Media savvy

Adam Weintraub, the very earnest 24-year-old owner of Toyscape, a Chicago toy store, is doing something special. It's not only the events he's started, bringing the young, eclectic Lakeview East community together for an Easter parade or a Krazy Hat Show, although that's certainly part of it. Rather, it is the way he's letting people know about those events—and his quirky specialty store, too—with smart press releases that are drawing media attention.

Weintraub has been running the 8-year-old store for little over a year now, since the original owners, play therapist Bob Marsh and his partner Sandra Yolles, moved on to other climes. "They wanted to have a store that sold toys that would spark imagination and development, a place people could play," Weintraub says. It's a formula he's stuck to.

To announce the store's Kids Krazy Hat Fashion Show, Weintraub sent out press releases for the first time. "We sent them to many of the neighborhood media sources and trade magazines. We wanted to attract attention to the things we're doing, rather than just talking about the store, which isn't that newsworthy in itself. If we get enough attention, we'll draw more people into the neighborhood."

He's had a good response, too. Shortly after receiving the press release, Chicago magazine featured Toyscape as one of its top 600 shops in a special issue, mentioned the Krazy Hat show in its September issue and Chicago Parent has asked Weintraub to write for its 'Holiday Buying Guide.'

Weintraub's events have also received a lot of support from the neighborhood. His first event, the Bunnies on Broadway parade, had about 60 kids wandering down the street in face paint and bunny outfits, while the Kids Krazy Hat Fashion Show in August drew in some 100 people, with prizes for every kid sponsored by other nearby stores.

In preparation for the parades, Toyscape dedicated a couple of sessions of its weekly activity days to making bunny ears and wild headgear. The play days, like the events themselves are completely free.

Weintraub explains, "It brings recognition to the store and of course, we hope it will bring in more business, but it's more a dream of making Toyscape well known for all the things we do to help the community. As long as it doesn't cost us too much, we'll continue to keep it free."