Even casual fans of The Simpsons will recognize it as Helen Lovejoy’s catchphrase—one of many quotes from the show to work its way into the vernacular and launch a thousand Internet memes—but in the promotional industry, “Won’t somebody please think of the children?” is more than just fun and games. It’s smart business.
See, toys, games and other children’s products are a great way for brands to build goodwill with their target audience—if you make kids happy, chances are you make parents happy too. And beyond that, it’s never a bad thing for a brand to associate itself with fun. So before you rush to pitch a mug or a pen for your client’s next promotion, why not try one of these four popular children’s products instead?
Stuffed Animals
Sales advice
Samples, both for potential buyers and your own employees, are key when selling stuffed animals, said Jim Socci, CAS, president of Artistic Toy Manufacturing, Allentown, Pa. “My advice for distributors who want to get started selling plush toys is to order up some samples with your logo and make them available to employees to share at appropriate times like birthdays, anniversaries and special events,” he explained. “After you see the frenzy these stuffed toys create with people in your office and the stories that unfold from the toys’ journey into people’s lives, you will be hooked.”
Where to sell
According to Socci, the health care and financial markets are two of the biggest buyers of stuffed animals, but almost any market can make use of the toys. “You will find the companies who use plush toys in their advertising integrate them into multiple levels of their marketing strategy,” he said. “Salespeople can use them as attention-getting appointment-setters or meeting leave-behinds. Some brands resell them in their company store or offer them as gift with purchase. Other companies find them helpful at attracting guests at events or conferences.”
A note on safety
Complying with Consumer Product Safety Improvement Act (CPSIA) and Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC) regulations for children’s products is a necessity, but it can be complicated depending on the item you’re selling. With stuffed animals, things are a bit more clear-cut. “The good news about promoting with stuffed plush toys is that there is no gray area on our products’ intended use,” Socci advised. “Everyone knows stuffed toys are intended for children under 14 years old, no matter how they’re decorated or where they’re distributed.”
Even so, be sure to find a supplier that has proper safety protocols in place, to avoid any potential hang-ups later on. “We have recently been an early adopter of PPAI’s Product Safety Compliance Program,” Socci said. “Every product we manufacture is independently product-safety tested by a CPSIA-accredited testing laboratory and we publish all of those reports on our website.”
Sports Balls
Where to sell
There are a number of major markets for sports ball sales. Jason Broadbent, national accounts manager for Cleveland-based Galaxy Balloons, pointed to education, financial, and restaurants and bars, along with several others. “Sport balls are used in a variety of ways, from throw outs at games, rallies and parades or as a fun trade show handout,” he said. “Other popular uses are for fundraising, autograph signing, sports banquets, clinics and camps, alumni events, book stores, etc.”
A case study
Broadbent gave an example of a successful sports ball promotion, where a restaurant partnered with a local high school’s booster club to give away 100 miniature footballs at home football games. “The restaurant offers a limited-time coupon printed on one side of the ball,” he explained. “The purple footballs with gold imprint match the school’s colors. The footballs are thrown out at the game by [the school’s] cheerleaders.” Broadbent noted that the restaurant sees 30 to 35 customers redeem the coupons after each game.
A note on safety
In addition to complying with CPSIA and CPSC standards, sports balls and other children’s products require proper labeling to ensure safety. “People should be aware that all children’s products must have the proper tracking label present (containing certain basic information including contact information, location of production and a batch or lot number) in the event of a recall,” said Broadbent.
Bobblehead Toys
Sales advice
For any promotional product sale, ordering early helps—whether to ensure on-time delivery or to leave enough wiggle room to correct potential production errors. With bobbleheads, it’s especially important. “Since bobbleheads are fully customized and handmade, the process takes longer than with other promotional items,” explained Katharina Pieper, marketing manager for BamBams, Woodbridge, Va. “It is recommended not to wait until the last minute, in order to give the entire process enough time.”
Where to sell
Pieper listed sports events and game days as the biggest markets for bobbleheads, with professional teams often running bobblehead promotions involving team mascots or star players. But she noted that sales opportunities aren’t limited to the big leagues. “Bobbleheads have low minimums and could be used for smaller, local teams or pitched to bigger, professional teams,” she said. “They are a great item for every college or stadium gift store, but also cheap enough for giveaways.” She also mentioned several non-sports uses, including corporate mascots and political campaigns.
A note on safety
“It is a fine line to walk between selling a toy and selling a promotional giveaway that just appeals to children, but isn’t intended for them,” Pieper explained. “This is one of those cases, and in general, per CPSC guidelines, we will label the product with a marking that says ‘not intended for use by children under 12.’ But of course we cannot force this upon the individual end-users. It is very important for us as a company to be compliant with federal law, but equally important for each individual, especially parents, to make sure any use of adult products by their children is closely monitored if not outright denied.”
Puzzles and Games
Sales advice
When it comes to selling puzzles and games, it’s all in the presentation. Allow potential buyers some hands-on time with the product, but don’t let the presentation become too informal or unfocused. “Make sure you have made a connection with the item to that client specifically, because with fun items, your client can easily get distracted or overwhelmed,” noted Francesco Indrio, president of ALPI International, Oakland, Calif. “So it’s better to choose a few ‘fun’ items to present as opposed to having a lot of options, because fun can be distracting and get your client off-target.”
Where to sell
Because puzzles and games appeal to adults as well as children, sales opportunities exist just about anywhere. Indrio suggested corporate offices as a starting point. “Honestly, the biggest market for our wooden puzzles and games is the corporate market,” he said. “I think this is because at the end of the day, everyone is a kid at heart. People like having a toy or puzzle on their desk to have a little fun or to remind them of something less stressful.”
A case study
Indrio described a promotion where a client used one of ALPI International’s puzzles for a sales conference. “After listening to speakers for a few hours, attendees were asked to dump out the puzzle, and the first person to finish it won a gift card,” he explained. “Every single piece inside the box was imprinted, each echoing the conference talking points, so it was easier for attendees to align everything they had just heard from the speakers with the overall message. In the words of the distributor: ‘It was a hit!'”
