Two weeks ago it was hula hoops … now the Marketing Doctor wants to take you back to the fad crazy fifties again for a brief walk through some more branding history!

When brands become so well known they become part of the language.  So it was with the ant farm!  Unfortunately for me, my mother had a significant dislike of ants, so my childhood wish of having my own ant farm was never to be realized!

So what was ant farm’s story?  A novelty toy salesman, Milton Levine, noticed ants crawling around a picnic.  He thought: Why not make a toy that would let kids watch these ants?

Fads are fads but brands are something else!  Ant Farm was a fad that grew into a brand.  Over twenty million have been sold and they’re still selling today at a rate of 30,000 a year!

One reason is that Levine kept marketing in mind.  He understood the power of television and had special ant farms made out of mahogany sent to the big TV personalities of the day where they got lots of attention.  He even planted his son in the audiences of kids shows holding the ant farm in the hope that the hosts would notice the toy and talk about it!

The formula was pretty simple:
1) a great idea that kids would love;
2) promote the hell out of it;
3) know your target market and keeping meeting its needs!

Of course, one reason that the Ant Farm survived the fad stage is that Levine reached beyond the toy market and into the educational market.  The popular success of the Ant Farm translated into its success as a teaching tool!  And sure enough brand extensions followed: today Uncle Milton Industries –at 90 plus years old Levine still keeps an eye on things—offers more than 50 educational toys!
And, remember, it’s always easier when you keep branding in mind!

Here are a few more links:
http://unclemilton.com/
http://www.unclemilton.com/company/about_frameset.html
http://money.cnn.com/magazines/fsb/fsb_archive/2002/11/01/331972/index.htm
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/13687432/