In 1999, David Yang, a Russian physicist and inventor, came up with a quirky new twist on a wireless personal communicator that he envisioned as a product for young adults,
with personal messaging and gaming capabilities. But after conducting market research, he realized an untapped market for such a device existed among young teens and tweens. These
young tech wizards loved anything that catered to their penchant for communication - they were the perfect demographic for Yang's creation.
Yang launched Cybiko Inc. in Chicago and enlisted Publicis Dialog's New York office to get his product to market in just ten months.
Not All Fun & Games
The Publicis Dialog team began researching the kids' market and discovered that several major toy companies were planning to introduce similar wireless products at Toy Fair
2000, the annual event, held in February, in the kids industry. But other toy companies' kiddie PDAs weren't as sophisticated as the Cybiko device, and they didn't offer free
downloadable games on their Web sites as Cybiko did. The team set about planning a campaign that would leverage those key differences and distinguish the Cybiko product from the
pack.
The team settled on Toy Fair 2000 as the perfect venue to build buzz about Cybiko's upcoming launch among consumer, business and trade media, which as a result would encourage
investors and - most importantly - make kids pine for the new product.
Toy Fair attracts hordes of media - everyone from CNN to toy trade pubs to the most influential consumer books. The challenge for Cybiko would be to break through the clutter
and grab media attention. Instead of sending the typical postcard invitations or bulky product samples, the team rolled the two into one and sent reporters a sample Cybiko unit
that displayed booth and launch event information on its screen.
Cybiko's custom-designed booth included colorful benches with a new Cybiko device placed at every seat, a tactic designed to encourage attendees to take a break from prowling
the exhibition floors and play with the product for a while.
Media kits and fact sheets, available at the booth, all highlighted the Web site's downloadable content and the device's unique features. The team arranged one-on-one meetings
with editors and toy execs throughout the fair, which allowed stakeholders another opportunity to experience the product firsthand.
A small start-up, Cybiko turned out to be Toy Fair's star player. The unique invitations kept attendees buzzing, while booth traffic soared to 150 high quality media outlet
visits.
PDA Party
Following Toy Fair, Publicis Dialog worked to maintain media interest until the holiday season. One hurdle to overcome was the Cybiko team itself: despite the founders'
ingenuity and enthusiasm, they were inexperienced in dealing with the U.S. media. "The founders of the company are from Russia and are extraordinarily savvy people," notes Howard
Geltzer, executive principal/managing director for Publicis Dialog. "But they had spent their entire careers working in the software arena in Europe. They didn't understand U.S.
marketing and media."
The team poured resources into media training to help Yang and other execs communicate more clearly with the press. They also adopted a strategy for an April launch event that
would save Cybiko execs from excessive exposure by enlisting third-party spokespeople from among the toy industry's creme de la creme. This strategy also served to enhance
Cybiko's credibility.
The team partnered with FAO Schwarz for the event, and they recruited the top tier store's executives to speak to the media about the product. "Here's the icon of the world of
toys - FAO Schwarz - in a class by itself," Geltzer marvels. "We had the FAO Schwarz people say why they believed in the product and thought it was right for the market, and why
they were going to be [selling it]."
Sweet Results
The Cybiko launch wowed the toy world, generating a media frenzy at Toy Fair and more than 500 million media impressions overall. By August 2000, Cybiko had received
substantial funding from America Online and secured distribution with most mass-market retailers and electronics and toy stores well before the 2000 holiday season. Best of all,
the Cybiko toy was a rage with kids, selling hundreds of thousands of units in its first year. The day after Christmas, the Web site was inundated with new toy owners logging on
for free downloads and was temporarily put out of commission.
Cybiko and Publicis Dialog are finalizing plans to launch any day now a new "extreme" version of the product.
(Contact: Publicis Dialog: Howard Geltzer, 212/684-6300, [email protected])
Campaign Stats
Budget: Total budget, from Toy Fair through the holiday season, was $301,198. The Publicis fee accounted for $134,500, and expenses added up to $167,418. A sizable chunk of the
budget went to creating the innovative Toy Fair invitation.
Timeframe: Year 2000
Top media placements: The "Rosie O'Donnell Show;" "Good Morning America;" "The View;" "The Early Show;" CNN; CNBC; four hits in Time; two hits in Newsweek; the cover of Family
PC; U.S. News & World Report; Forbes; Parade; Entertainment Weekly; Seventeen; Rolling Stone; Business 2.0; The Wall Street Journal; The New York Times; The Los Angeles Times;
and coveted toy reviews in Family Fun and Parents. The start-up also snagged product placements on FOX's "Malcolm in the Middle," NBC's "Providence," and several Nickelodeon
programs.
The Publicis Team
- Howard Geltzer, executive principal/ managing director;
- Sheila Simon Geltzer, executive principal/ managing director;
- Elaine Hamnett, senior principal/ management supervisor;
- Julie Kronish, account supervisor;
- Karen Tuominen, account supervisor;
- Amy Gaiser, account executive