Making It in The Toy Industry

Let's be honest, the market is changing. We're in the midst of a serious shift in the way we live, and life and business as we know it is changing drastically each and every day. Having the ability and know-how to pivot and adjust your business to fit market needs is paramount in assuring long term success.  So in this episode, The Toy Coach dives into a detailed conversation exploring h...

There’s no avoiding the impact that social media has had on the marketing of toys and games. Before You-Tube stars and Instagram influencers, networks like Nickelodeon and Disney influenced toy buying trends. But today, toy buying trends are influenced by social media personalities, major television ad campaigns, and disruptive social ad campaigns.  During today’s episode, The Toy Coach interviews...

There's nothing more important to the success of your product pitch than really knowing the company that you're pitching to! Showing a great inventor item to the wrong company is almost as bad as not showing it to anyone at all. If your toy invention does not fit the target demographic of your potential manufacturing partner, you run the risk of losing their interest altogether. So for t...

Have you ever proceeded down the path of developing your toy or game idea, to only realize that you weren’t sure what step comes next? If you’ve rushed down the path of sample making or prototyping your toy concept or invention, only to find yourself stuck in the process, then this episode is for YOU! In this episode The Toy Coach breaks down the 3 stages of the toy product development life cycle....

Have you ever gone to a product pitch meeting with a less than perfect prototype? Did you ever have an excellent concept fall flat because a prototype failed to capture the hearts of your audience? In order to present your toy product to potential investors, buyers, or licensors, you will first need to produce a prototype. The quality of the prototype you present is going to have a direct effect o...

After attending The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) as an exhibitor, you'll definitely need a few days to recover. Your back may ache, your feet may be swollen, and your ego may be bruised. While the wins at NYTF are easy to share with family and friends, and celebrate, the losses we tend to keep to ourselves and not confront. So in today's episode, we walk through how to handle 4 less than per...

The New York Toy Fair (NYTF) is the LARGEST toy show in North America. Over 1,000 exhibitors attend to showcase over a hundred thousand products at the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York City.  With the 2020 fair only days away, The Toy Coach pulls back the curtain to give a little insight on what to expect if you attend this industry event in the future. If you are currently developing or...

In this episode of Making It in The Toy Industry, we focus on Manufacturing in the USA. Learn how to use an indispensable resource for American manufacturers. We'll outline key differences in working with a factory in China versus a factory in the USA. We also cover 8 key topics and questions to discuss with the American factory you're considering partnering with. This quick start guide...

Finally an answer to one of the biggest industry questions out there. How do I start manufacturing my own toy or game ideas with a factory in China? This podcast episode breaks down the easiest way to find, analyze, and communicate with the ideal overseas factory for YOU. Learn how to determine quality and legitimacy of factories you find online, learn the best way to protect your ideas overseas (...

What exactly is toyetic? The term toyetic is thrown around a lot in the industry. In this episode, we break down the true definition of toyetic and pull out 4 guiding Toyetic Principles and show you how to make your toy inventions or game ideas more toyetic and ultimately more marketable. You'll learn about the man who coined the term, you'll learn about a successful toyetic property, an...

Are you trying to come up with your next great toy idea for kids, but you're suffering from a creative block? If you find it difficult to come up with an amazing new toy idea time and time again, then this is the episode for you.  In this episode, Azhelle Wade breaks down her 5 Step Process To Unlocking Great Toy Ideas, sharing with you a proven strategy to come up with one of a kind toy idea...