Dear Executive:
Passionate customers help leading companies grow and innovate in new directions.
Our company, Orange Passion, will share a series of case studies about how passionate customers can collaborate to create great ideas. We will use examples of companies who are taking action with a focus on passionate customer innovation.
Your passionate customers, once you connect with them, can help with the following:
· Provide ideas for improvements to product, service, and marketing
· Create out-of-the-box innovations which may transform your business
· Increase positive PR and buzz by leveraging customer-created content
As noted in recent articles and books, more companies are investing in experiments involving passionate customer innovation. Orange Passion can help you with fast and easy experiments to test the waters for your own company.
We would like to introduce ourselves as innovators in identifying passionate customers and harnessing their ideas in a big way. The case studies we present are from various industries. They exemplify the idea of Orange Passion.
Different passionate people are writing each case study using their own approach, so each case study you receive will be quite different.
Case Study #1: Build-A-Bear Workshop®. Build-A-Bear® is based on children creating their own ‘content’ when they design and create their own teddy bear. In retail workshops, children select the bear and the stuffing, heart, sounds, and clothing to make their own personalized bear. The participation leads to passionate customers. The company has an active program to get ideas from select groups of the children who are passionate about the product.
If these ideas interest you, we are here to discuss how Orange Passion could be explored within your company and product lines. Our Pilot Project is a small project of $9,500 with an unconditional guarantee. It takes only 1-2 days of your staff time and less than one month of calendar time from start to finish. Contact me at 240-396-1376 to schedule a phone call to discuss your ideas and interests in passionate customers and Orange Passion.
Overview:
Build-A-Bear
Workshop was founded in 1997 and operates more than 200 stores in the United States and Canada. The company has come up
with a very innovative concept of making the plush animals and personalizing
your own stuffed animal which makes the bear even more special to all the
people from all age groups. The company works on building a group of passionate
customers. Build-A-Bear knows that
passionate customers become a volunteer sales force.
The Innovative Concept:
The process starts by choosing a shell—an animal without its stuffing, whether it is a bear, dog,
cat, monkey, or pony. Next, you have the option of selecting a sound byte to bring your new friend to
life. Next stop is the stuffing
station, where poly fiberfill blows around in a cart that resembles a giant
cotton candy machine. Stuffing isn’t complete until one makes a wish upon a heart that is placed inside the cuddly
new friend. Also inserted inside every stuffed animal is a barcode. If your
customized teddy is ever lost, the registered
number inside can help Build-A-Bear return it to its owner. Then, one
is ready to choose from a variety of outfits,
shoes, and accessories, from belts to sunglasses to jewelry.
Marketing Strategy- Bonding with Customers:
To get input on what kids liked and wanted, Maxine Clark,
the founder of the company, organized a unique board of advisors—the Cub
Advisory Board—made up of 5-12 year-olds. Maxine believes it is
important to listen to the opinions of young people because those are her main
customers. In early 2005 the company
developed a 53–foot trailer that opened into a complete 800 square foot
Build-A-Bear Workshop store. The innovative idea had been successful in
attracting people of all ages all across the country.
Bonding with Community:
The company has the philosophy of giving back to community. This connects with other passionate interests of the children customers – protecting the environment and helping animals. Some of the support programs are:
Nikki’s Bear - Helps children’s health and wellness issues by providing support, treatment and research.
World Wildlife Fund Collectibear friends - Offers a series of co-branded plush animals with a portion of sales supporting efforts to protect endangered animals.
Bearemy’s Kennel Pals - Supports domestic pet programs.
Conclusion:
Build-A-Bear Workshop helps passionate children customers explore their ideas and create their own teddy-bear products. The company leverages the children’s selection of content, creativity, and passion.