You are to assume the role of the director of marketing and consumer affairs for Maple Company, a company that manufactures and markets toys for children aged 3 to 10 years old. The senior vice president has asked for your analysis and recommendation on indicating that a new toy is “STEM approved.”
Maple Company has been manufacturing toys for over 75 years. The company’s products include stuffed animals, dolls and figurines. Maple Company's company slogan has been the same since it began, “Trusted for fun!” Kids love to use their imagination to play with the toys and parents trust the Maple Company brand.
The company will soon be releasing a new toy. The Tech Bear will be soon marketed to 3 to 5-year-olds. The Tech Bear includes an app that parents can download on a mobile phone, tablet or desktop computer. Once synced with the toy bear, the app allows children to choose sounds the toy bear can make. Using pictures of common animals, the toy bear can meow, bark, quack, neigh and oink. Users are also able to record themselves saying three-second phrases that will allow the toy bear to repeat the phrase.
STEM toys, which include any toy that engages children with science, technology, engineering and math, are the top selling toys in the nation. Retailers often have displays that feature STEM approved toys. STEM toys teach children basic coding and robotics.
The senior vice president feels that Maple Company's new Tech Bear should be marketed as a STEM approved toy. There are no official guidelines that award the approval, it is simply up to the company to abide by the basic coding and robotics rules. Since the toy will be marketed to 3 to 5-year-olds, that do not yet know how to read, the senior vice president feels that Tech Bear should be STEM approved. Other executives feel that labeling the product as STEM approved is a stretch, since no coding will be learned.
The senior vice president has asked you to analyze the situation and recommend whether Tech Bear should be marketed as STEM approved. The senior vice president wants you to weigh the benefits and possible consequences of adding STEM approved to the packaging and having Maple Company stand by its claims and product. You must also explain why marketing the product as STEM approved is important.
