|
| Webkinz Knows What Kids Want How Ganz Is Turning KinzCash to Cold Cash
Kids Are Talking “The demand is huge,” said Ganz communications manager Susan McVeigh, only half-joking that she’s speaking with a “note of panic in her voice” to keep the explosively popular play thing on store shelves.  Each of 35 different Webkinz pets — including a panda, a pink poodle, cats, a pig, a monkey and a frog — can be registered online with a “secret” code. Thus, Ganz can track sales among its 30,000 retail customers in the United States and Canada. “We have almost 500,000 owners, so most children own more than one,” McVeigh said. “We don’t do any advertising on the product at all, so this has definitely been a grassroots, kid-to-kid sell for us.”Giving Kids What They Want ... Online and Off After owners register their Webkinz, they click-to-enter a highly interactive cyberspace world where they name the new pet, take it to the vet, design its room and chat with other kids. By playing games and answering trivia quizzes, owners earn KinzCash to buy furniture to decorate their pet’s digs and new outfits to dress it up. The site teaches children to be responsible pet owners and how to save and budget, McVeigh said.  Founded in 1950, Toronto-based Ganz started out in the plush-toy business, expanding its line to include gift items, fashion accessories and home décor. The Webkinz concept came from Howard Ganz, grandson of founder Samuel Ganz, upon analysis of all things kids love. That included parenting and nurturing, virtual worlds that mimic the real world, memory games, dress up, collecting and interactivity versus passive TV watching. “It all came from an examination of who kids are and what they like to do and how we can give them all of it in one experience,” McVeigh said. There are other toys with virtual components on the market, but “our concept was to simultaneously offer a plush toy with a Web site, not to introduce a plush, then roll out a Web site.” Expanding Coast to Coast Sold mostly to independent gift and toy stores, Webkinz initially did best on the East Coast. McVeigh doesn’t know why, but said that the rest of the country is catching up. One anonymous retailer told TDmonthly Magazine that the toy sells well in the suburbs but not in cities. There is no way for Ganz to track that online, McVeigh said, because kids aren’t asked for an address when they register, for security purposes.  Website feedback does reveal what kids like most about Webkinz, however, and that tends to be the games, quizzes and other activities (updated and changed often) that generate KinzCash, with which they can even make their own virtual movies. Poetry and story-writing contests are big, too. “We get an overwhelming response for that,” McVeigh said. Ganz also gets e-mail from users unafraid to express their likes and dislikes, McVeigh said. “It’s amazing, the ownership and pride they take in the site and how much feel they are part of a community and a relationship. It’s not just a toy to them.” (EDITOR'S NOTE: For an update on Webkinz and to find out what 10Vox's Kookeys have in store for them, read Webkinz Attacked by T Rex in the October 2007 TDmonthly. To read about this year's Webkinz shortage, please see Webkinz: Boom, Bust or Both in the May 2007 TDmonthly.) Writer's Bio: Zan Dubin Scott is president of ZDS Communications, a public relations, marketing and writing agency specializing in sustainable business, healthcare, arts and entertainment. Zan was a staff writer at The Los Angeles Times for 10 years and continues to report and write for the newspaper and other publications. Read more articles by this author
by nicole on November 30, 2007 i have been playing webkinz for years and it rocks i have 20 webkinz i enjoy playing webkinz by hannah on December 21, 2007 Webkinz is SOOOOOOOOOO much fun!!! by kk on April 9, 2008 i luv webkinz they r 2 cute. by Ephewfliell on July 27, 2008 this topic for tests cars by cialis super active on November 29, 2008 Yes I agree with you! by tony on December 19, 2008 it's fun by Dyecdowherdory on December 26, 2008 huhuofjygaoefjaawell , hi admin adn people nice forum indeed. how's life? hope it's introduce branch ;) by tona on December 31, 2008 whatever by lavidjio on January 21, 2009 lavidjio by MIKE on February 20, 2009 YOU KNOW I NEVER LOOKED AT IT THAT WAY by ELISH PRINCESS on February 20, 2009 YOUR RIGHT WEBKINZ DO KNOW THAT GIRLS WANT WEBKINZ LIKE A POODLE AND THEY KNOW THAT LITTLE BOY WANT DRAGONS . by pete on February 20, 2009 your wrong by sara on February 23, 2009 you know your wrong webkinz just geusses by quintoutH on October 29, 2009 Hey guys. First time contributor in this great forum, so I figured I would start off with a big one. I've read a lot of e-books and articles in my endless search on how to actually make money on the internet, but none spelled it out quite as RsIncome - Have any of you guys tried it? It was a one time fee for me of $12 and I think in the 2 months i've been doing it I've profited over $9,000 which is flippin awesome! I suggest you guys check it out ify ou want to make SERIOUS cash online, but if not, just think of this as a hearty introduction from myself. Cheers! Josh PS For all of you who actually do want to look into it i'll provide the *** without my referral id so you KNOW i'm telling the truth. here you go www.rsincome by abby on January 24, 2010 wow. i did not feel like reading that thing up there. But i like webkinz there are a lot of things to do and its a safe environment. by eixaldaSnowxie on February 5, 2010 well hey there guys, i've been looking all over the internet for a GOOD black hat SEO forum.. I was looking for some suggestions from you guys to point me in the right direction. Thanks a bunch, this place is great btw. by SimoneDerti on March 7, 2010 планирую сделать смс рассылку, посоветует кто адекватный сервис нужно ли заключать договор с операторами ? говорят это не совсем законно, если нет согласия получателя. нужно договора ? by HarBrabyriC on August 9, 2010 Кто что может посоветовать что - то интерестное, из всего что здесь есть. . If you encounter any problems with this new feature, please
email
us questions or comments.
Powered by Web Wiz CAPTCHA v 2.01 Copyright ©2005-2006 www.webwizcaptcha.com |
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Disclaimer Privacy Policy Career Opportunities Feedback
Use of this site constitutes acceptance of our Terms of Use.
© Copyright 2010 PlayZak®, a division of ToyDirectory.com®, Inc.