Abstract

The caselet discusses Ty Inc.’s hugely successful product ‘Beanie Babies’. It describes how a small plush toy meant for kids, went on to become a favorite collectible for all segments, including adults. It also deals with the various product innovation strategies that the toy company adopted to keep the demand intact for Beanies.

Learning Objectives

The case is structured to achieve the following Learning Objectives:

• How Beanie Babies became so popular
• How Ty Inc. established and maintained the popularity for Beanies
• Product innovation - How it helps to boost sales
• and Retired versions - Is it a smart way to rejuvenate demand?

Keywords

Ty Inc., plush toy company, Beanie Babies, collectible toys, retired categories, new line of product, pull strategy, marketing strategy, collector's items, top-of-mind-recall, sports range, charity range