Toy Association President Steve Pasierb Reflects on Disruption & Opportunity for the Toy Community

Steve PasierbJanuary 8, 2019 | In his first President’s Letter of 2019, Steve Pasierb, president & chief executive of The Toy Association, reflects on a year of retail disruption, of the industry’s significant progress, and examines issues that could impact the toy community in 2019.

Highlights of the Association’s 2018 accomplishments include:

  • Connecting members to actionable information and counsel regarding the Toys“R”Us bankruptcy and liquidation;
  • Successfully influencing harmful and unnecessary policies and regulations at the state, federal, and international levels;
  • Strong advocacy in opposition of tariffs on imports from China with ongoing dedication to fighting against these policies for its members;
  • Growing go-to-market events to help “more members sell more product more often;”
  • Rallying industry resources and talent to craft clear positions, insights, and potential solutions into the harms of counterfeit toy products and protecting intellectual property rights in the ecommerce space;
  • Strengthening initiatives to educate parents and caregivers on the well-researched benefits of childhood play;
  • Effectively communicating the industry’s utmost commitment to safety of toys and educating media and consumers alike on the facts related to annual dangerous toy lists issued by NGO groups;
  • Investing in new research and tools to help propel member growth; and much more.

“While the world around us is in rapid-fire change mode, that fact remains that the innovation, creativity, and resilience of the toy community are legend,” Pasierb wrote. “Just as toy companies, designers, inventors, licensors, and every other part of our industry contend with change, so will The Toy Association. We’ve already begun a reassessment of strategic priorities and seek to expose any gaps or expand our services based upon the needs of members. Our own constant evolution and reinvention is essential. Protecting and promoting member companies as well as working to the benefit of the broader toy community are the reason we exist.” 

Read all about your Toy Association’s accomplishments – and get a sneak-peek at what’s in store for 2019 – here: The Journey through 2019: Contrasts of Healing and Disruption in the Toy Community.