The Brief
Being the leading toy, game and hobby trade show in the UK year after year, Toy Fair welcomes more than 250 companies to exhibit thousands of products to visitors - from press and influencers, to retailers and buyers. The team at Carousel were tasked with cutting through the noise and helping Zapf Creation stand out amongst competitors to ensure top tier trade and national media attended Zapf Creation’s stand and learnt all about the brand’s new launches for 2023.
The Response
Whilst Carousel usually manages Zapf Creation’s press office and consumer campaigns, the team were excited to exercise their Corporate Storytelling abilities and leverage their strong relationships with trade and national media.
To generate excitement of Zapf Creation’s return to Toy Fair in the lead up to the event, the team created and managed a bespoke social media plan for the brand across LinkedIn, crafting and publishing a series of posts before, during and post the event.
Carousel also managed all press relations for the occasion. From arranging both trade and national press to visit the Zapf Creation stand by inviting them for 1-1 sessions with the Carousel team and scheduling a series of interviews throughout the duration of Toy Fair, to drafting an engaging press pack to share product information for journalists following the event to drive editorial coverage.
In addition, Carousel worked closely with Toy Fair’s PR team, to maximise Zapf Creation’s presence at the show in a field of competitors, by drafting and submitting commentary for Toy Fair’s official blog, entering key focus products into broadcast opportunities at the event such as Toy Fair TV and the Demo Zone with TV Presenter Anna Williamson, and enlisting products for the event’s Hero Toy Awards. Moreover, the team also worked with Toy Fair’s PR team to include Zapf Creation in all press releases to national and toy trade publications, securing spokesperson coverage for the brand in the likes of Toy World and Toys N Playthings.
The Results
From an expertly targeted and managed press office and social media strategy, the team arranged for the stand to be visited by the likes of the Mail on Sunday, Mail Online, Evening Standard, The Independent, Toy World, Toys N Playthings and Progressive Preschool.
To-date, 18 pieces of editorial and social coverage have gone live, resulting in a total reach of 392,537.
