Webwatch Article
April 5, 2004
http://www.brandchannel.com/features_webwatch.asp?ww_id=169

Fisher-Price — Hyperactive

Did your childhood include hours of playing house with little plastic people? Perhaps you snapped your first picture with a bright red toy pocket camera? If so, it’s more than likely that Fisher-Price played a part in your childhood development, since the toy manufacturer has been delighting kids through fun and education since 1930.  

Owned by Mattel, Fisher-Price claims 100 percent brand awareness among adults with children in the US and a 98 percent awareness level in Westernized markets such as Europe, Mexico, Canada, and Australia. We played around at Fisher-Price.com to see if the brand’s promise of variety and dedication to education extends to its web presence.

Fisher-Price built its business on the position that the brand contributes to mental enrichment through play — a position that pleases children and earns the trust of parents. The website reflects this sensibility by providing content that appeals to both parties. “Our mission is to help parents get their families off to the best start in life,” says Michelle Zimmer of Fisher-Price.com. “Because we want everything we do to reflect that mission, our website is a mix between product information and parenting content as it relates to baby's development.”

The challenge for this brand is to create a portal that presents the expanse of content in a format that is easy to navigate and appeals to both adults and kids while maintaining an even brand voice. It can be tricky business communicating with such a vast target, but unlike leading competitor Playskool.com, Fisher-Price.com manages the task of reeling in the parents with a wealth of information and engaging the kids with interactive games.

What is commendable about this site is that visitors aren’t required to give themselves up to attain helpful parenting advice. Free features, like the Parenting Solutions page reinforce Fisher-Price as a trusted friend by acting as a resource center that allows anonymous entry and participation. Communal areas, such as Tried and True, offer an area where parents can exchange information about everything from feeding schedules to sleep patterns, allowing the user to create a bond with the brand as it bonds with other parents.

Users who opt to provide demographic information can join the Fisher-Price Family and receive “Play Times” or “Pregnancy Playtimes” newsletters (talk about reeling in buyers early).

Brand loyalty is encouraged through product recommendations occasionally woven into the educational content. The Play and Learn page teaches adults age-appropriate games to play with children while subtly making recommendations. More blatantly, the Best Ever Birthday Party page encourages the purchase of Fisher-Price character products to throw a fun bash.

The site is far more comprehensive than competitor Playskool.com, which halts at comprehensive product information and suggested retail pricing. Fisher-Price.com has all that and a lot more — even incorporating an e-commerce area, although access remains regulated to a small button on the front page. Perhaps a more prominent display and easier access would provide a way to increase direct sales and quantify their multitude of product recommendations.

Overall, Fisher-Price.com stays true to the brand’s mission of a “long-standing tradition of innovation, quality, durability, safety and good value, offering products and services consumers can trust to improve their family's lives.” By positioning the site as a resource of information about both the products and the parenting experience, visitors are encouraged to linger, browse and above all, stay loyal to Fisher-Price..

Vivian Manning-Schaffel is a freelance writer who lives and works in Brooklyn, NY.

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