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News > Disney's Baby Einstein Company branches into preschool
television with new Little Einsteins franchise
Disney News
Press Release
Disney's Baby Einstein Company branches into preschool television
with new Little Einsteins franchise
As the leaders and creators of the infant developmental media category,
Baby Einstein(TM) is the number one infant/preschool video brand in
2004 (Nielsen, December 2004 YTD; Includes New Releases and Catalog
Titles Combined). Over the last three years, The Baby Einstein Company
has established itself as a global infant category leader, while simultaneously
setting its sights on capturing a significant share of the preschool
market with the fall 2005 launch of its new Little Einsteins(TM) franchise.
Global Infant Category Leader
Through product and market expansion, The Baby Einstein Company has
grown nearly 91 percent (compounded annual growth rate) since being
acquired by The Walt Disney Company in 2001. With products in more than
nine categories, including DVDs, music, books, toys, juvenile products,
baby gear, party supplies, bibs and soft bath items, Baby Einstein has
grown from a $25 million retail brand at time of acquisition to a $170
million retail brand in 2004. With a presence in more than 30 countries
by the end of this year, the brand offers products in more than 25 different
languages and has posted 900 percent growth in international markets
since being acquired by Disney.
"The impressive growth of the Baby Einstein brand is in large
part due to the loyal consumer base we enjoy," said Russell Hampton,
Senior Vice President and General Manager, The Baby Einstein Company.
"The experience of parenthood is universal. All parents want the
best for their little ones and it is our goal to provide age-appropriate
products that encourage parent child interaction."
At the American International Toy Fair 2005 in New York City, Baby
Einstein announced plans to further evolve its product line to include
apparel and bath toys, while continuing to create new and innovative
DVDs, books and music titles that expose little ones to the world around
them and encourage parent-child interaction in ways that are relevant
to today's rapidly changing lifestyles. Most recently, Baby Einstein
has incorporated an enhanced language-learning element into its full
collection of award-winning DVDs by adding multi-language viewing options,
featuring English, Spanish and French in the U.S. and appropriate languages
in other parts of the world. In addition, the company has announced
that with the July 2005 debut of Baby Wordsworth(TM) video/DVD the company
will partner with Academy Award Winning actress Marlee Matlin to expose
babies and parents to the many different forms of language and communication,
including sign language. All Baby Einstein products will continue to
be created from a baby's point of view, using unique combinations of
real-world objects, music, art, language, science, poetry and nature
to engage and stimulate little ones in playful and enriching ways.
"The infant category has become one of the fastest-growing, most
lucrative and competitive business segments. And, we've seen that a
company's success often hinges on whether or not they create products
that fit the day-to-day needs of today's parents and caregivers,"
said Sean McGowan, industry analyst from Harris Nesbitt. "Successful
companies, like Baby Einstein, will continue to evolve their product
lines and find new ways to help parents address different needs throughout
the day."
Launching Into The Preschool Category
Leveraging its leadership position within the infant products category
and its brand awareness among parents, The Baby Einstein Company is
launching into the $21 billion preschool market with the debut of the
Little Einsteins franchise. Created specifically for preschoolers, Little
Einsteins builds on the experiences of the Baby Einstein brand and will
take children on fun, musical missions of exploration that will take
them all over the world, provoking their curiosity and actively seeking
their participation. Anchored by a television series that will air on
Disney Channel in the Playhouse Disney block beginning this fall, the
first Little Einsteins mission will be available exclusively via direct-to-video
this August.
"Over the past year, several preschool companies have attempted
to launch into the infant category based on the explosive growth within
that market," said Sean McGowan. "The infant and preschool
categories are dramatically different, however, and I believe many of
the preschool companies learned how challenging, and perhaps unrealistic,
it is to 'age down.' Baby Einstein, on the other hand, is in a very
unique position as they are 'aging up' and able to leverage an existing
consumer base who can and wants to grow with them."
The development of the Little Einsteins series is being led by executive
producer Eric Weiner, who is best known for his work as the co-creator
of "Dora the Explorer." Little Einsteins was created with
child development experts and musicians to ensure the storyline, curriculum
and pacing is age appropriate. Based on feedback from real preschoolers,
Little Einsteins will continue to add depth to Playhouse Disney's strong
learning based programming line up.
About The Baby Einstein Company
The Baby Einstein Company, LLC, is the award-winning creator of the
infant developmental media category. The company is famous for its best-selling
Baby Einstein(TM) brand of videos, books, music CDs and toys specifically
designed for babies and toddlers, from birth. Little Einsteins(TM),
debuting in 2005, is the company's newest venture, specifically created
for the preschool market. Headquartered in Glendale, CA, The Baby Einstein
Company is a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company. For more information,
visit www.babyeinstein.com or www.littleeinsteins.com.
