Hi Bill! Happy 30th Anniversary! Thank you for taking time to answer a few questions. First, can you share with our readers what you do in our industry? 

I am the proud founder and CEO of Southard Communications, a communications agency founded 30 years ago and based in New York City. Since our founding we have been heavily involved in the toy, game, gift and collectibles industry and have had the pleasure of working with a myriad of incredible brands, from Etch a Sketch and Slinky to LeapFrog and The Elf on a Shelf and public relations, digital marketing and influencer campaigns.

WHAT IS IT ABOUT THE TOY AND GAME INDUSTRY THAT YOU LOVE?

There is quite a bit but I would have to say the people and the incredible energy and enthusiasm you see and feel each and every day as part of the toy and game industry is what I love most. In addition, I have been fortunate enough to have made many friends as a result of our work in the toy and game industry and the products that we have had the honor of working on has just been incredible for me and my team. We do work across other industries and markets but there’s really something special about the people and the companies in the toy and game industry.

WHAT IS YOUR CLAIM TO FAME?

Honestly, it has to be that we have endured and thrived over the past three decades, through many ups and downs. I attribute this to working with an incredibly talented and loyal core base of clients that have been our true partners for many years. More specifically, we are the agency that launched LeapFrog, from the earliest days when it was a pure startup located in Emeryville to becoming the best-selling educational toy in only a few years. We were fortunate to be part of a sensational team that contributed to the success of LeapFrog. The other claim to fame worth mentioning is our work over a 25-year period (until it sold its toy line to Spinmaster) with the Ohio Art Company and its promotion of Etch a Sketch, truly one of the most iconic toys of all time.

WHY AND HOW DID YOU GET INTO THE TOY INDUSTRY?

It was very natural to get into the toy and game industry when we founded the agency in 1994. Prior to starting Southard Communications I worked with Dorf & Stanton Communications and we did quite a bit of work in the industry. We worked with Hasbro – on brands such as Transformers and My Little Pony, Schaper Toys (we brought the Cooty to New York Toy Fair when it was housed in the old toy building) and several other toy and game brands. When I started the agency our first client was Sony Electronics and our second client was The Ohio Art Company and that got us our start in the toy and game business. Based on that relationship and our success we were able to quickly build our toy and game business to where it is today.

WHAT HAS KEPT YOU MOTIVATED TO STAY IN THE TOY AND GAME INDUSTRY?

Again, it is the people and the continued opportunity to work with incredible brands that have products that bring a smile to a child’s face. We are very invested in our clients’ success and clients in the toy and game industry welcome us as a true partner and it’s an extremely rewarding experience…. and we get to work on really cool brands and initiatives. It’s easy to stay motivated as we are very engaged in the success of our clients and their brands and we have been fortunate to forge incredible relationships with clients that will last long beyond our work together.

WHAT IS THE MOST REWARDING PART OF YOUR JOB?

There is so much really but I would say the opportunity to work with great employees and provide mentorship. It’s such a pleasure seeing so many of our former staff succeed after leaving the firm. In addition, it is the success we have been able to accomplish on behalf of companies, contributing to their growth and being part of the journey for each and every client (and continuing to do so) is incredibly rewarding.

WHAT ARE YOU STILL TRYING TO ACCOMPLISH?

Really the same thing we have been doing for the past 30 years. This includes creating an environment that is fun, engaging and interesting to work at for our employees – continuing to create great experiences for them and rewarding them accordingly. It is truly the employees that I have had the pleasure of working with over these three decades that have allowed us to succeed and grow in an increasingly competitive industry. In addition, we want to continue to support our current clients in their growth and success and welcome new clients that have cool products and can benefit from our experience, expertise, and approach. There is increasingly room for continued growth and for having fun doing what we do day in and day out.

WHAT ADVICE CAN YOU GIVE TO INVENTORS WHO ARE PRESENTING NEW TOY OR GAME IDEAS?

We are very involved in all areas of toy and game development, beyond marketing and communications as our clients look for a strategic partner to help them build their business. Over the years, my role has expanded beyond just the marketing and communications side of the business, but really as a strategic business partner (helping on sales, product development, market research, sales, et al). So, I see quite a number of new ideas and concepts. My topline advice would be to have realistic expectations – it’s never as easy as most entrepreneurs think. Secondly, make sure you are funded enough to not only develop and manufacture products, but spend aggressively on marketing. You could have the greatest product in the world but if nobody knows about it, you won’t be successful. And lastly, hire great employees and bring in partners that will not only provide the expertise required, but are as invested in your success as you are.

WHERE WERE YOU BORN?

So, I was born in Passaic, New Jersey and grew up in a town called Lyndhurst, which is only about 10 miles outside of New York City and even closer to the Meadowlands and MetLife Stadium (Giants and Jets play there). I spent most of my youth and early years living in New Jersey and moved to New York City about 12 years ago. I lived for a few years in Tribecca and now live on the Upper West Side in Manhattan (and love every minute of living here).

TELL US ABOUT YOUR HOBBIES?

I am a big sports guy – Mets, NJ Devils, Knicks, New York Football Giants and spend much of my time watching sports and attending games. However, as my closest friends know I love thoroughbred horse racing and in fact at one point in my life I owned 29 thoroughbred racehorses. In fact, most weekends between Memorial Day and Labor Day, you will find me at Monmouth Park Racetrack in Oceanport, New Jersey.

I’M LUCKY THAT….

I have my health, an incredibly loyal and loving family, really great friends, and I get to do something every single day that I absolutely love. I am thankful for all of this as well as the fact that I have been able to run my own business and work in the toy and game industry for 30 years!