How important is the product name when it comes to promoting something? You would certainly imagine that it has some effect, but it's difficult to quantify with any degree of accuracy. Perhaps the Zhu Zhu Pets have the answer?
If you visit the Amazon website and check out the bestseller list in the Toys and Games category you will find that Zhu Zhu pets, or their accessories, currently hold eight out of the top ten positions. Zhu Zhu pets are basically cute little motorized hamsters which incorporate artificial intelligence so that they can interact with children.
In addition to the hamsters themselves, there are a number of different environments and toys which children can set up in a variety of arrangements for their electronic pets. It's easy to see why kids in the target age group (4 to 10 years old) are going nuts for these toys. They are small, cute and furry. They make cute little noises. They interact with external stimuli and their hamster environments - tube, tracks and toys, can be disassembled, "redesigned" and then put back together in a variety of combinations.
There are plenty of plus points looking at these hamsters from the parents viewpoint as well. There's no requirement to feed and water robo hamsters, and no need to clean out their cage either. They don't need a sitter if you're going away for the weekend. The most onerous task is replacing a couple of AAA batteries every now and again.
So it's not a huge surprise that, despite only being launched in August, the Zhu Zhu Pets are a huge hit with both kids and their parents. If they keep selling at anything like the current level then they may even be this year's number one Christmas toy.
However, on the other side of the Atlantic, it's a slightly different story. In the UK, Zhu Zhu pets are still being marketed under their old name of Go Go Hamsters. Even although the prices are very much lower, they aren't enjoying anything like the same level of sales as are currently being seen in the USA.
The company who market Zhu Zhu Pets in the States - Cepia - have done an excellent job of rebranding these toys. Following a successful trial launch in Phoenix, the Zhu Zhu Pets have been selling like hot cakes since their nationwide launch. Demand is starting to outstrip supply however, and prices seem to be edging upwards. If stocks hold out, these cute little hamsters could well grab the Christmas number one slot this year. - 31376
If you visit the Amazon website and check out the bestseller list in the Toys and Games category you will find that Zhu Zhu pets, or their accessories, currently hold eight out of the top ten positions. Zhu Zhu pets are basically cute little motorized hamsters which incorporate artificial intelligence so that they can interact with children.
In addition to the hamsters themselves, there are a number of different environments and toys which children can set up in a variety of arrangements for their electronic pets. It's easy to see why kids in the target age group (4 to 10 years old) are going nuts for these toys. They are small, cute and furry. They make cute little noises. They interact with external stimuli and their hamster environments - tube, tracks and toys, can be disassembled, "redesigned" and then put back together in a variety of combinations.
There are plenty of plus points looking at these hamsters from the parents viewpoint as well. There's no requirement to feed and water robo hamsters, and no need to clean out their cage either. They don't need a sitter if you're going away for the weekend. The most onerous task is replacing a couple of AAA batteries every now and again.
So it's not a huge surprise that, despite only being launched in August, the Zhu Zhu Pets are a huge hit with both kids and their parents. If they keep selling at anything like the current level then they may even be this year's number one Christmas toy.
However, on the other side of the Atlantic, it's a slightly different story. In the UK, Zhu Zhu pets are still being marketed under their old name of Go Go Hamsters. Even although the prices are very much lower, they aren't enjoying anything like the same level of sales as are currently being seen in the USA.
The company who market Zhu Zhu Pets in the States - Cepia - have done an excellent job of rebranding these toys. Following a successful trial launch in Phoenix, the Zhu Zhu Pets have been selling like hot cakes since their nationwide launch. Demand is starting to outstrip supply however, and prices seem to be edging upwards. If stocks hold out, these cute little hamsters could well grab the Christmas number one slot this year. - 31376
