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When it comes to marketing a product, what is the importance of the name? That’s a hard question to answer, but based upon the sales results for Zhu Zhu pets, there does seem to be some impact on the product’s success. If you go to the Amazon “Toys and Games” category and look at the bestseller list, you will find that eight of the top ten positions are occupied by Zhu Zhu Pets. These are basically motorized, robotic hamsters which use artificial intelligence combined with sensors to interact with each other, with the children who are playing with them and with their environment. Over and above the actual hamsters themselves, there are a number of different hamster toys and habitats which can be arranged in various different designs by the kids. The target age group is between 4 and 10 years old, and it’s not too hard to see why these kids are going nuts ofr the Zhu Zhu pets. The hamsters are small, cute and furry - and they make cute noises whenever they are stroked and petted. The freedom to redesign the hamster environments is also good fun as it uses the kid’s imagination. From the parent’s point of view there are plenty of attractive aspects also. There’s no need to keep mechanical pets fed and watered, they don’t poop - so there’s no need to clean out the cage (and no smell) - and they don’t pop their little hamster clogs leaving the parents to explain that Hammy has gone to Hamster heaven. So, despite only being launched in August, it’s no great surprise that the Zhu Zhu Pets are already an enormous hit with both parents and children. If sales hold up at their current level they might even be the best selling Christmas toy of 2009. 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. Harold Peterson - Find out all about the Zhu Zhu Pets |
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