Advertising, Merchandising, and Content

Walmart store has many products for children, and that is why I preferred it to other stores. I found many items categories in their hundreds associated with media characters. The toys section had the most items, and so I decided to focus on toys.  Popular media characters found on toys included Squishmallows, PAW Patrol, Spiderman, CoComelon, and Disney princesses. The toys associated with those media characters were the top-rated so far and seemed to exceed their counterpart without media characters in stock. I choose to use Spiderman as the media character I will deal with in identifying a wide variety of products.

            There are many products associated with Spiderman. Walmart has customized Spiderman products that are pleasing to children. For instance, over one thousand options for home décor customized to Spiderman as a media character. The Spiderman home décor includes Spiderman vinyl wall art, 3D window Superman sticker, comic peel and stick wall decals, removable Spiderman nursing room vinyl DIY sticker, among other Spiderman home decors.

            In my visit to the Walmart store, I found approximately six hundred and eighty-three types of beddings customized to Spiderman as a media character. The beddings include marvel Spiderman kids sheet set, marvel comics, Spiderman reversible twin comforter, marvel Spiderman Zaap three-piece sleepover set, two-piece marvel Spiderman quilt throw blanket, among other bedding varieties. The beddings are also designed to cater to all gender who love Spiderman as a media character.

            There were over one thousand Spiderman toys in the Walmart store. The toys are well customized such that children can get the preferred aspects of the media character. For instance, I noted that Walmart sells a full Spiderman figure as a toy and the parts of Spiderman in bits. Such toys include marvel Spiderman web gear and spider legs, Spiderman figure with power FX cycle, Hasbro marvel Spiderman action armor set, among other toy products.

            Walmart has approximately six hundred and fourteen Spiderman video games. The video games sold at Walmart have a variety in that children can play different games and imitate different episodes played by the media character. Such video games include marvel Spiderman PlayStation 4, Spiderman 3(Xbox 360), Spiderman 3(PS3), Spiderman 3 Nintendo DS, Activision Spiderman friend or Foe, among other Spiderman video games.

            One thing I noted about Walmart stores is that there are many products associated with media characters. I think Walmart’s main aim of associating products with media characters is to attract more customers. A media character can help to reinforce the brand of different products. For instance, a child who is very connected to Spiderman would want to have a room decorated with Spiderman décor and even beddings. Such toys also foster the idea of heroism: praising a child or showing them a toy will protect them depending on their age. Therefore, adults would end up buying the products as the children are connected to the media character.

            The strategy is common as it targets the interests of the customer. In this case, children are the main target of the strategy. The strategy is also common as it takes advantage of the fact that the products are not harmful or inappropriate to children. Additionally, the strategy is probably common because children are mostly exposed to television and online sites that enable them to watch and connect with media characters. Thus, stores associate their products with media characters because children are already familiar with the media characters.

            According to my experience, the strategy works. I have seen my siblings watch episodes with media characters such as Spiderman which they develop a connection for those media characters. Whenever we visit toy stores, they always rush to take Spiderman toys and leave the other toys untouched. The same case is with other store products; customizing the products to media characters attracts them to purchase them.