Have your kids got into GoGo’s Crazy Bones? If not, they are small coloured plastic characters which you can use to play games, a bit like traditional ‘jacks’ or ‘knucklebones’. I want to write about them today as I think that the way they are marketed has learning points for every business owner.
First, let’s look at the product. No-one needs Gogo’s, yet they sell out in newsagents in our town. They are small pieces of coloured plastic … but something has made them saleable and desireable, to young kids at least. The manufacturers suggest various games you can play with them, all pretty much on the theme of knocking your opponent’s Gogo’s over to win them. Nothing too exciting there. What does seem to capture kids’ imaginations is the fact that you buy a packet of Gogo’s without being able to see which ones you are getting. Each series of Gogo’s is made up of around 80 or 90 characters, each with names and special powers. There are different colours and finishes for each character too. Kids keep going back to see if they can complete a set, and trade duplicates with their friends. And as each new school year seems to bring a new series of Gogos, there is plenty of scope to keep on buying and trading.
Secondly, let’s look at how Gogo’s are marketed. I’ve already mentioned the fact that you buy without being able to see what you are getting. In 2008 the latest craze was started by a giveaway of thousands of Gogo’s across the UK. There are accessories available to help encourage new purchasers and increase your spend. You can buy collector albums to contain stickers or cards, depending on the series. There are limited editions released in special tins. And now there is a magazine available. Kids can persuade their parents to part with their direct debit details and £3.99 a week in return for the magazine plus three or four free gifts – a pencil case, a bag etc. Perhaps the most compelling marketing of all is ‘peer pressure’ … kids buy them because other kids have them. Banning Gogo’s in schools just added to their desirability for alot of schools.
So, how does any of this apply to your business? I think there are a few questions that every business owner should consider based on the way Gogos and other kids collectibles are sold:
- What can you do to keep existing customers coming back? Gogo’s hook their buyers with clever incentives to buy and keep buying.
- Can you offer different collectible versions of your product or bring out special editions?
- What can you offer buyers to get them to add in extras to their basket when they shop, like to Gogo’s albums and special edition tins?
- Could you develop something to get buyers to subscribe and order something from you on a regular basis?
- What can you do to develop word of mouth recommendations about your product or service and make it a ‘must have’?
- And is there anything you could do to create a media buzz about your product, as there was when Gogo’s were banned?
Next time you pass a playground and see kids with hands full of small plastic characters, think how you can apply one or two of their successful marketing principals to your business.
That strangely made a lot of sense. I know all about these, and stickers, and footballs cards…….oh and the other magazines with collectable parts which means that you have to buy them each week. A pain in the bum for mums, but quite a good way of thinking.