Educational Toys Guide
Zhu Zhu Hamsters - Ready For High Christmas Sales
In Educational Games of Advisor (October 28, 2009 12:38 pm)
Just exactly how important is the product name in an advertising and marketing campaign? It’s not always easy to tell, but based on one particular product it seems to be a large influence on sales.
If you go to the Amazon “Toys and Games” category and look at the bestseller list, you’ll see that 8 of the top 10 positions are filled by Zhu Zhu Pets. These are basically motorized, robotic hamsters which use artificial intelligence combined with sensors to interact with each other, with the kids who are playing with them and with their external stimuli.
In addition to the hamsters themselves, there is a range of different environments and toys which kids can set up in a variety of arrangements for their robot pets. It’s simple to see why children in the target age bracket - 4 to 10 years old- are going ape for these toys. They are adorable, small and furry. They make adorable little noises. They interact with external stimuli and their hamster environments – tube, tracks and toys, can be pulled apart, “redesigned” and then reconfigured in a variety of combinations.
From the perspective of the doting parents there are plenty of plus points as well. They don’t require to be fed and watered, they don’t poop – so there’s no cage cleaning involved – and they don’t shuffle off to hamster heaven, leaving the parents to explain that Hammy has gone to a superior place.
So it’s unsurprising that, although they launched only at the back end of August, the Zhu Zhu Pets are a such huge success with both parents and kids. They could even be this year’s top selling Christmas toy if sales keep going the way they are.
On the other hand, if you visit the UK version of Amazon and check out the bestseller list in the Toys and Games category, you won’t see the Zhu Zhu hamsters anywhere in the top hundred. Regardless, despite the fact that they’re considerably cheaper to buy in the UK, the Zhu Zhu/Go Go pets don’t register on the radar.
Cepia, the company who market the Zhu Zhu Pets in the USA, have done a great job of rebranding and promoting these toys. After a trial launch in Phoenix, these toys have been selling like hot cakes since their nationwide release in August. Prices are beginning to creep up as demand seems to be outstripping supply. In fact, as long as stocks hold out, it really is hard to envision what toy might beat these for the prized Xmas number 1 slot.
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Me and my kids love those zhu zhu pets, especially Pipsquek the yellow one. We play zhu zhu pets in the weekends, and Pipsqeak is the champion.
Comment by Zhu Zhu Hamster Fan Kinga — October 28, 2009 @ 7:03 pm