Overview: The toy market is perpetually crowded with hundreds of kids products in every category vying for attention on store shelves. In 2010, a new competitor emerged when technologies aimed at adults like mobile tablets, began offering services that competed for sales in an already crowded space. LeapFrog was looking to move beyond its flagship product, the LeapPad, to offering an electronic mobile device, the Leapster Explorer, that would change the way kids learned and played.

The Challenge: LeapFrog was intent on shaking up the consumer electronics market even as it was facing competition from toy manufacturers and watching more and more parents choose devices like tablets and the iPhone as learning tools for their children. Additionally, with a limited pool of media to reach, the team knew it had to competitively differentiate the Leapster Explorer against worthy adult and kid toy competitors in the busy Q4/holiday season.

The Plan: The Access PR team quickly worked with the LeapFrog team to devise a strategic timeline that would reach the most media possible, disseminating key benefit messages that would help drive sales and awareness of the Explorer. Media activities kicked off in July, continuing through the key holiday months of November and December to ensure not a moment went by when key influencers and media were not exposed to the Explorer.

First, the LeapFrog team sought to reach the most influencers possible through a VIP deskside tour and event that would provide direct access to the entire LeapFrog 2010 product line. A “high touch” holiday tour that encouraged media to hands-on engage with the products, alongside their children who were also invited, was hosted in New York, reaching the key media audience LeapFrog needed to reach. Additionally, LeapFrog teamed with an industry influencer, Toyologist Chris Byrne, to help communicate key messages of LeapFrog as a product leader. Leveraging a holiday SMT and tour, the LeapFrog team established credibility and reached key consumer audiences.

Success Metrics: By launching the strategic timeline, the Access team was able to secure millions of impressions in key outlets including the Today Show and Fortune to drive business impact for LeapFrog. All efforts ended up yielding more than 1.5 billion impressions and inclusion on 17 “hot list” recommendations. Ultimately, coverage helped drive business impact for LeapFrog, where the Leapster Explorer was sold out at the end of the holiday season.