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STRATEGY SUCCESS STORIES: Migrating from Specialty to Mass | Busting the Myth of Brand Saturation | The Launch of a Start-up | Maximizing Advertising Effectiveness | Evolving into a Marketing-Driven Company
LICENSING SUCCESS STORIES: Save a Disappearing Category | Balance Private Label with More Profitable New Business | Use Licensing to Enter New Category
Research Success Story:
Online Research
Provides Invaluable Insight!
Situation:
Master
Replicas, a major collectibles company needed comprehensive competitive data
to help them refine their year two product strategy.
Contribution:
Funosophy’s Collectibles Category Online Instore Insight
Results:
Another
satisfied research client!
Client Testimonial:
"The bottom line is Funosophy will help your company. That is not my opinion
– it is a fact. I could go into the different services they offer but I won’t.
It is a waste of my time to help a competitor. Everyone in Toys and Collectibles
should just be smart enough to call Funosophy and ask them about a Clarity
Session or Category Review.” - Kevin Eslinger, Creative
Director, Master Replicas.
Strategy Success Story:
Clarity Session Results in Complete Launch Plan
Situation:
Ohio Arts
was planning a major new initiative and they looked to Funosophy for validation
of their direction. We encouraged the team to participate in a one day Clarity
Session for the line prior to reviewing the initiative together.
Contribution:
Funosophy’s Clarity Session resulted in a multitude of important insights
regarding the positioning of this new initiative. This had significant
implications for product packaging and communications. In fact, the entire
launch plan was reinvented much more powerfully than the client had previously
envisioned – and it all happened in just one day!
Results:
Our
guidance and the Clarity Session process helped Ohio Art develop an
entirely new positioning, strategy, and product plan. Look for this exciting initiative in 2007!
Strategy Success Story:
Innovative
Design Leads to New Disney Collection
Situation:
Brass Key,
a company that specializes in translating upscale product trends into mass
market successes, has been a Funosophy client for four years. We helped expand
their business into the category of licensed porcelain dolls and into additional
categories using various Disney properties. Brass Key needed a show-stopping
product vision and they looked to Funosophy for assistance in developing
innovative product concepts.
Contribution:
Funosophy’s creative team tackled the challenge with gusto and created a series
of extremely innovative, new-to-the-world product designs. We opened Brass Key’s
thinking to an exciting new dimension of product possibilities. The licensed
product line we developed for them captured the unique essence of each property
in a compelling and integrated way. Once this innovative product line had been
defined, we also helped Brass Key present the line to Disney.
Results:
Funosophy’s breakthrough creative thinking and professional execution helped
Brass Key develop an innovative product line and secured a coveted consumer
products license. . They have since asked for Funosophy’s help in developing the
line through execution. Look for this exciting initiative in 2007!
Strategy Success Story:
Launching a new-to-the-world concept
Situation:
LeapFrog’s FLY™
product was such a radically new concept that the company knew
they would need the most expert minds in the kids’ space. LeapFrog looked to
Funosophy for help defining the value proposition of this innovative product,
supporting the $99 retail price point, developing a strong positioning, and
defining a comprehensive product plan and marketing plan.
Contribution:
Funosophy
conducted a Brand Positioning Clarity Session to harness the thinking of the
internal team. We then worked hand-in-hand with the multi-disciplinary LeapFrog
team to define final product positioning and validate it through consumer
research, including using our monthly consumer research tool, Concept Selector.
LeapFrog was so pleased with our contributions that they asked us to officially
join the team through the launch of the product and to help the company stay
relevant with tweens along the way. As such, we led the development of the
product plan, pricing profile and P&L, and complete marketing plan, including
advertising, a major tie-in promotion with Mead, packaging, a significant online
initiative, and more.
Results:
The
launch of LeapFrog’s FLY™ Pentop Computer was one of the company’s most
successful product launches ever and also one of the most talked about consumer
product introductions of the year.
Strategy Success Story: Busting the Myth of Brand Saturation
Situation:
A $100 million toy company was deriving roughly half of their volume from one brand, which they feared had topped out.
Contribution:
Funosophy conducted a Clarity Session to develop consensus around the strategic foundation for a larger brand vision. We developed a strategic product plan that identified new segmentation opportunities and new marketing initiatives that would grow the business. Funosophy conducted the Company's first ever tracking/usage& attitude study that proved that the brand had dramatic growth opportunities. Funosophy fashioned this evidence into a compelling sales presentation.
Results:
The 2003 Product line and marketing plan were redefined and the brand doubled its shelf space at key accounts.
Strategy Success Story: The Launch of a Start-up
Situation:
A well known Asian-American entrepreneur wanted to launch a doll line in the US. that furthered her mission of bridging the two cultures. She needed help in all areas to execute her vision.
Contribution:
Funosophy conducted a Brand Clarity Session to clarify the line's strategic positioning. Within two months, Funosophy led the product strategy and design of the entire 12 sku product line, led packaging development, and played a key role in the sales presentations that secured distribution in Toys R Us and QVC.
Results:
The doll line had a successful QVC debut seven months after our initial meeting, earned an endcap at TRU's Time Square flagship store. It is in its second year in Toys R Us.
Strategy Success Story: Maximizing Advertising Effectiveness
Situation:
A start up venture was launching a new advertised doll line to go up against an entrenched category leader. They had no experience with TV advertising and wanted expert help with that aspect of the launch.
Contribution:
Funosophy conducted a Brand Clarity Session to develop consensus around the line's strategic positioning among key members from the company, the advertising agency and Funosophy. Funosophy worked with agency creative resources to oversee the development, production, and consumer research for the launched campaign.
Results:
Research identified the campaign was effective at generating purchase interest among girls and the test market was launched.
Strategy Success Story: Evolving into a Marketing-Driven Company
Situation:
A $600 million interactive gaming company wanted to evolve into a more consumer-marketing oriented business. The CEO hired Funosophy to drive this transition in a variety of ways.
Contribution:
Funosophy worked with all divisions over three years to contribute to the company's evolution. We conducted Clarity Sessions for 10 brands, completed several major research studies, oversaw two agency review processes, facilitated the company's first simultaneous global blockbuster launch, developed a new business planning cycle, developed product plans, drove packaging re-designs, and more.
Results:
Global launch was the largest launch in the company's history. Company's largest educational brand has grown market share for past three years. Company is projecting double digit growth.
Licensing Success Story: Save a Disappearing Category
Situation:
An $18 million company focusing on porcelain dolls at mass, saw the entire category evaporating. Their sales volume would be cut in half as a result.
Contribution:
Funosophy recommended they pursue the Disney Princess porcelain doll license for mass. We developed the pitch, won the license, created the product plan, facilitated approvals of all aspects of the program through Disney, and developed the sale presentation.
Results:
The segment generated incremental sales of $10 million the following year across all key accounts. The company cracked Walmart for the first time ever with the program.
Licensing Success Story: Balance Private Label with More Profitable New Business
Situation:
A $300 million private label sporting goods/mobile furniture company was in search of new profitable volume opportunities.
Contribution:
Funosophy conducted an in-depth analysis of related categories that leveraged the company's manufacturing core competencies. Funosophy recommended licensing as the strategy for growing existing business and entering new ones. Funosophy procured top licenses from 39 major colleges and universities, Disney, Mattel, etc.
Results:
The company generated incremental sales that year and is continuing to build on its successful licensing programs, expected to generate over $30 million in incremental volume over the next two years.
Licensing Success Story: Use Licensing to Enter New Category
Situation:
An $8 million toy company wanted to enter a new category by obtaining the Disney license, which was up for review.
Contribution:
Funosophy identified and seized upon the company's strengths and recommended the overall approach for the pitch. We created a strong vision for how the new licensed brand would be positioned to the trade and the consumer, guided preliminary product and packaging concept development, and developed a compelling presentation. We led the pitch and communicated the vision with credibility and passion.
Results:
This small company beat out numerous larger competitors to win the license.
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