When our client WowWee enlisted our support to launch their newest products, Fingerlings, they had one “small” request – make them the hottest toys of the 2017 holiday season. If you don’t already know, Fingerlings are adorable, interactive baby monkeys that cling to your finger and respond to sound, motion and touch. So after brainstorming and sorting through some of our favorite monkey puns (see here and here), we set off to make their request a reality. Here’s how:

Personalized Press Meetings

Prior to the official launch of Fingerlings in August, we worked with a short list of influential New York-based media contacts to meet with in person about WowWee’s newest toy. We made sure to personalize these meetings, ensuring our theme and appreciation for their time was evident. Continuing in true monkey fashion, we brought banana cupcakes for a sweet snack break while providing a rundown of why Fingerlings were about to be the next big thing in the toy industry. Conducting these meetings in July allowed us to establish key relationships that we continued to foster throughout the year and also added a personal touch to all communication with these contacts moving forward.

Media Dialogue Early and Often

Over the course of the year, well before holiday season, we continued to connect with media contacts to ensure we stayed on their radar. We kept contacts looped in on any happenings in the Fingerlings world – from the launch of new characters to awards the products won (and there were many!). We stayed in touch with our media contacts over the summer to keep the hottest toy for the holidays on their minds, with no expectation of immediate coverage – and come holiday time, it paid off. As soon as they were ready to start planning for holiday coverage, many of our contacts reached back out to us, some responding to pitches from as far back as July! Different pitches peaked different interests and timing varied from contact to contact, so following up through our signature approach of “polite persistence” was key.

Targeted Outreach to Kids & Parents Alike

When launching a toy created for kids ages 5+, it’s imperative to secure media that’s actually going to reach that target market. Our social campaign for launch day – Fingerlings Friday – helped propel our program and drum up buzz around Fingerlings from the start. Having Fingerlings featured across YouTube, lifestyle media, parenting outlets, and others covered our bases for all corners of our target market.

After a whirlwind holiday season, we can proudly say that were more than able to make our client’s request a reality. Just check out a few of our favorite Fingerlings headlines!