National Geographic is one of the rare occurrences where ‘media brand’ status belittles the company or organisation. An institution maybe, a part of the fabric of many lives possibly, a standard bearer for others too...much like the BBC.
Even for those who rarely come in contact with National Geographic (in whatever format), there is an expectation of integrity and high standards. The yellow frame stands for something powerful. We are drawn into the yellow frame because of that.
As a result, consumer expectations of any element of the National Geographic portfolio will be seen through this frame of high quality and integrity.
On so many levels, the move by National Geographic into educational toys is a smart move.
Society is questioning their leaders more and more on environmental issues. The impact of our actions on other communities is also fuelling a growing interest in what actions are taken on our behalf. Many parents are keen to find alternatives to video shoot-em-up games that provide some grounding in the global realities. So, when I saw the National Geographic toys in my local store I immediately thought ‘smart move’ along with ‘This is what I want for my kid’. So I bought the scuba diving man.
The packaging was spot on. The poster with info about sea creatures too. Yet the toy itself was a complete disappointment. Pieces are flimsy. The plastic was of poor quality and will not last very long.
This is not what I expect within the yellow frame.
So often brands that extend into new areas outside their expertise stretch too far. This feels like Nat Geo have outsourced the management and production of the toys to an extent that they have let go of the yellow frame. Have they chased the royalties at the expense of the frame, or have they just lost control of these brand extensions?
Either way, it has eroded the power of the yellow frame for me
Comments