kiddie brands
Posted by Abe Sauer on October 26, 2009 03:37 PM
Disney has found itself in a bit of a bind as it attempts to handle a major blow to its Baby Einstein brand. But in trying to shore up the baby education video line, is it sending a confused message?
Established in 1997, the Baby Genius brand became the most successful of the booming baby education industry, exemplified by products such as multilingual talking dolls, videos, flash-cards and books -- all with names based on words like "Mozart," "Galileo," and "Shakespeare." It's estimated that as many as one third of all American families own a Baby Einstein video, and that the brand controls the majority of the market.
Meanwhile, the American Academy of Pediatrics has recommended children under the age of 2 watch no TV whatsoever. Can you start to see the conflict?
After threats of lawsuits from the Campaign for a Commercial-Free Childhood, Disney is offering refunds for all of its Baby Einstein videos, while charging that its nemesis's methods are "carefully crafted to prey on parental guilt and uncertainty."
Carefully crafted to prey on underlying parental uncertainties? Gee, that sounds just like the sales pitch of a certain baby education brand, doesn't it? (Disney denies it ever claimed Baby Einstein is educational -- which raises the question of what else "Einstein" is supposed to signify.)
It is possible the brand will see a permanent dent in its video sales and a small dent in its reputation. But its overall popularity (and ubiquity) will probably keep Baby Einstein on the top of the heap, as a lot of the child industry depends of parental word-of-mouth recommendation. And what parent wants to admit they didn't pick the best for their child?
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