填空题
What Is Old Is New Again
Some of the latest toys to hit store shelves include several names that were popular in the 1980s. Among them: He-Man, My Little Pony, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, and Transformers. Their appearance is surprising in an industry where all but classic toys like Barbie dolls tend to stay in the market for only a few years before they leave kid culture for good.
The return of toys introduced a generation ago, say experts, is largely a generational effect. These toys were among the first to be marketed primarily through TV cartoons. The result of this is that these toys carried with them a much stronger brand identity than toys from previous ages. When those who played with these toys during the 1980s began having children of their own, businessmen realized they could take advantage of parents" emotional ties by bringing the toys back.
"We are starting to see a lot of properties and products coming back now for the kids of Generation X," says Greg Livingston, vice president of Wondergroup, a children"s product marketing firm. But other industry observers say this return-of-toy trend is more rooted in basic economics. When the economy isn"t strong, they say, toy-makers become more careful.
One of the safest marketing techniques is bringing back toys that are proven successes. "If you"re in the business of making and selling toys, you"re going to go the safest route, which is using proven brands," says Stephanie Oppenheimer, co-founder of the Oppenheimer Toy Co., an independent consumer group that rates toys. Other companies use product ideas that have sold well in other countries, such as Japan. Still, Ms. Oppenheimer also believes that American consumers simply are not in the mood for new, high- tech toys anymore. "People are interested less in what we wish we had but more in what we already have," says Oppenheimer. "As a country, we are looking for things that remind us of simpler times."