Thanks to Creativity Online, today I learned about a new venture into customer-created content by Penguin Books publishers. At their site wemakestories.com, Penguin Books enables kids to write stories for virtual "publication" in animated book form on the site, as well as print and share their stories, view others' stories, customize old classics (Mad Libs-style), and create audiobooks, treasure maps, pop-up books, comics, and more.
What a fun thing! Especially for kids who love to write. And kids who write nearly always love to read, too, making them the perfect kids for Penguin Books to reach! And parents have to love a fun website that enables kids to use their imaginations beyond figuring out how to best decimate the bad guy.
Could other companies create similar sites for their customers? Sure. Nike or Adidas could launch a site that lets kids (or adults, too) to create virtual sneakers, experimenting with different materials (rubber, wood, cloth, bamboo, metal...), designs, and colors, to see which ones enable their character to jump higher, run farther, etc. Coke or Pepsi could make a site that allows visitors to mix virtual soft drinks and send them to friends (via email or Facebook). GM or Ford could create a site that allows people to design and "drive" virtual cars. The possibilities are endless.
One thing that surprised me about the Penguin Books site is that Penguin Books is charging parents a $10 membership fee for kids to use the site. It seems that the membership fee is a one-time deal (so members will forever have access to the site), but I question the publisher's reasoning in creating this barrier to entry. With so many free games online, why risk turning kids and parents away from this great (and almost free to Penguin Books) marketing opportunity?
Perhaps Penguin Books believes that the $10 membership fee will increase the value of the site in the eyes of the customer. We'll see if they're right.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment