ASTRA NewsletterAmerican Specialty Toy Retailing Association April 1999It was a Good Time!By Lisa AlmeidaIt’s always easy for me to write about or for ASTRA because it is a passionate topic for me. The power we possess in our dedication to common goals never ceases to astound me. So, for the love of ASTRA, I pried myself out of bed at 6:00 am after 2 long days trudging the happy halls of Toy Fair, including the newly expanded Specialty Pavilion, and went looking for Mr. Good…

Professional Candy Buyer January – February 1999Special Report: Kids’ candyToday’s kids are smarter, quicker and often harder to impress than kids 20 or even 10 years ago. In order to keep up with the ever changing tastes and demands of this fickle audience, candy suppliers are finding themselves tied closely into all of the emerging pop culture icons, from cartoon characters to pop music stars to web sites.The influences involved in kids’ purchasing habits are almost limitless -…

The Plain Dealer Business Section Sunday, January 31, 1999Making the saleBy Marcia Pledger Plain Dealer ReporterGOOD MARKETING Sid Good, president of Good Marketing in Cleveland, will speak at the 1999 Toy Fair next month in New York City. Good, who’ll also lead a panel sponsored by the American Specialty Toy Retailing Association, will focus on marketing to children in his talk to specialty toy manufacturers and retailers Feb. 13.Good plans to emphasize how current trends…

December 24, 1998The New York TimesChildren’s MedicineBY DANA CANEDYDrug companies, trying a new approach in treating children, are selling over-the-counter remedies that are as tasty and chewy as soft candy and bubble gum or could be mistaken for ordinary lollipops. These products, though, are not meant to treat a sweet tooth but instead are for ailments like colds, sore throats and even asthma.The maker of Children’s Tylenol now makes a chewy version of its widely…

The New York Times Monday, February 16, 1998Pitching to Kids? Try Grossing Them OutBy DANA CANEDYChocolate “dirt” cupcakes, a doll whose innards can be pulled out of its mouth, green slime that turns into bubble gum – they’re all the stuff of child’s play today.As if fretting over table manners were not enough, parents now have to contend with a glut of intentionally gross products that are gaining popularity with youngsters. From publishers to candy makers, companies are…