Author to help Pulaski create new line
By Jeff Linville -- Kids Today, 6/1/2006
Award-winning author Maria Bailey is teaming up with Pulaski Furniture to develop the upcoming Build-A-Bear Workshop Home Collection.
In March, Pulaski announced it was planning the licensed group for the October High Point market. Bailey will help in the design and development of the brand and its approach to the furniture marketplace.
Bailey is host of Mom Talk Radio, a nationally syndicated radio show for moms; founder/CEO of BlueSuit Mom.com, a Web site for executive working mothers and host of The Balancing Act on Lifetime TV.
Last summer, Bailey was a guest speaker at the Kids Today Leadership Conference in Florida attended by Pulaski executives David Corbin and Jim Kelly. Pulaski had just introduced its first youth pieces as part of the Casa Cristina licensed group and was looking to grow that category.
In her discussion, Bailey mentioned two of her books, "Marketing to Moms: Getting Your Share of the Trillion Dollar Market," published in 2002, and "Trillion Dollar Moms: Marketing to a New Generation of Mothers," which came out in 2005. She talked about marketing trends and the emergence of Gen X and Gen Y moms and how they compare to Boomer Moms.
Not long after, Pulaski hired Bailey to conduct market research on youth furniture.
"It is very exciting to work with a marketing-savvy professional and world-class authority like Maria. She not only knows her stuff, she lives it every day as a mom and author," said Corbin, Pulaski's vice president of marketing. "Her insights are invaluable, and we have no doubt about the contribution she will make to our understanding of the market potential and needs of the new brand."
Adding a new wrinkle to product development, Pulaski's designs will be heavily influenced by a Cub Advisory Board, a panel of up to 15 children in the target age range of 4-12 who will give their opinions on what they want in their rooms. The manufacturer also will listen to the demands of parents.
Pulaski's research with mothers found that 60% of moms would buy furniture designed and endorsed by Build-A-Bear Workshop, 85% would buy home furnishings requested by their children and 64% would prefer furniture designed by kids for kids.
Build-A-Bear Workshop is a growing business with sales and storefronts increasing. In 2004, the company had $302 million in sales, which grew to $362 million in 2005. For the first quarter of 2006, the company was up $12 million to $97.7 million.
Industry reports show the Build-A-Bear Workshop brand tops the charts in brand awareness, scoring 72% in aided recall.
"We have been looking for the right brand to partner with in building our youth collections," said Jim Kelly, Pulaski's executive vice president of marketing and product development. "Build-A-Bear Workshop fits Pulaski strategically and culturally. In fact, our employees are as excited as we are."
