Project Title:
GroovyGirls Online Brand Experience

URL/Distribution Method:
http://www.groovygirls.com

Project Duration:
Jan 15- Sept.15 2004

Project Team/Contributors:
Laurence Bricker - Strategy/Creative
Mike Keefe - Technology
Eric Kassel - Design Director
Ringo Lertprecha - Interactive Designer
Jamie Gehrlich - Senior Developer
Chris Barrington - Project Manager
Tim Palm - Writer
Jay Roloff - Developer

Project Summary:

GroovyGirls.com was produced for Manhattan Toy Group, a Minneapolis-based manufacturer and marketer of multiple high-quality premium toys and doll product lines. They are relatively small compared to Mattel's Barbie line, and the Bratz line, and do almost no traditional consumer brand advertising. Their Groovy Girls line of rag dolls and accessories has been making strong market-share strides of late and they wanted to capitalize on the word of mouth buzz-and differentiate themselves online. Popular Front's strategy was to create a "closed-loop", safe, media-rich online environment that would literally bring the brand to life and "extend the fantasy play" that girls actually participate in offline-to an online environment. Some reviewers/critics have dubbed it a version of "non-competitive" gaming online. See for yourself! Please register-create a character/avatar-and experience the GroovyGirls.com world.

1. What was the purpose of the project?

Create and maintain an innovative, compelling online brand experience that differentiates Groovy Girls from their main competitors-Barbie and Bratz-and extend fantasy play online in a safe environment to build brand awareness, create brand loyalty, and create buzz through word of mouth.

2. Measurement for success?

# of registered/repeat users, anecdotal research, toy industry recognition and buzz, product sales.

3. Target users/audience (demographics, abilities, needs/goals)

Primary audience: Girls age 8-12.

4. Desired user experience for each?

Experience a fun, safe, GroovyGirls world that allows them to create a character and essentially become their own Groovy Girl, dress them, modify their personalized, customizable Mod Pod, meet and chat with other GroovyGirls avatars from around the world, attend multiple Groovy Parties, dance with online friends, take photographs with online friends, view photographs from past parties in a personalized scrapbook, and submit wish-lists to parents.

5. Project parameters or constraints?

The site is COPPA complient-which means we cannot sell or market directly to the girls/users. This is abrand experience-and does not drive to E-commerce directly. We needed to create a closed-loop "magnetic poetry style" chat that did not require open fields to assure that inappopriate language/offers were not tendered by non-target participants.

6. Processes and methodologies used by design/development team?

Popular Front deploys a proprietary approach to experience design that attempts to achieve perfect balance among content-design-and technology to achieve a user-friendly, effective online experience.

7. Results/response to date? (sales, visit duration, etc.)

400,000 registered users within 6 months-with no off-line traditional integrated marketing driving to the site-with the exception of hand-tags on product at retail. 80% of registered users have made multiple visit(s) Average length of stay once registered is 12 minutes. 12,000 simultaneous users on weekends.