environment. The initial assortment of Bobble Bots Moshi Monsters will include 24 battery-operated collectible Moshlings and a variety of configurable, 3-D “dollhouse” replicas of the streets, yards, buildings, and houses found online in Monstro City. Every product will include secret codes to unlock digital assets in the online world. The products will be showcased (by appointment only) at London Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair, and New York Toy Fair.
Tags: Bobble Bots, Innovation First International, London Toy Fair, Moshi Monsters, New York Toy Fair, Nuremberg Toy Fair
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
Newark Children Receive Hundreds of Toys in Holiday Giveaway
22
Dec
11
Photo Credit: TIF
On December 17, children in need from the West Ward neighborhood of Newark, N.J. received hundreds of toys from the Toy Industry Foundation (TIF) as part of a special holiday giveaway hosted by Franciscan Charities. In attendance were representatives from TIF and Franciscan Charities, as well as elves (local volunteers) and a special appearance by Santa.
More than 700 toys were distributed to more than 600 children. The gifts were among the 500,000 toys donated throughout the year by toy industry manufacturers to The Toy Bank. Gifts were also donated via TIF’s annual Holiday Toy Drive, which is held each year from November 1 to December 31. To date, more than 175,000 toys, valued at more than $2.5 million, have been donated for this year’s Holiday Toy Drive.
Toys for the Newark event were donated by Kid O Products; Pretty Ugly, LLC; Briarpatch, Inc.; and New Adventures, LLC.
Tags: Franciscan Charities, Holiday Toy Drive, Newark, Santa, The Toy Bank, TIF, Toy Industry Foundation
Posted in News, Photo | No Comments »
