From Toy Fair Trends to Year-Long PR Wins: Turning Show Floor Insights into Strategy
Toy Fair New York may only last a few days, but the smartest PR strategies treat it as the starting line, not the finish. Beyond new product reveals and packed schedules, the show offers something far more valuable: early signals about where the toy industry, media coverage, and consumer attention are headed next.
Trendspotting at Toy Fair isn’t about chasing buzzwords or reacting to what’s loudest in the room. It’s about identifying patterns, conversations, and cultural cues that can inform smarter storytelling all year long. When brands take the time to observe, listen, and connect the dots, Toy Fair becomes a powerful tool to build a successful PR strategy.
What Trendspotting at Toy Fair Really Means
Effective trendspotting starts with looking at Toy Fair through multiple lenses at once. It’s not just what’s making headlines; it’s what’s being repeated across conversations, aisles, booths, and segments.
“Pay attention to both big news and recurring themes that come up at the show,” says Kaylie Easton. “What you’re reading in industry headlines, hearing from contacts onsite about what they’re gravitating toward, and seeing firsthand on the show floor all work together. From a PR perspective, that’s what can shape story angles to carry well past Toy Fair.”
This means listening closely to what reporters are asking about, noting which product categories or themes appear again and again, and tracking how exhibitors are framing their innovations. Those overlaps are often where meaningful, long-term PR opportunities begin.
What Brands Should Be Paying Attention To
While trendspotting often starts with observation, its real value comes from connection.
“Making personal connections with reporters, editors, and influencers helps uncover authentic fits for coverage during the show and beyond,” notes DeAnna Varilias. “Nurture those relationships, continue the conversations, and become a resource to help them tell their stories.”
Brands that stand out are the ones thinking ahead – sharing what’s launching next, offering product for consideration at the right moments, and staying visible after the show wraps. The trends that take shape at Toy Fair don’t disappear when the booths come down – they evolve. By understanding how your brand fits into broader industry and cultural narratives, you can remain part of the conversation across trade, lifestyle, and consumer media all year long.
How Toy Fair Trends Carry Through the Calendar
Looking back at Toy Fair 2025 offers a clear reminder of the show can deliver sustained coverage. Many editors attend Toy Fair with future coverage already in mind, using the show to inform seasonal storytelling months down the line.
“In the months beyond Toy Fair, we see media follow up on what they saw at the show for spring, summer, back-to-school, and holiday gift guides,” says Marissa Lambert. “Outlets are scanning for products that will be relevant later, so reconnecting throughout the year with timely reminders makes a real difference.”
Socially driven trends also continue to play a major role. Products tied to cultural moments, like shareable DIY kits, sensory play, and visually satisfying items, often gain momentum at Toy Fair and continue to surface across media and social platforms long after the show ends.
Turning Insights Into Strategy
The brands that win in 2026 won’t be the ones that simply recap Toy Fair; they’ll be the ones that use it as a lens to refine messaging, prioritize relationships, and align PR efforts with where the industry is heading.
By paying attention to emerging themes, nurturing connections made onsite, and revisiting Toy Fair conversations throughout the year, brands can transform a few days on the show floor into a steady drumbeat of meaningful media opportunities.
Toy Fair may set the stage, but what you do with those insights determines how the story unfolds next.