The Toy Book Podcasts by Adventure Media & Events

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Harold Chizick, CEO of ChizComm and Beacon Media.

On the show, Chizick discusses AtGames, a digital media and tech innovation company that creates a host of gaming products for physical retail, digital distribution, and streaming. Most recently, AtGames has been focused on retro interactive entertainment with the Legends Ultimate Gaming Cabinet. Albritton and Chizick discuss how AtGames grew within the software and gaming industries.

Additionally, Chizick discusses the legacy of the Atari brand and the importance of merging modern and vintage technologies to make retro games accessible to a wide audience.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Jason Mars, owner of Red Planet Group.

Red Planet Group is a premier distributor and marketer of toys throughout Canada. The company supports global toymakers by bringing toys such as Treasure X, Scruff-A-Lives, Little Live Pets, Wubble, and more to Canadian kids and families.

On the show, Albritton delves into Mars' origin story which includes working alongside his father with partners such as Toy Biz and Tiger Electronics. The duo then delves into the nuances of marketing to Canadian families and how they purchase toys. Finally, Mars shares details on the unique logistics and operational issues encountered in the Canadian market and shares some of the new toys that Red Planet Group is working to promote.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Brian Volk-Weiss, CEO of The Nacelle Co. and Comedy Dynamics.

Volk-Weiss is the creator and producer of Netflix's The Toys That Made Us and The Movies That Made Us, and has produced Grammy-nominated and Grammy-winning comedy albums for the likes of Weird Al Yankovic, Dave Chappelle, and Jerry Seinfeld, and has produced and directed dozens of comedy specials for talent including Tiffany Hadish, Kevin Hart, Jim Gaffigan, Ali Wong, and many more.

His latest project is the new series, A Toy Store Near You, which delves into the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic on independent toy stores and collectibles retailers around the world. On the podcast, Albritton and Volk-Weiss discuss the similarities between the toy industry and the comedy world, the genesis of the new series, and why A Toy Store Near You is so important in shedding light on small businesses.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with "The Toy Coach" Azhelle Wade. For more than a decade, Wade has held roles at companies including Horizon Group and Blumenthal Lansing Co., and served as a global product development and design manager at Toys "R" Us and Babies "R" Us. She currently serves as vice president of brand and product at Creative Kids.

In today's show, Albritton and Wade discuss her early focus on serving and learning from kids, and how a cancer scare propelled her into several new ventures. Other topics include the ways that a  manufacturer can bring continuous value to its buyers and the unique aspects of working in the doll and craft categories. Finally, Wade shares the origin story of her 'Making it in the Toy Industry' podcast.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Joe and Jim Seymour of E-Blox.

On the show, the Seymours discuss the origin story of their Illinois-based family business that offers products that balance deep learning with big fun. Kids can use E-Blox sets to engineer fully functional creations, to add lights and sounds to existing block sets, and to tell stories with Story Blox sets. Between the Seymour brothers and their father, Art, the family holds more than 50 patents.

Albritton and the Seymours delve into the importance of getting kids involved and interested in STEAM skills early and what makes E-Blox unique in the competitive world of construction and learning.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Matt Colleran, head of new business development for Clamour, a company that connects digital influencers and content creators with major brands.

On the show, Colleran shares his origin story as he and Albritton discuss the early days of influencer marketing — including a campaign with former NFL quarterback Peyton Manning — and how it has evolved over the years. From there, the conversation delves into the differences in working with a major toymaker such as Hasbro (where Colleran served as a category and marketing manager) versus working with an aggressive startup such as Yulu, where Colleran served as the head of marketing. Finally, the duo discusses the importance of partnering with the right influencer that will resonate with target consumers and what the next evolution in influencer marketing might be.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Helen Thomas, chief marketing officer at DMAI, the company behind the Animal Island Learning Adventure (AILA) Sit & Play — an intelligent monitor and edutainment system geared toward families with toddlers

On the show, Albritton and Thomas discuss the importance of clearly communicating the benefits of a new technology product as it hits the market. Thomas, the founding CEO of LeapFrog China, explains the various aspects of artificial intelligence (AI) and the technology is integrated into AILA. Finally, Thomas explains how DMAI worked to address parental concerns that have been raised by the use of cloud-connected devices by kids and families.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Aaron Wade, director of public relations at CanspanBMG, a Toronto-based full service digital and social media marketing agency that has worked with brands including Treasure X and Little Live Pets (Moose Toys), Untamed (WowWee), Bunch O Balloons (ZURU), Elf on the Shelf, Laser X (NSI International), and many more.

On the show, Albritton and Wade discuss the subtle differences in toy buying trends between families in the U.S. and Canada while exploring the comparisons and contrasts in promoting brands such as Treasure X versus Elf on the Shelf. Additionally, Wade offers insight into how CanspanBMG's work with companies across sports, technology, education, and retail helps support its toy efforts. Finally, the conversation moves to how toy marketing is changing in light of the ever-changing FTC regulations and the global spread of the COVID-19 pandemic.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Christine Osborne, owner of  Wonder Works — an independent toy store with three locations in South Carolina.

Since 1990, Osborne has operated the award-winning store, and over the past three decades, she's seen changes in the market and learned how to adapt through evolving trends and crisis situations.  At the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, Osborne worked quickly to assemble several programs — including a virtual toy store — to ensure that she was putting toys in the hands of families at a time when play is needed most.

On the show, Osborne discusses how Wonder Works assists customers in finding just the right product, and shares details on what families are searching for right now. Additionally, Albritton and Osborne delve into the virtual toy store experience while serving up a road map for independent retailers across the country to replicate as specialty retail evolves.

In this week's episode of the "Power Kid Podcast," host Phil Albritton of Power Kid Design speaks with Todd Rywolt, vice president of sales at marketing at Rollplay, a leader in innovative powered ride-on toys.

On the show, Albritton delves into Rywolt's origin story, which includes a 16 year run at Kenner and Hasbro where he worked to develop toy lines for fan-favorite franchise brands including Batman, Jurassic Park, and the relaunch of Star Wars in 1995. The conversation moves into present-day and the unique market in which Rollplay operates.  Rywolt offers insight into what retailers and consumers are looking for in a great ride-on toy, and how the company works in collaboration with top automakers — such as Mini and Porsche — to develop and design unforgettable products. Finally, Rywolt unpacks the details behind Rollplay's ultimate product strategy: Ride, Drive, Perform