My very first Toy Fair was in 1995 at the old Toy Building on 5th Ave. Every year since then, at about this time, I’ve been preparing for the show. Over the years, I’ve worked with brands including Crayola, Fisher-Price, Mattel, Spin Master and VTech, just to name a few. At one Toy Fair, I was even named a Wonder Woman in Toys!

For those that have been in the industry as long as I have, and longer, Toy Fair is a strange sort of family reunion. It’s where so many memories were made. I remember Neil Friedman carrying Tickle Me Elmo around the Tyco showroom, tucked under his arm like a newborn baby; meeting Richard Simmons at the launch of the Fisher-Price Smart Cycle (think Peloton for kids – this product was light-years ahead of its time!); and more recently, taking pictures with everything from life-size Legos to a famous Etch-a-Sketch artist to send home to my kids and make them jealous of my “work.”

But Toy Fair isn’t all fun and games. It’s serious business. And this year, without it, us PR folks are having to adjust. Let’s face it, over the years Toy Fair has become less and less about selling, and more and more about making an impression, both figuratively and literally. In the past, my February coverage reports have been stellar! The impressions have been through the roof! One of the many reasons clients come to Coyne PR is because we “do a great Toy Fair!”

This year, Toy Fair will surely be missed. True, the toys that we are promoting, for the most part, aren’t on shelves yet. But the impressions that we typically generate this month and the buzz we create set the stage for the entire year, helping to increase brand recognition and drive anticipation from consumers. Most importantly, Toy Fair is where editors go to “shop” for stories that they’ll write all throughout the year – not just Toy Fair pieces, but travel features, back-to-school articles, and of course, their all-important holiday gift guides. So, what’s a PR gal to do?

This year, in the absence of Toy Fair, it is more important than ever that we continue to be proactive and work with our clients to develop a strategy that gets the attention of the media – from the long-leads to bloggers, and everyone in between. In the toy world, it’s all about the shiny new object. The kiss of death is to be out of sight, and therefore out of mind. Below provides a glimpse of how we are activating for our clients.

Make it Virtual
We’re making face time with media a priority by planning virtual desksides with short and long-lead media. Looking on the bright side, this year, we have the opportunity to meet with an even wider, more diverse media universe as people aren’t tied to come to New York for the show. Keeping this in mind, and the fact that a tech media outlet may be interested in different products than a mommy blogger, it’s important to group the media into interest when planning any group demos. That said, I’m excited to see familiar faces on our Zoom meetings and I’m looking forward to meeting new ones!

Leverage Industry Insiders
We’re catering to our industry insiders, who we’ve had relationships with for years, by holding virtual on-one one product briefings, making these more intimate and conversational. These folks are used to doing a ton of TV in February, and without the backdrop of Toy Fair to entice the media, they are also finding other ways to adjust. These one-on-ones, without any fancy product demos but a more simple, conversational tone, can help you understand what their plans are for the next few months and make sure that you are meeting their needs and pitching them accordingly.

Take Advantage of What IS Available
There are a limited number of activities taking place this month and we’re working with our toy clients to take advantage these. Like paid virtual media tours, for example. Also consider paid content, social media activations and influencer engagement.

Lean on the Toy Industry
The Toy Industry itself is a great resource during this time. Their annual trends report provides a great opportunity to work with your clients to see how their products fit into these trends and what kinds of media pitches are possible. In addition, the Toy Industry’s #ToyFairLife campaign is a throwback to Toy Fairs past and is a great way for the toy community to come together during what would have been Toy Fair New York.

Toy Fair Is Just the Beginning
Ultimately, we’re working hand in hand with our clients to develop the right approach that works for them, fits within their budget, and helps them fill the Toy Fair void. But it’s equally important that we take this time to look forward to the year overall and help them develop a winning PR strategy for a successful 2021!

 

Saying these are “unprecedented times” is so overused and calling this the “new normal” doesn’t do it justice either, as this is anything but normal. Next year I feel confident we will be “back to normal” with an in-person show. Years ago, in my dating days, we used to say someone was Mr. Right, or Mr. Right Now. I think what we’re doing is “right for now.” The strategy we build with each client will get us through this year with our heads held high, our coverage reports intact, our impressions climbing and our new products shining in the spotlight and filling the void that was Toy Fair. Until then, thank goodness for Zoom!