Build-A-Bear improvements

IF YOU AGREE WITH THIS ARTICLE, PLEASE CONTACT BUILD-A-BEAR(the red text is a link to Build-A-Bear's e-mail). A short e-mail may be enough to change Build-A-Bear's thinking.

We all know by now about Build-A-Bear's most recent idea: Build-A-Bearville. Yes, it seems that Build-A-Bear is depending on Build-A-Bearville to leverage its sales. But is it really such a good idea? Today, I'm going to look into some ways Build-A-Bear could more effectively use Build-A-Bearville without creating resentment among loyal customers.

Let me explain where I'm coming from. In our household we have six Build-A-Bears from varying Build-A-Bear eras. We've made over 70 purchases - in our household alone there are probably 40-50 outfits. We've bought over $1,000 in Build-A-Bear stuff, even though we live a good 45 minutes to an hour away from the closest Build-A-Bear Workshop. Two of our Build-A-Bears will be married this summer, and we had planned a high budget for wedding supplies. And yet, we are excluded from the Bear Boutique and denied Build-A-Bearville privaleges. Why is that?

That is the question many Build-A-Bear fans are asking while being shut out of Bear Boutiques and sunny beaches. Why us? Why must we, the loyal customers, be excluded from the "fun stuff" of Build-A-Bearville, while others enjoy the luxury of exclusive online furniture and accessories? Why would Build-A-Bear reject its most loyal customer base?

Maybe because someone has to be excluded, or so Build-A-Bear thinks. The basis of Build-A-Bearville is "Buy more and you get more! Pamper yourself - having is better than wanting! You deserve more stuff, after all" and "Other people have it - you're entitled to it! Look at how much fun they're having. Don't you want to be better than them?" That theme doesn't work without exclusion. Instead of fostering a love for teddy bears and family relationships, Build-A-Bearville is fostering a generation of greed and an attitude of "Dogs eat dogs - do you want to be eaten?"

Build-A-Bear's original purpose was much different. Teddy bears are classic, and Build-A-Bear coupled that truth with valuable themes. You picked a bear, gave it a heart and the ability to love, you clothed it, and you brought it home to care for it. You made a friend, you believed in love, you spent time with your family, and you found meaning in caring for someone other than yourself. That's what Build-A-Bear was all about - so why has it changed?

Build-A-Bearville has added a new facet to the Build-A-Bear experience, and I'm sorry to find it a negative one. Build-A-Bearville has added competition and greed. What could Build-A-Bear have done differently to improve Build-A-Bearville and support the classic Build-A-Bear experience?

Here are a few things that might have worked better. It's not too late to impliment them, and I strongly believe they would increase sales and customers as well as love:

• Crafts with your bear: Build-A-Bear's core purpose was creating a friend, but what should a customer do when they walk out of the store? How do you actually "play" with a teddy bear? Build-A-Bear could easily fill that gap the way American Girl did: create an activity book for you and your bear. Whether provided online (without depending on the customer owning a computer printer) or given to the Guest at time of sale, craft booklets are the perfect thing to keep the Build-A-Bear spark alive. The more "bonding time" a child associates with their Build-A-Bear, the more alive the bear will seem. Soon, the child will be asking to go to Build-A-Bear not because "I need more stuff!" but because "Fluffy is feeling cold and needs a new sweater" and because "Fluffy has grown out of his old swimsuit and needs a new one" and because "Fluffy's my friend, and I need to help him!"


• Bear clubs: When Bear Bonding fails, socialization will draw a crowd. Build-A-Bear needs clubs - after-school clubs, on-weekend clubs, you name it - but bring your bear! The clubs could take place at Build-A-Bear, and club members wouldn't be pressured to buy anything. They'd be organized by age so that the older members weren't meeting with 8-year-olds, and each age group could do appropriate activities. They'd go through the "Be 100% Pawsome!" program together, they'd read age-appropriate books together, they'd go out for pizza together - they'd do lots of things together. Guests would be given a brochure about the clubs at the time of their purchase, and many mothers are be looking for the right drop-off place for their child. Cost would be minimal or null, and Build-A-Bear would provide a safe environment that encouraged family values. Oh, and the big deal for Build-A-Bear is this: those club members (especially teens) will love to indulge in Build-A-Bear products again and again with the excuse "I was on my way to the club, and I just couldn't resist!"


• Fewer Build-A-Bearville exclusives: Build-A-Bear did the right thing when they allowed Welcome Passes for those guests with older bears, and they did the right thing when they restricted Cub Condo ownership to Build-A-Bear owners. However, I would make that the only restricted option. Have a non-Build-A-Bear owner visit a friend's Cub Condo enough, and they'll want one just like it. After they have their Cub Condo - the original reason they went to the physical Build-A-Bear - they'll begin to see Build-A-Bear's real purpose. And they'd see the love, the family time, the new friend, and they'd want to come back. All of this would happen simply because of Build-A-Bearville. After all, they're more likely to be playing on a website that's welcoming them ("Anyone can come and play on 99% of this website for free!!!!") as opposed to rejecting them ("What? No purchase? Oh, no, you can't survive here without a purchase! Yes, it says its free, but that's only 45% of the website. You have to pay for the rest.")

With these three Build-A-Bear improvements alone Build-A-Bear can make much more money. Shifting the direction of the website will not be seen as "Oh, we made a mistake" so much as it will be seen as "We love our customers so much, we decided to give you even more!" Adding the Build-A-Bear clubs and activity booklets will boost customer support, customer fun, and customer willingness to spend more money. And why shouldn't Build-A-Bear boost those things? It would make money, establish a customer base, and shore up Build-A-Bear's reputation.

Build-A-Bear's not-so-new Black Lab

Well, here's news for you: Build-A-Bear is (once again) releasing a newer version of a bear while the old version is up for sale. Build-A-Bear is repackaging an old bear before the previous version is retired! This time, it's Black Lab.

But that isn't too bad - after all, many of their improvments were great. But what is troubling is the way Build-A-Bear packaged these revisions. Build-A-Bear's word choice is quite misleading: headlines such as "Just Arrived! Black Lab" and "Black Labrador arrives April 25" would lead any casual web surfer to believe Build-A-Bear was releasing a brand-new bear. But Build-A-Bear released the original Black Lab in 2001, and it hasn't retired since. Build-A-Bear simply gave the Black Lab a makover - it now has longer fur, a longer muzzle, and pink on the inside of its ears. Though Build-A-Bear had to modify its manufaturing methods, it was no excuse to bill this bear as a "Just Arrived!".

What should Build-A-Bear have done? It would have been quite easy to create a hustle-bustle around the new look of the Black Lab without misleading customers. A headline on the website such as "Come see my new look!", "I got a makeover!", or a bear news article about a "celebrity" (the Black Lab) who's updated her look would do fine. Released with some new dog clothing and new Quick Gifts featuring the Black Lab, and it would have been sufficient for attention-drawing (even for customers who don't want another bear but want new clothes). Combine this with a pet promotional (a $5 gift card to PetSmart, a free Build-A-Bear brush, or a coupon for a dog grooming being given to paying customers who meet the purchase requirement of $15 or more) and the promotion would pack a punch!

Build-A-Bear did do some things right - the Build-A-Bearville online quest, the Build-A-Bearville event with the author of a guide dog book, and partnering with a guide dog organization were all good ideas - but the delivery of their "newest furry friend" was not completely honest, and the new bear clothes recieved little attention (see Tuesday's post). I hope Build-A-Bear's integrity increases, and with that integrity I hope they see many sales.

Bears of the Past, Part I, Episode 3: Chubby Cubby

Hello again! Welcome back to Bears of the Past, Part I. We're interviewing some of Build-A-Bear's very first bears! With me today is Chubby Cubby. Hello, Chubby!

Chubby: umph....hello Lilli!
Lilli: What's that you're eating?
Chubby: Oh.....mmm....it's jusht a shinamin row....mmmmph..
Lilli: Sounds good! Did you make it?
Chubby: No...muh Mrs. made i'.
Lilli: Chubby, our readers won't be able to understand you if you keep eating that. Now, why don't you tell us a little about Mrs. Cubby? She made the cinnamon roll, right? Is that what you just said?
Chubby: Umph.....orkay.....jusht let me finish this bite....MMM! Okay, I'll tell you about Mrs. Cubby, but we'll have to go back to my younger days.
Lilli: That's what I'm here for.
Chubby: Alright, alright. As you already know, I was the one of the first bears introduced to Build-A-Bear. We had a great time, we bears. We would sneak out of Build-A-Bear every night through the vents - you know, like you always see on TV! We'd stay inside the mall, except for holidays.
Lilli: That's awesome!
Chubby: Yeah! Well, on Thanksgiving (it was in 1999, I believe) we ran into a stray bear from another toy shop. After we led her back into the mall and to her shop, I couldn't forget her. It was another year and one month before I retired, but I saw her every day anyway. On the night before I retired, I ran straight to the toy shop where she was!
Lilli: And?
Chubby: And? I promised her a plane ride to Alaska, where some of her relatives lived and where I already wanted to retire. She agreed, and soon enough I was visiting her at her parents' house. We were married a month later.
Lilli: Great! Now, I still have some questions before you need to go home to Alaska.
Chubby: OK. Go ahead.
Lilli: Was it difficult climbing through the vents because of your size?
Chubby: No. Though I was the heaviest bear in the group, I was one of the shorter bears. Many of the bears were 15 to 20 inches tall, so I had it pretty easy at 12 inches tall. They were big vents, too.
Lilli: Did you feel hot in the mall, especially during the summer, because of your long fur?
Chubby: Yes, I must admit, it did get quite warm. No worries - there were other longhaired bears (though longhaired bears were certainly the minority) who would go to Dairy Queen to get ice cream. I would go with them. I can still make a pretty smooth ice cream cone!
Lilli: Anything else you'd like to say? We'll have to sum it up now.
Chubby: Well, I'd like to thank Mrs. Cubby, my good friend Black Bear and my sons Grizzly Bear and Shaggy Teddy. And I'd like to send a big thank you all the readers out there - you're awesome!
Lilli: I totally agree - THANK YOU READERS!!!!

Well, that's Chubby Cubby. I hope you enjoyed the interview! Join me this Saturday for my report on the "new" Black Lab. I'll see you then!
God bless!
~Lilli

This post, as well as all articles ever published on buildabearbuzz.blogspot.com, are Copyright (c) by Lilli Cooper (the blogger). This one is Copyright (c) 2008

New Accessories for Bears and Pets

Build-A-Bear recently came out with a new set of accessories: a dog backpack, a saddle, and new hats have all been introduced into the Build-A-Bear collection. Since Build-A-Bear hasn't announced this, I figured it'd be great to tell you.

Let's start with the pets section. No doubt you've noticed that Build-A-Bear has custom-made accessories for their stuffed dogs. This spring, Build-A-Bear came out with their Helping Paw Backpack, complete with zippered pockets and an "Assistance Dog" label (too bad they put "Dog" on the label; I can think of other animals who might be happy to own a backpack that looks like the Helping Paw backpack). No doubt this release is in connection with the author promotion: if you haven't heard, Build-A-Bearville will be hosting an author who wrote a book on assistance dogs.

Horse-lovers will be mad at me if I exclude this one: a brand-new Build-A-Bear saddle. Though not the first Build-A-Bear saddle to be released, it certainly is unique. It's made to accomodate a Build-A-Bear sitting in the saddle and a Build-A-Bear underneath the saddle, making it a double win for customers. The set comes with a matching bridle and cute stirrups, and it's all only for $6. Get it quick - this is one item I have a feeling Build-A-Bear will raise the price on.

In the way of bear accessories, Build-A-Bear's hats are my favorite. Build-A-Bear has re-released some of their old hats, yes, but they've also introduced some new ones (or ones that haven't been seen in awhile) that are too cute to miss. Take, for example, the Straw Floppy Hat. Though you may wonder why it's called "Straw Floppy Hat" instead of "Floppy Straw Hat," you can't wonder about how cute it'll look on your bear. Couple this hat with a Gingham dress or a pink-and-jeans outfit for a cute combination. Of course, I'm biased toward this hat because it reminds me of the hat Julie Andrews wore in The Sound of Music, which happens to be my favorite musical. :)

Other new accessories include a huge selection of purses and other hats (some made to mimick Build-A-Bearville clothes), but the accessories mentioned above were my favorites.

Thanks for reading my blog! Tune in on Thursday to read an interview with a fun-loving bear, and read up on Build-A-Bear news this Saturday during our main post. Thanks again and have a great day!

~Lilli

Pawlette Coufur's Birthday Celebration

On April 22, Pawlette Coufur will celebrate yet another birthday. And though Build-A-Bear doesn't want to tell us how old Pawlette really is (girls are like that about birthdays), we are all invited to celebrate her ump-eenth birthday.

Pawlette began her celebration on April 16th in Build-A-Bearville, where she began her private showings of her newest designs. Pawlette's very first fashion show pulled off with a bang - users flock to the runway to receive their private showing of the newest stuff. From plaid to dresses, Pawlette really thought out-of-the-box for these clothes. She jazzed up her most popular shoes - ballet flats and high heels - and added in some new guy clothes. She also gave away a one-of-a-kind fashion bag to every show-goer, and many users proudly flash these bags in the Town Square.

Pawlette also celebrates her birthday in stores. Pawlette appears at every single Build-A-Bear store this weekend - you won't want to miss it! And as a gift to all the guests shopping in Build-A-Bear stores, Pawlette has created "Fashion Dog Tags" to be handed out to the paying guests.

Pawlette's birthday hails the first in-store givaway with (almost) no strings attached. A small Build-A-Bearville reward, yes, and overlapping with the Hannah Montanna Build-A-Bearville promotion. But seen by itself, this promotion could pave the way for more in-store events. We should support this whole-heartedly, since it may mean fewer Build-A-Bearville "bribes" and more in-store fun.

Happy Birthday Pawlette! :D :D :D :D

I'll see y'all on Tuesday, when I'll post on...well, that's a surprise. ;) On Thursday, we'll interview another one of Black Bear's old friends in "Bears of the Past, Part I."

See you then!

~Lilli

Bears of the Past, Part I, Episode 2: Black Bear

Good morning, Build-A-Bear fans! I have secured an interview with the Honorary Black Bear, and he should be here any second. Oh, here he is now!

Black Bear: Hey, Lilli!
Lilli: Hi, Black Bear! I'm so excited to have you on the show!
Black Bear: No, the excitement is all mine. I've been following your blog, and you're doing a great job!
Lilli: Thanks! Well, let's get on with the interview. The first thing I usually ask is, "Tell us a little about yourself," but I guess you have a lot more to tell than most bears.
Black Bear: Indeed I do. For starters, I was introduced to Build-A-Bear the very first day the store opened. That was an immensly exciting day, and there aren't words to describe it. I lasted all through the winter of that year, and all us bears celebrated Christmas by sneaking into the snowy night while the mall was closed. Most of us had short fur (myself included), so it was a brave thing for a teddy bear to do!
Lilli: Wow! I can't imagine. What happened after that?
Black Bear: I'll cut my long story short; I'm sure other bears can tell you some of the fun times we had. But, one by one, we were retired. I retired in January of 2002, the year they retired most of their original bears. I was the first bear that year to retire, and it was awfully sad to leave. I, at least, knew my retirement was coming: during the previous summer, Build-A-Bear introduced Black Bear II and sent me on the "sell-out" path.
Lilli: So, what did you do after you retired?
Black Bear: I went on vacation, of course! First, I visited the Baby Bears, Blue and Pink. They'd never admit it, but they were teddy bear celebrities with speaking engagements and a trailer! After I traveled with them for awhile, I joined Chubby Cubby in Alaska (he was an old-time friend who'd retired in December of 2000). The snow was cold, however, and I had short fur, so I moved down to Chicago and took a job with the Chicago Bears (I coach their mascot).
Lilli: Thanks for coming, Black Bear! It's been an honor having you here on the show. I'd love to publish more of your stories sometime!
Black Bear: Anytime, Lilli. I'll see you later.

This and all other Build-A-Bear Buzz stories are Copyright (c) 2008 by the writer of this blog.
If you have a photo of Black Bear, please e-mail it to me for blog consideration at buildabearbuzz@gmail.com

Build-A-Bearville's decline and how YOU can help

Attention faithful readers! I have finally become exasperated with Build-A-Bearville, watching them decline into a website that's depending heavily on Build-A-Bear sales. I've sent them an e-mail with my opinion on selling products through an online world. Please help me out! Send Build-A-Bear officials a quick note (or a long e-mail!) asking for Build-A-Bearville reform.
You can e-mail Build-A-Bear at Guest.Services@buildabear.com. You can also send e-mails through the Build-A-Bearville website. All it takes is 15 minutes of your time and a small effort. Please make the subject of your e-mail informative, such as "Build-A-Bearville for free?" or "Suggestions for Build-A-Bearville." (that way, they can see your topic at a glance)
Please help us out! Let's get this news around and make changes happen!
~Lilli