Posts Tagged ‘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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This post was written by Guest Blogger
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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This post was written by Guest Blogger
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
Posted in New Products, News | No Comments »
This post was written by Jackie Breyer
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
New Product: Eco Eggs
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Eco Eggs are new-to-market plastic Easter eggs for egg hunts that are made in the U.S. from corn starch, 100-percent renewable content, and are fully compostable after use. The eggs are available in three box sizes of 10, 28, and 48.
Tags: Easter, Easter eggs, eggs, green, Robin Barcus-Slonina, Toy Fair
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This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
First-Ever Victorious Products Launch at Toy Fair
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Nickelodeon Consumer Products announced its first toy lines for Victorious with products from master toy licensee Spin Master as well as Sakar International. The Victorious toy lineup, which debuted at Toy Fair, will feature fashion dolls, role play, play sets, and consumer electronics.
From Spin Master will come the Make it Shine Doll, Tori Doll, Victorious Locker Decorator, and Victorious Microphone, all to be released in October.
Beginning this fall, Sakar will ship more than 20 Victorious-branded electronics and computer accessories, including MP3/4 players, boom boxes, karaoke machines, text messengers, doorbell answering machines, digital cameras, and portable DVD players. Non-electronic merchandise, such as computer sleeves and gaming accessories, will also join the lineup.
For more information on the Victorious lines, click here.
Photo Credit: Nick.com
Tags: NCP, Nickelodeon, Nickelodeon Consumer Products, Sakar, Spin Master, Toy Fair, Victorious
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News | 1 Comment »
This post was written by Elizabeth A. Reid
ThunderCats at Toy Fair
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
Bandai holds the global master toy license for ThunderCats, and the company showcased its upcoming line of ThunderCats-licensed toys at Toy Fair last week. Bandai’s lineup, to launch this fall, will include detailed ThunderCats four-inch figures, the Deluxe ThunderTank vehicle and four-inch Snarf figure, the highly articulated ThunderCats eight-inch Classic Figures, and the ThunderCats Deluxe Sword of Omens. Check out the video above to view the products.
ThunderCats, a new animated television series from Warner. Bros. Animation (WBA) and Japanese animation studio Studio4°C, will air on Cartoon Network this year.
Tags: Bandai, Studio4°C, Thundercats, Toy Fair, Warner Bros., Warner Bros. Animation
Posted in Licenses, New Products, News, video | No Comments »
