| Throwback + Digital + Theme = Product Success |
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By: Cindy Wendland |
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 During the last house move, we reduced clutter. As part of this process, we donated some favorite shoes that we thought very out of date. To our dismay, they came back in style the next season. Similarly, you may feel some remorse if you got rid of your vinyl records, only to learn that our teenage children want to listen to them and will pay good money to buy someone else’s old records. Styles come and go, but when they come back, they are typically enhanced or modified in some way. This is what Disney’s Playmation Marvel’s Avenger game aims to do — take the throwback art of good ole play and enhance it with today’s digital technology.
“Disney’s Playmation is a system of connected toys and wearables that combines smart technology and Disney storytelling, inspiring kids to run around and use their imagination while also using the latest technology.” It is the best of both worlds. Kids are out there running around playing (which makes Mom and Dad happy) and the story changes up to twenty-five times based on digital feedback (which keeps our wired children interested).
The game story lines are part of the attraction of the game and underscore Disney’s brilliance at theming their products. The first in the Playmation series is Marvel Avengers. It will soon be followed up with be a Star Wars version and then a Frozen version. These options should satisfy the interests of most children.
Disney is a master at marketing and spent many months building excitement and demand for the Playmation product before it started shipping earlier this month. The product earned a spot on the list of this Christmas’ most-wanted toys. The pent-up demand and a spot on the most-wanted toy list should help it move off of store shelves quickly.
If you follow Disney’s successful formula of combining a throwback element with current-day adaptations wrapped up in a fun, relevant theme that is marketed heavily, you too will have a winner.
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Cindy Wendland has a background in marketing and finance. She is the creative director for an online men's health magazine, BrainBrawnBody.com, and she gets to write their leisure/travel blog. She is also a web designer helping her clients with online community engagement, websitesbywendland.com. Prior to her web years, she worked in pharmacy consulting.
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