Children's edutainment titles vie for shelf space - software - Computer Product Retailing

Discount Store News, June 19, 1995 by Robyn Taylor Parets

Within the next six months, more than 2,000 new CDs are expected to flood the market--many of which are innovative children's edutainment titles.

And these children's CDs will all be fighting for the same limited shelf space. This means mass retailers, many of which are finally starting to broaden their software selections, will be faced with the even more challenging task of picking potential hits.

The educational software market is expected to generate $600 million in sales this year, according to the Software Publishers Association. Realizing that interactive children's education is one of the fastest growing market segments, software companies are doing their part to establish brand identity and differentiate their titles in a crowded playing field. Many of these companies have not only developed software with a broader variety of activities and learning adventures, but have included new ways to involve parents in their children's learning process.

In addition, several software companies are striving to stand out by clearly defining the targeted age group, learning benefits and appropriate platform on the packaging.

"With more and more companies vying for shelf space it's important to be as clear as we can be," said Shannon Jamieson, a spokesman for Broderbund Software.

Sally Narodick, chief executive for Edmark, a leading early-childhood software company, agreed that packaging sends an important message, especially to mass merchant consumers who may not be specifically shopping for software.

Edmark's three product lines feature stickers on the packaging that help establish the brand by informing parents about its award-winning CDs, Narodick said.

Great packaging messages don't mean much, however, if consumers don't identify with the brand, she added. "You need quality branded content to rise above the noise level," agreed Greg Bestick, president of Creative Wonders, a joint venture between Cap/Cities ABC and Electronic Arts.

Creative Wonders recently launched Sesame Street: Letters, and Sesame Street Let's Make a Word for 3- to 6-year-olds. Next fall, the company will release the ABC Schoolhouse Rock series.

IBM Multimedia Studio, on the other hand, hopes to create hype with The Adventures of Hyperman, which was released last month on CD and will air Saturday mornings on CBS starting next September.

Brand identity, however, is just the first step to retaining loyal customers. Several companies are hoping to strengthen consumer ties even more by touting titles that actively involve parents.

Micrografx, for example, offers Crayola Amazing Art Adventure for 3- to 6-year-olds and Crayola Art Studio for 6- to 12-year-olds. Both titles allow children to create coloring book pages and print them out to share with the family, said David Wilson, product manager.

Art Studio also features an array of activities that let children create certificates, badges and medals for family members. And both titles come with an eight-pack of Crayola crayons, encouraging children to create pictures off-screen, he said.

Carolyn O'Keefe, vp, marketing for edutainment products at Disney Interactive, said Aladdin Activity Center is one of the company's most popular CDs because children love to create original artwork. In October, Disney will release The Lion King Activity Center, which will allow children to print out color artwork or create coloring books using black and white printouts.

Meanwhile, Broderbund started shipping its Amazing Writing Machine CD for Macintosh systems last month and will ship the PC version next fall. Amazing Writing Machine, developed for ages 6 to 12, inspires children to write and publish their own stories, letters and poems.

"Our goal is to inspire young imaginations and get kids excited about writing," said Harry Wilker, senior vp for Broderbound Studios.

Other companies, like Edmark and Houghton Mifflin Interactive, also strive to develop children's writing skills. To that end, last month Edmark shipped Destination: Rainforest, the third in its Imagination Express series. The Imagination Express CDs encourage children ages 6 to 12 to create their own interactive books.

Likewise, children will be able to publish an array of different storybook adventures with Houghton Mifflin's Curious George Comes Home, due out later this year.

Although creative writing and art programs allow children to share their printed material with parents, other software companies take that interaction one step further by packaging activity guides, soundtracks and other merchandise with CDs.

"It's important to go beyond the computer," said Kimberly Dempster, a spokesman for Living Books.

Next fall, Living Books and Viacom New Media are both releasing titles that come with parent/children activity books. Living Books' The Berenstain Bears Get in a Fight comes complete with an activity book and an original audio CD. The activity book, based on the title, contains recipes and games for parents to enjoy with their children.

Viacom's NICK JR. early math title, the company's first CD in its new NICK JR. line of products for preschoolers, features a parent guide, which offers suggestions for fun and off-screen math activities that extend the computer learning experience.