Present thought-provoking articles for members of the toy industry in The Toy Book.
By honing in on seasons, rising stars, and product trends, I provide insights and information to an engaged audience.
February
Toy Fair: Same Old, Same New
March/April
Do You Need To Gamify To Stay In The Game?
July/August
Love What You Do? Pass It On
September/October
How Are You Reinventing Your Wheel?
Flycatcher developed a multifaceted product that taught kids to draw, sketch, and write numbers, letters, and words using a Bluetooth-connected device. The challenge was to emphasize the fun aspect to the kids, the learning aspect to the parents, and the wow! factor which enabled users to download any photo from a smart device and turn it into a sketch. I was involved in every aspect of the brand development including names, content, collateral, advertising, website, and product extensions.
The first product was named Smart Sketcher Projector, conveying the “smart” connected aspect of the toy, and clearly stating the ability to teach kids to sketch. The packaging and collateral were simplified to create a 3-step process for drawing and writing. I enlisted an educational consultant to ensure that the letter writing process utilized correct keystrokes. Content was developed to be consistent with national curriculum standards so it could be used in schools as well as at home. While the kids had no hesitation about playing with the sketching and downloading aspects of the toy, we tweaked the writing and spelling mode to morph the letters into pictures, rewarding users for completing a word. Product extensions added color, frames, and specialized topics for drawing. In its first year launch, Smart Sketcher Projector won numerous awards and honors including a TOTY Rookie Toy of the Year finalist, Best in Show at CE Week, and Toy of the Year at the Spanish Toy Fair.
Hape is a company known for making educational wooden toys. However, although their products are well received and beautifully made, their innovative techniques and gender-and-culture-neutral designs are barely recognized. In order to differentiate themselves in the competitive toy market, their commitments to children, learning, and environmental responsibility had to be highlighted. Furthermore, their three distinct lines of toys needed to be incorporated under one corporate brand.
Rethinking Play became the mantra for this company that already recycles, reduces and reuses. A new mission statement that clearly defined Hape’s goals was released in a corporate brochure, press material, and brand catalogs, sending the message B2B. Beginning with the largest toy line (Educo), all of the packaging copy was rewritten, getting the same message into the hands of the consumers. Copy templates were created so that all future material would be consistent. An Eco-toys brochure further enhanced the ecology aspect of Hape. The long-term plan is to revamp each line to create a unified look and language.
Play is how kids learn. But with the influx of technology into every aspect of kids’ lives, the ways and means of play have changed. Digital natives log on before they can walk and blog before they can write. How are all these bells, whistles and chips changing the way they process information? Are they still learning to think critically; or can they merely ace standardized tests? How can we make sure that the next generation of players becomes active innovators rather than passive consumers of media?
Sandbox Summit was an innovative idea forum designed to address how modern technology affects the ways kids play, learn, and connect. Through high-energy panels, innovative demonstrations, original research, and thought-provoking workshops with toy industry and media leaders, analysts, educators, and rock stars, each Sandbox Summit strategically intermingled disciplines and viewpoints. The mantra was: Never talk to a room full of nodding heads. In this way, every Sandbox Summit stimulated the means (and the movers and shakers) that encouraged kids to become creative, critical thinkers in the 21st century.
Sandbox Summit ran from 2008 to 2016, with conferences at CES (2008), FIT (2008), 92nd St. Y (2009), Hofstra University (2009), MIT (2010-2016), and USC (2015).
The Meal Makeover Moms, two tech-savvy chefs and dieticians, tapped into their social network of moms to discover that the biggest obstacle for getting kids to eat well-balanced meals was picky eaters. The goal of their cookbook was to help parents break out of the chicken-fingers and macaroni rut by providing healthy, tasty, easy-to-make recipes that parents and kids would love.
No Whine With Dinner (2011, M3 Press), taps into the parent-approved, kid-tested format that appeals to the Meal Makeover Moms’ community. Writing in their own personable voices, they were able to add life as well as spice to their recipes. They embrace their large online network by including real tester feedback and/or an insider tip on each page. Charming pictures of kid testers throughout the book and links to more online photos and well-known food bloggers further establish them as tied-in to their readers. Two-color printing on heavy stock and a 4-color cover with an 8-page insert create a rich presentation while still keeping the price affordable.
Present ideas about new toys on Amazon.com.
By tying into seasons, specials, or unique products, I was able to position new toys in ways that would appeal to parents’ sense of fun and desire to click and buy.
Present timely topics that appeal to a vast community of transmedia developers and consumers.
Playing off the experts in the Sandbox Summit network, as well as products and ideas that I encountered on a daily basis, I published a bi-monthly blog for KidScreen.com.
Parents are having kids later, and spaced farther apart; blended families, step families, and extended families often mean kids with a wide range of ages live and play under the same roof. How can a busy parent spend quality time with each child?
Playing Together, 101 Terrific Games and Activities That Children Ages 3-9 Can Do Together (Simon & Schuster, 1995) honed in on the new family demographics. This resource for parents with multiple kids and a limited amount of time, helps them plan do-able crafts, cooking, and games by breaking each activity into three age-appropriate levels. The book was later published in China.
As more working women entered their thirties, they had more money to spend on themselves. Skincare was an uncharted category. What could convince these women to try products from a brand that they grew up seeing their mothers use?
By capitalizing on the elegance of the Estee Lauder name, but showing it with a new younger face, the company introduced a modern system of skincare based on scientific evidence of performance. It caught the imagination and attention of a new generation of users—women entering their thirties and forties who were suddenly worried about aging. Night Repair was the cornerstone of the line. It continues to be one of their top sellers.
Alexandra de Markoff was a classic and expensive brand of cosmetics, known for its remarkable foundations which dated back to the time of klieg lights and no retouching. Even though its products were effective, it was rapidly losing market share to more modern brands of makeup that appealed to a status-conscious customer.
In the fickle world of fashion, cosmetics need to project as well as perfect an image. Therefore, updating the line with just new products was not enough. A complete relaunch focused on style as well as performance. The result was a finely-edited line of problem-specific products, elegant packaging, informative point-of-purchase collateral, and a targeted PR campaign.