•Protect yourself. Unfortunately, copycatting is a serious problem in the toy industry. Whether you’ve been around for years, or this is your first year at Toy Fair, be careful about whom you share your prototypes and ideas with. Ask for people’s cards, and make sure you are comfortable about what you’re sharing and with whom. I’ve seen clients have their prototypes stolen from Toy Fair, and it caused them serious problems when competitors came out with a duplicate product before they could bring theirs to market. It happens. And never, EVER, let people take pictures of your booth unless you know them.
•To gimmick, or not to gimmick? I’ve seen celebrities, crazy costumes, free food, and other gimmicks. Some work, some don’t. To me, the ones that are most successful for the vendors and for the media are the ones that directly tie into the product they are promoting and help tell the story. Ones that are just attention-getting but not relevant are a waste, in my mind.
•Have a press kit. Well-written press releases and a thorough press kit are important tools to provide to important potential buyers and, of course, the press. Reporters file product ideas under various categories for use during the year, and a press release that captures the essence of the product will help jog their memory. A press kit with items like a backgrounder, biographies of key players and fact sheet help the press think of your company for business stories about entrepreneurs, how products are created, and why companies succeed.
I realize that not everyone has the love affair that I’ve had over the years with toys. However, no matter how giddy the pink aisle in Toys R Us makes you, Toy Fair can be an amazing experience, and will be more so if you come with the right attitude, and the right plan for the weeks afterward.
KidStuff PR has 17 clients exhibiting at Toy Fair this year.