1-What basic principles does Wild Planet adhere to in their product development?

Wild Planet conducts Market Research for each of their products. They are addressing their
customer needs by their value proposition, which is a combination of quality, service, and
price. Wild Planet thinks of itself as selling positive play experience. Its products are more
than just toys; they are created to make kids think, take them outdoors, and explore the
world around them. Their products enhance kids imagination, prompt them to be active.
They design toys that kids find cool, and at the same time parents can afford and would
want to buy for their kids, so they are taking care of both sets of customers, parents and
kids. They do ethnographic research, watch kids in their play environment. They take
opinion of kids about what kind of toys they want and they also test their newest toy ideas
on the kids to get direct feedback from them. They are getting information from primary
data source, which is more time consuming and expensive, but it is definitely paying off for
their company, as they develop a relationship with the consumers.

2-Specifically how does wild planet involve the children in the marketing process?

Wild Planet is involving kids at every step of their marketing process. Their consumer is
“kids”. They are using marketplace and market space. They are taking care of needs, wants,
and demands of the kids. They are involving kids in their marketing process. They design
new toys and then get the kids to test out the newest toys. In fact, they interview and work
with more than 5000 children per year, executing ethnographic and exploratory research.
They reach families, kids and they get their feedback; also through a phenomenon called
“School Yard Buzz”. Kids want to be the first one to use the coolest toy. If one kid has
used the toy then other kids would like to own it as well.
They conduct ethnography and exploratory testing to see if the product (toy) will appeal
to kids in general, or to boys or girls, since they use toys differently.

3-How does Wild Planet generate promotional benefits from the children's experience?

Wild planet generate promotional benefits from children's experience by inviting them to
use their products in ethnographic research, where kids get to play with the toys, in their
natural playgroup environment, not like a focus group. The reach out the families and
have the kids use the toys at home, get their feedback, and give them an experience to use
their toys. Their toys are interactive, and help kids develop as well, and enhance their
imagination. They give a world of experience to the child and thus parents also want this
kind of toy for their kids.

Products of Wild Planet enhance kid’s imagination. Prompt them to be active, take them
outdoor, and give them experience of the world around them.
Wild planet works with more than 5000 new kids per year, but not through traditional
focus groups. They do ethnographic and exploratory research, essentially watching kids
in their natural play environment. Kids do not play in focus group facility. It takes more
time to get feedback from the kids. They also give kids money and trail them at the mall,
so they see how they spend their money.

4-How much sensitive to price are the loyal children to wild planet?

Several factors contribute to price sensitivity and demand of a product. These include,
- Availability of substitutes: When substitutes of wild planet toys are more
available, children would be able to choose between the different brands of toys
available.
- Closeness of substitutes: If the substitutes of wild planet products are very similar,
children are able to change easily as it makes no difference in using either toys.
- Degree of necessity: When a toy has a high degree of necessity to the children, a
change in the price would not have much difference in the quantity demanded.
- Proportion of income: If a large part of children’s income is used to buy toys, it
would have a more price elastic demand.
- Time period: Over time, the demand for a specific toy would tend to become
more price elastic.

Given the continuous R&D at the wild planet, and the enormous marketing effort the
wild planet put, they will never fail to amuse and charm their customers especially the
loyal ones. In addition, few or maybe rare competitive substitutes. Thus, price sensitivity
among loyal children will be more elastic.

5-Do you think that nowadays it is easy to satisfy the kids segment? Why?

Kids now as compared to 25 years ago are a lot more savvy and sophisticated, you can't
hold through what you thought as a kid now. They live in an internet world. They have
multiple choices. They are difficult to satisfy. They get bored quickly of non interesting
toys. It’ a challenge to know how to find the toy which can attract their attention and in
the same time keep them interested to it and tell their friends about it. The best way is to
make them involved in the process of creating the toy as wild planet do.
At the end of the day they are kids and they love to play with great toys and parent like
toys which create positive play experience.