VTech - Electronic Learning Toys

The VTech UK and the V.Smile websites are great examples of how Big Picture Interactive has used creative design to produce effective online campaigns and websites that result in a direct increase in sales. The results are solutions that engage users with interactives and added value that enrich the online experience.

VTech - Background

VTech, the creator of the Electronic Learning Products (ELP) Category, is a world leader of age-appropriate learning toys. Since 1976, VTech has been developing high-quality, innovative educational products for children from birth to pre-teen that deliver "smart-play" through the combination of entertaining electronic formats and engaging, age-appropriate content that help children learn while having fun.

VTech is a name that families can always trust for excellent quality standards. All VTech toys are designed with quality in mind to give long lasting, safe play with specially tailored educational values to develop young minds.

VTech UK Online

BPI's brief is to maintain VTech's reputation and to ensure the key messages are consistent throughout online communications.

Our remit for VTech is split into two distinct areas:

• Online marketing and advertising, and
• Development of websites and microsites.

Although the two are intertwined, they require different skills to make them a success. Working together, VTech and Big Picture Interactive have made it work.

As a result of this success BPI have substantially developed VTech's online offering culminating in the launch of a new VTech UK site and dedicated product micro sites in October 2005.

Overview

The sole purpose of a website is rarely to promote awareness of the brand or the main product offering.

This is the role of advertising and other promotional activities. Whereas, advertising promotes awareness, a website gets the user involved with the brand - and builds on their understanding of the brand and the product offering. The creation of product microsites is important to give the brands and European sites individual recognition whilst still maintaining synergy between the brands. To achieve this the sites are all driven from a single, multi-lingual Content Management System (CMS), to help encourage standardisation between the sites.

The overall communication needs to remain fluid and consistent to ensure the right message is being communicated to the audience - existing and potential customers.

Amber, Big Picture Interactive's CMS, allows the client to create low-cost, market-specific promotional pages in the appropriate language without any additional expense on technology or the requirement for agency involvement. Many content management systems do not allow this amount of flexibility, but Amber is built with productivity and simplicity in mind.

Microsite creation and management

One of VTech's most successful product lines is the V.Smile console. We have recently designed and created a brand new microsite that is dedicated to the V.Smile range. From our research of the target audience, we developed the look and feel that would bring all of V.Smile's attributes to the fore and encourage interest - leading on to actual purchase. BPI has also been instrumental in encouraging the client to set up affiliate partnerships with retailers that enables visitors to the V.Smile site to buy products online.

The V.Smile microsite is an example of a microsite that is distinct from the main VTech UK site. However, it is also important that the VTech umbrella branding is carried through the product microsites. BPI has ensured that there is continuity between the navigation and design so that the visitor is familiar with the structure of the sites and this will further enhance the customer experience. As the sites share a common CMS platform, they are able to interact, for example in the form of cross selling of product lines. This is particularly useful in the case of families with a number of children of different ages who will be interested in different product lines across the sites.

VTech Online Marketing and Promotions

Big Picture Interactive handles all of VTech's online marketing activities. In the last two years we have built a database of registered users who regularly receive targeted product news, visit the website, and best of all, buy VTech products.

Big Picture Interactive's brief is to create innovative solutions delivered using email, online advertising and competition microsites. Creatively the execution for each campaign needs to be captivating and focused on the target audience's needs to ensure the maximum interest from potential customers.

To do justice to VTech's highly interactive and engaging educational toys, Big Picture Interactive has created a series of interactive demos for most of the key products that allow the customer to try before they buy.

Onwards and Upwards

The partnership between VTech and Big Picture Interactive continues to grow, and 2006 will see VTech continue to get the most from the onine channel.

Katy Chan, VTech European Marketing Manager is excited by the opportunities provided by the Internet:

"We are delighted at the work we have done online with Big Picture Interactive. The interactive nature of the websites and our other online work reflects the VTech product range. We can bring the products to life online in a way that isn't possible through more traditional marketing channels.

We see the Internet as an essential part of the marketing mix, and our plans for the next few years reflect this.

Working with Big Picture Interactive is a pleasurable experience, and we appreciate their technical and creative skills, as well as their ability to help us move our online strategy forward. The next 18 months are going to be the most exciting."