...Introduction Build-A-Bear Workshop, Inc. (Build-A-Bear) is a retailer that offers its customers a unique experience. With its focus primarily on kids, this giant retailer provides a way for children to customize what their stuffed animals could and should look like. Build-A-Bear is the only U.S. based retailer that offers an interactive make-your-own stuffed animal retail-entertainment experience. Their stores provide an extensive selection of merchandise, including over 30 different styles of animals to customize along with a wide variety of clothing, shoes and accessories to choose from (“Build-A-bear Workshop, Inc,” 2014). It all started with a simple idea that was inspired by a 10-year-old girl. Maxine Clark was the former President of Payless Shoesource and left her successful career behind in pursuit of what she calls retail entertainment. Gleaning the advice from her mentor, Stanley Goodman, former CEO of May Department Stores, she recalls one of her greatest lessons from him, which was that retailing is entertainment and the store was the stage. The happier the customers, the more money they will spend. In an interview with CNBC, she states, “I just felt like he was calling me. And saying, ‘Maxine, you gotta get back to it.’ And I didn’t know exactly what I was gonna do, but I knew it was gonna be something for children, because children require you to be creative. They aren’t really worried about whether you’re making money or not making money. They want you...
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...demands that Build-A-Bear customers demonstrate, differentiating each of these three concepts. Needs: Need is defined as a state of felt of deprivation or lacking something. According to this case study, we can say that the children needs are entertainment, fun and creativity. We know that every child want to play with something whether the child belongs to a rich or a poorer family. The second thing is we can notice that the new born babies love to play with technology means they want creativity. They want to do something that is new and unique. Build-A-Bear customers are children, who have needs of belonging (joining the Build-A-Bear "club."), affection (creating and caring for another being), and self-expression (the ability to create a product that reflects elements of the self). Wants: Wants are basically “needs, that are fulfilled according to the costumer’s personality and culture.” In this case study, we can observe that the target customers are children and children love to play with animals. Due to the advancements in technology, the children are being something which they really want and know to be the only source of delightfulness. Hence, the company has added different assembly lines and clearly labeled work stations. Children want a place where they can get a toy of their choice where they have freedom to make a toy like bear of their own choice by choosing, stuffing, stitching, and naming the toy (bear). Demands: Demands are “wants, backed up by buying power”...
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...must go and build houses for yourselves. But take care that the wolf does not catch you." • The three little pigs set off. "We will take care that the wolf does not catch us," they said. Soon they met a man who was carrying some straw. "Please will you give me some straw?" asked the first little pig. "I want to build a house for myself." "Yes," said the man and he gave the first little pig some straw. • Then the first little pig built himself a house of straw. He was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me." "I shall build a stronger house than yours," said the second little pig. "I shall build a stronger house than yours, too," said the third little pig. • The second little pig and the third little pig went on along the road. Soon they met a man who was carrying some sticks. "Please will you give me some sticks?" asked the second little pig. "I want to build a house for myself." "Yes," said the man and he gave the second little pig some sticks. • Then the second little pig built himself a house of sticks. It was stronger than the house of straw. The second little pig was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me." "I shall build a stronger house than yours," said the third little pig. • The third little pig walked on, along the road, by himself. Soon he met a man carrying some bricks. "Please will you give me some bricks?" asked the third little pig. "I want to build a house for...
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...Victor accepted the Tribal Council's offer. What else could he do? So he signed the proper papers, picked up his check, and walked over to the Trading Post to cash it. While Victor stood in line, he watched Thomas Buildsthe-Fire standing near the magazine rack, talking to himself. Like he always did. Thomas was a storyteller that nobody wanted to listen to. That's like being a dentist in a town where everybody has false teeth. Victor and Thomas Builds-the-Fire were the same age, had grown up and played in the dirt together. Ever since Victor could remember, it was Thomas who always had something to say. Once, when they were seven years old, when Victor's father still lived with the family, Thomas closed his eyes and told Victor this story: "Your father's heart is weak. He is afraid of his own family. He is afraid of you. Late at night he sits in the dark. Watches the television until there's nothing but that white noise. Sometimes he feels like he wants to buy a motorcycle and ride away. He wants to run and hide. He doesn't want to be found." Thomas Builds-the-Fire had known that Victor's father was going to leave, knew it before anyone. Now Victor stood in the Trading Post with a one-hundred-dollar check in his hand, wondering if Thomas knew that Victor's father was dead, if he knew what was going to happen next. Just then Thomas looked at Victor, smiled, and walked over to him. "Victor, I'm sorry about your father," Thomas said. "How did you know about it...
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...to build up.” Can you relate to it? Well I know I can relate to it. I been there and saw and fell the pain myself too. There’s been a time when my whole life; just a split second I see my whole life breaking apart. It was a tough rough for road me. Seeing my parent almost getting a divorce was devastating the pain feel like my whole world was falling apart. I think to myself why it has to happen to my family; what did we do to deserve this. I can see at the moment my family was falling into piece; there wasn’t much to do but not do anything because the pain was just too painful. This quote reminded me at a time when I was on a breakdown and there wasn’t anything much I wanted to do but just sit and look outside my window. It was a time for me to breakdown with everything was happening to me, I couldn’t just take it anymore; it was too much for me to handle and process all the pain I was feeling. But I knew I had to get back up on my feet and rebuilt myself again. With so much going on I knew I had to get up or pull myself together because I shouldn’t be that way. I knew that what I had to do, and that was to be strong and stay strong because my parent at the time was also going through a hard breakdown themselves too; therefore they also need my support and my help. It was hard at first but then time comes by and when that moment comes back that is when it is time to put things the way they were; not exactly but closed enough. “A time to break down, and time to build up”...
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...OVERVIEW Customer Need Build-A-Bear Workshop has enriched children’s lives for a decade and a half with its innovative mall-based stores where kids create their own teddy bears and other furry friends. To make the experience even more engaging for a new generation of youngsters, Build-A-Bear Workshop wanted to develop a new store concept that combined the hands-on experience with the best of digital technology. Samsung Solution During a development phase spanning two years, Build-A-Bear Workshop worked with numerous partners to create a newly imagined store incorporating innovative interactive technology. With fun, experiential applications developed for each stage of the bear-making process, Samsung technology — including the Samsung SUR40 with Microsof PixelSenseTM, the Series 7 Slate PC and other touch-screen displays — provided the platform for a new, personalized retail experience that engages young guests in immersive digital play. Results The new, interactive store concept contributed to higher trafc and a 30 percent boost in sales — exceeding the company’s own ambitious targets. Customer satisfaction scores have risen in the stores, as has an equally important metric for the company: the number of children’s smiles. Based on this success, Build-A-Bear Workshop plans to open 40 to 50 more stores with interactive technology over the next two years. CASE STUDY: BUILD-A-BEAR WORKSHOP® Samsung Technology Helps...
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...Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory In the late 1990s, it was all about the dot-com. While venture capital poured into the high-tech sector and the stock prices of dot-com startups rose rapidly, the performance of traditional companies paled in comparison. This era seemed like a very bad time to start a chain of brick-and mortar mall stores selling stuffed animals. Indeed, when Maxine Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1996, many critics thought that she was making a very poor business decision. But as the company nears the end of its first decade, it has more cheerleaders than naysayers. In 2005, one retail consultancy named Build-A-Bear one of the five hottest retailers. The company hit number 25 on BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth list of fast-expanding small companies. And founder and CEO Maxine Clark won Fast Company’s Customer-Centered Leader Award. How does a small startup company achieve such accolades? THE PRODUCT On paper, it all looks simple. Maxine Clark opened the first company store in 1996. Since then, the company has opened more than 370 stores and has custom-made tens of millions of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Annual revenues reached $474 million for 2007 and are growing at a steady and predictable 15 percent annually. After going public November of 2004, the company stock price soared 56 percent in just two years. Annual sales per square foot are $600, roughly double the average for U.S. mall stores. In fact, Build-A-Bear...
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...Reflective Statement This course helps me to build up better academic skill to do the research. In the Brainstorming task, I learn how to organization my thinking. The task helps me to develop some ideas from different angle which devise my essay question. It is the foundation of my essay. When I did the Brainstorming task, the China train collision has happened. This task helps me to extend my perspective behind the accident. My research topic idea ‘Why China society is riddled with corruption and immoralities?’ is come from this accident.The peer and self-review task help me to develop critical and objective thinking via reading my partner brainstorming and my partner feedback. The source justification task helps me to assess the material appropriate or not and do the correct reference. And the Literature Review task helps me to form the final essay argument and use the sources to support my argument. In The Interpretation Analysis Task I learned how to focus on the analysis writing. Also learn how to interpret, evaluate and compile my argument. In the Collaborative Critical reading task and presentation I learn how to form an argument via analysis the advertisement. In the online activities I have made a poster and analysis the poster. In this task I learned how to use the rhetorical strategies such as three rhetorical appeals (ethos, pathos and logo). It helps me to build a pervasive argument in my essay. This course not only provides rhetorical knowledge but also the...
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...Build-A-Bear: Build-A-Memory In the late 1990s, it was all about the dot-com. While venture capital poured into the high-tech sector and the stock prices of dot-com startups rose rapidly, the performance of traditional companies paled in comparison. This era seemed like a very bad time to start a chain of brick-and mortar mall stores selling stuffed animals. Indeed, when Maxine Clark founded Build-A-Bear Workshop in 1996, many critics thought that she was making a very poor business decision. But as the company nears the end of its first decade, it has more cheerleaders than naysayers. In 2005, one retail consultancy named Build-A-Bear one of the five hottest retailers. The company hit number 25 on BusinessWeek’s Hot Growth list of fast-expanding small companies. And founder and CEO Maxine Clark won Fast Company’s Customer-Centered Leader Award. How does a small startup company achieve such accolades? THE PRODUCT On paper, it all looks simple. Maxine Clark opened the first company store in 1996. Since then, the company has opened more than 370 stores and has custom-made tens of millions of teddy bears and other stuffed animals. Annual revenues reached $474 million for 2007 and are growing at a steady and predictable 15 percent annually. After going public November of 2004, the company stock price soared 56 percent in just two years. Annual sales per square foot are $600, roughly double the average for U.S. mall stores. In fact, Build-A-Bear Workshops typically earns back almost...
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...too big to live here any longer. You must go and build houses for yourselves. But take care that the wolf does not catch you." The three little pigs set off. "We will take care that the wolf does not catch us," they said. Soon they met a man who was carrying some straw. "Please will you give me some straw?" asked the first little pig. "I want to build a house for myself." "Sure," said the man, and he gave the first little pig some straw. The first little pig built himself a house out of it. He was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me!" The second little pig and the third little pig went on along the road. Soon they met a man who was carrying some sticks. "Please will you give me some sticks?" asked the second little pig. "I want to build a house for myself." "Sure," said the man, and he gave the second little pig some sticks. Then the second little pig built himself a house of sticks. It was stronger than the house of straw. The second little pig was very pleased with his house. He said, "Now the wolf won't catch me and eat me!" The third little pig walked along the road by himself. Soon he met a man carrying some bricks. "Please will you give me some bricks?" asked the third little pig. "I want to build a house for myself." "Sure," said the man, and he gave the third little pig some bricks. Then the third little pig built himself a house of bricks. It took him a long time to build it, and it was a very strong house. The third little...
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...and represented well by me. My leadership positions, clubs, community activities, and work show outstanding performance in the significant qualities of the National Honors Society. These areas are scholarship, service, leadership, and character. Receiving an invitation to apply to the National Honors Society was a great honor as I knew how great of an opportunity this was to help me reach my goals. The current goals I am striving towards are to improve my character, self-esteem, and determination, and to evolve in my community. While I am improving on these goals, I believe that being elected to become a part of...
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...Build-A-Bear Assignment Question #1: Give examples of needs, wants and demands that Build-A-Bear customers demonstrate, differentiating each of these three concepts. Needs: Needs are defined as states of felt deprivation. They include basic physical needs (food, shelter, warmth, etc.), social needs (affection and a sense of belonging) and individual needs (knowledge and self-expression). These needs are a part of the human makeup; they are not created by marketers. The Build-A-Bear customers are mainly children and all children have a need of entertainment, love & affection, comfort and a sense that they belong. Build-A-Bear fulfills these needs by offering an experience that provides them with entertainment, creates a new friend for them to love & bring comfort and by joining the Build-A-Bear “Club” they get a sense of belonging. Wants: Wants are defined as the form needs take when shaped by culture and individual personality. In Build-A-Bears case children want the opportunity to personalize their new friend based on their individual preferences. Starting from the “Choose Me” station, where they can select the type of stuffed animal, thru to the “Name Me” station, the children have control, giving them a sense of individual satisfaction. Culture shapes the sense of belonging need into a want by influencing the children to want to belong to the “Build-A-Bear Club”. Other children who have shared the experience already belong making the new customers want to as well...
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...BACKGROUND & UPDATING Build a bear was founded in 1996, in a really hard context for companies in United States, even more for new companies that were trying to come up with something new or in this case for something creative. It was hard at the beginning, but three years later it was recognized as one of the hottest retailers in United States, people also got proud of how a small company could grow up so fast and also to get in the bests companies for customers. Build a Bear was opened by first time in 1996, having after that over more than 200 companies around United States; right now it has even more than 400 companies around the world in four different countries (United States, UK (United Kingdom, Puerto Rico, and Canada), they also give the chance to make it possible for creating a store by starting at least with 5 million dollars (it depends of the country, but that is the minimum capital people have to start with), it doesn’t mean it will be a sub franchising or something similar, they still be the total owners of the store making the country as a new point of the brand. The idea came up in a really particular situation between Maxine Clark and her friend. She was only 10 years old when she was trying to get a bear toy from the store with her friend, but her friend couldn’t find the one she liked it, and then she said it should be a great idea about making her own teddy bear, it was the moment when Maxine went even deeper, and she got a creative and also a pretty...
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...I’m not a huge fan of self-help books, but my parents bought me The 7 Habits of Highly Effective Teens and told me to read it. I thought they were nuts. At first I bluffed it off so I didn’t have to read it. Then I started high school and suddenly I had lots to juggle. I was frantically trying get everything done and still find time for fun and family. Then, after deciding that what I was doing wasn't working, I started to read your book. As I read your book, I started taking what you wrote to heart. One of the first items I did, was try to build up my “Personal Bank Account”. I realized I needed to think about those thoughts that build up my personal bank account instead of the thoughts that break my bank. I need to be gentle with...
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...Growing up in Laredo, TX has been very fortunate due to the opportunities this country has. Laredo, TX is a border town in Texas so you get the best of both countries. My family has always been by my side guiding me through my toughest decisions. They continue raising me into a decent adult to prepare me for the real world. My dad grew up in Mexico striving to build a better life for himself and achieved it by earning his associates degree here in Laredo. My dad always wanted to study further into his bachelors but, unfortunately, got held back to take care of us. My dad is the only one that works because my mom was to take care of me and my two other sisters. This incoming year of 2016-2017 will be very tough on my dad because both my sister and I will be attending college in San Antonio, TX....
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