These days everyone and every company is trying to make a buck, so the market for almost anything that makes money is highly competitive. The children’s toy market, and especially the doll market, is no exception. There is one innovative new company that has not been afraid to tackle the highly competitive toy market. In fact they have been rather successful at it. I’m talking about SpinMaster. This is the company that has brought us Bakugan, TechDecks, and the Liv Fashion Dolls.
Today we are going to focus on some smart moves they made, when marketing the new liv dolls. First thing they did, was take a business model that already worked. Girls enjoy dressing up and playing with fashion dolls. Plan A, take a proven business model and make it a little better. The liv dolls are like normal fashion dolls with outfits and accessories. But they took it up a notch by trying to make them more life like.
Some things that make the liv girls more realistic are their pose able limbs. Their arms and legs can move and bend in a realistic way. Their eyes are made of glass, which gives them a little edge on the normal plastic or painted doll eyes. An innovation that is unique to these toys is the use of the interchangeable wigs. Girls can have as many hairstyles and colors as they want without messing up their new toy. They can even cut the hair, because if it doesn’t turn out right, the doll won’t be ruined.
Another smart innovation is the use of Liv World, which is an online virtual world, where doll owners can visit by entering a secret code that comes with each liv toy. This virtual world, has games and music and videos, which give background info on each individual character and also points out their likes and interests and even their flaws. Which is a selling point when making the dolls more life like.
Next they started introducing accessories in waves. The first wave just introduced the new dolls. The second wave included a puppy with each doll. Girls love puppies and by adding the liv puppies, a whole new dimension is added to the world of liv. But the minds at SpinMaster aren’t stopping there. They also have big plans for this fall, with a collection just in time for the Christmas shopping season. The fall collection will include an brand new doll named Hayden who comes with a pet bunny. It will also include some much wanted accessories, such as a horse, a drum set, a bmx bike, a mall kiosk, a karaoke machine, and more.
By making sure that the original product is something that already sells, and then improving on it, a new doll line was able to infiltrate the already saturated market. By slowly adding accessories and new components in waves, kids and parents aren’t overwhelmed with all of the choices. Yet, a study stream of new purchases will trickle in. Liv dolls are a smart toy introduced by a smart company.
By: Elle Marshall
Those seeking corporate entertainment can now search a new venue by way of BMX bicycle stunt shows. Not a common portal for the corporate entertainment field, this newer facet is quite versatile allowing for the best shows to be performed during fairs, public events, private parties, fundraisers, conventions, and many other corporate functions. What sets BMX entertainment events apart from any other type of show is that there is an element of dare devilry, as these stunts can be quite amazing, and there is a new action put into the corporate world that is hard to pass up.
As potential prospects and clients see that you have a knack for flair and providing the best show, they will be very interested in getting you on their side. What is better than someone that can leave a life-long impression with a crowd of hundreds, maybe even thousands? If you can book the best show, give a special interest to BMX stunt show ideas that could create the best show of the century.
You will now have competition in getting the best as some of the largest corporations are seeking an event of the same stature, however, with the right team behind you, you can really shine. With these special BMX stunt shows, you will receive various features such as:
? Various ramp stunts
? Extreme sound system with up to 1,000 watts and two speakers
? Complete stunt show set-up and take-down
You also receive several other features with the show including t-shirts and posters that you can opt to sell during the stunt show, as well as a generator that runs quietly for energy needs you may have and wish to handle without issue.
These BMX stunt shows are comprised of a team of professionals that are highly experienced and know several tricks and stunts that are sure to knock the crowd out of the park. What more could you ask for when seeking corporate entertainment?
By: Jacqueline Itson
Dantalion Jones says in his book “Mind Control 101″ that we constantly try to influence other people for some reason (e.g. in education). The desire to change others’ minds and behaviors is one of the main functions of communication. Covert hypnosis or persuasion is the ability to subtly communicate with another person’s subconscious mind by bypassing the critical factor of the mind. As it often takes place in the course of a seemingly regular conversation, it is also known as conversational hypnosis. But how to use it to persuade another person to buy or try your product or service, or change his/her behavior?
An amusing example of using covert hypnosis was presented on TV by Derren Brown where he influenced his friend to buy a BMX bike. The bike was never mentioned in the conversation, however it was hidden in the messages, such as “Let me tell you how I buy(K) gifts….by (BIKE) creating the strong feeling of desire…. they BeaM eXcitement for it.” Another amusing example may be presented in education where Derren demonstrates the ineffectiveness of telling children something that they must not do (such as “Don’t push that red button!”) without giving further instructions and disregarding the fact that our subconscious mind doesn’t make difference between a negation and a positive statement.
Kevin Hogan answers this question explicitly in his book “Covert Persuasion: Psychological Tactics and Tricks to Win the Game”. Hogan claims that the central key in using covert persuasion is to find ways to elicit people’s individual processes. These processes may be in the form of beliefs, personal assumptions, tendencies and values, as well as of their strategy for making decisions. Hogan proposes eight strategies that could be helpful for utilizing covert persuasion. Firstly you should identify a targeted problem. This is something your prospect no longer wants to experience (e.g. high costs, poverty, debts). “Omega Strategy” is a persuasion strategy that doesn’t try to improve or enhance the value of a product, but is solely focused on reducing resistance. Hogan brings a “fear” as a good example on how to influence people effectively because fear is something we are all wired to fight or flee from. A good example here would be a sales campaign by T. Harv Eker. Eker is very well aware of neuro-linguistic programming and he is using it in his program when changing “your money blueprint”. Eker uses fear scaring people to death when claiming that “If your money blueprint is not set for a high level of success, you will never have a lot of money. And even if you somehow do, you will most likely lose it!”
Hogan claims that the key factor of persuasion is giving instructions or steps when directing or influencing behavior. Simply telling someone to do something “Don’t push that red button!” or “If your money blueprint is not set on a high level of success, you are doomed!” is destined to fail because it doesn’t include instructions. However, if people have heard those phrases thousands of times already (like “Smoking will kill you!”), they are vaccinated against it, and they will not pay attention this petition any more. Hogan claims that at first we must scare people to hell and then give them specific instructions to follow. Therefore, Harv Eker gives us instructions such as “The good news is that you can actually reset your money blueprint to create natural and automatic success”. You can attend Millionaire Mind Intensive Seminar and set your money blueprint on the high level of success.
Hogan advises that if you are going to use fear in a communication in order to encourage someone to buy your product or service, you must also include step-by-step instructions in you message in order to be successful. Thus, based on neuro-linguistic programming, Eker states that it is insanity doing the same things over and over and expecting different results. According to Ken Strong the NLP assumes that what appears to be “wrong” with someone is actually the perfect response to their current map of their world or your so-called “money blueprint”. By changing your map or blueprint (that is, how you think about the world and your place in it), you can change your behavior. Hogan brings an example from a research where 69 percent from those told to imagine their car being vandalized, said they would return to the car to check if the doors were locked. Where people experience anticipated regret they tend to take action to prevent the regret.
By: Ulrica Richmond
Almost everyone who has had the task of motivating and training organizations in the lean principles has experienced a set of barriers, especially when dealing with people who are reluctant to buy into the Lean principles and Lean thinking.
How often have we not heard; “Well it sounds all right in theory but it will never work in real life!”
To a certain degree these people have a point. I have had to listen to numerous consultants and teachers who are preaching Lean principles, but without the ability to link the great theories to the real world.
And when they are challenged, the response often is: “Well it does work, just look at Toyota!” Guess what? That is not going to convince a sceptical production manager with many years of experience in a traditional batch production.
In my experience it is extremely important to be able to let the trainees see and feel how the lean tools can actually be the answers to many common challenges.
It is also a common fact, that people have different ways of learning, some are able to learn just by reading a text, while others need visual input – and Power Point slides are not the answer!
To deal with this, we have had great success in using Lean games as great way of demonstrating that the Lean tools and principles actually work in real life.
Actually our evaluations from our fundamental Lean training sessions were improved from just above average to top scores every time when we integrated lean games!
How to use a Lean game in a training session
The way we use it, is to initially train the students in the fundamental tools, not into great detail, but just a brief introduction.
And then move on to a Lean game session, where we simulate a production based on traditional batch principles.
Then we introduce some of the lean tools into the setup, and now everyone experience how each tool is affecting lead time, work in progress, quality and profitability.
Between the different game cycles it is important to get some valuable discussions on what the effect was of the changes.
It creates great involvement and motivation from the students, and even the greatest concrete heads are normally growing into lean manufacturing preachers.
As a side effect it’s great fun and gives a lot of good laughs. This is also an important factor if the students in the session do not know each other. Or use it as a team building tool, in the team you learn, you create ideas together and you have fun together, a common experience that improve the team feeling.
Which games are available?
There are different lean games available in the market. They all have different qualities and it is important to select a game that gives you the positive effects without being difficult to facilitate.
There is a new shop on the net with Lean games which are the exact games that we are using in our successful training session.
In a later article I will touch on the subject on how to assess what Lean game suits your needs best.
But you should at least consider some of these criteria:
– What numbers of participants are required? – Is there a detailed and effective guide for the instructor? – Playing time – Which Lean tools are applied during the game? – Setup time for the game
Further possibilities
There are many other situations, besides training sessions, where you can use the Lean games as a great tool. A good example is in the work with continuous improvements.
It is also a good idea to try to relate the game situation to the kind of products that the students are familiar with.
In this article I have only spoken about Lean games as a tool for teaching Lean principles in a production environment, but new games are evolving also for teaching how to apply lean tools in administrative processes.
By: Jesper Ruben Hansen
Holding a company team-building event doesn’t have to be a drag on your budget. Look past the old tired ideas of ballgames and cheesy magicians, and use our stunt team to turn your ordinary fundraising meeting into a special event. BMX Extreme shows are available anywhere, any time, to bring your employees closer together or to provide a favorable impression for your client. Even on short notice they can fly over and perform at your next company picnic. Bicycle stunt riders are highly trained in a repertoire of rocking stunts and classic tricks to hook your employees attention to the end. Ask about the turn-key specials for your next corporate entertainment event, and make it one to remember!
Company employees agree that a thrilling show makes for a memorable event. For company events or trade shows, they are more comfortable with professionally run entertainment than an obviously cheap sideshow. The quality of the event can change their opinion on the efficacy of the company they work for, providing a stronger morale boost than other employee benefits and at an overall lower cost.
Studies show that these kinds of shows can promote team-building and company loyalty. And if you are shopping around for new corporate entertainment, you have probably seen it all before. BMX shows are also great for fairs, fundraisers and other corporate events-after all, they’ve performed at official Olympic events and compete in ESPN’s X-Games. The BMX Stunt Team is available anywhere and at any time for your next company event.
By: Jacqueline Itson
