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Toys R Us: Failures in Digital Marketing

It’s been a few months since the famous Toys R Us was dug deep in its coffin, and there are still many questions to be answered. A few speculations have been pitched to why Toys R Us has failed their operations in the United States, United Kingdom, and Australia. Are children’s interest in toys quickly fading? Has Toys R Us failed in providing good customer service?

 

The mysteries of the company’s downfall are still impending a definite conclusion. But while some doors were closed, one was left open that caught the curiosity of some people. Could it be the lack of digital marketing that put Toys R Us to their demise?

 

Lack of digital presence

 

Nowadays, companies are adapting to the changing world by incorporating digital marketing techniques in their business plans. It’s one of the reasons they are thriving in this evolving industry. Unfortunately, the same can’t be said for Toys R Us.

 

One of the main failures of Toys R Us was their lack of digital presence. To build a digital presence, a business should promote themselves by using innovating digital marketing techniques.

 

There are different digital marketing techniques Toys R Us could’ve practised:

 

  • Search Engine Optimization (SEO) – Building brand visibility through web search engines like Google and Bing.
  • Search Engine Marketing (SEM) – Achieving higher ranking in search engines through paid advertising.
  • Social Media Marketing (SMM) – Using social media platforms as means of promoting the brand.
  • Pay Per Click (PCC) – Basically an internet advertising model where the advertiser pays the publisher with each ad being clicked.

 

The problem with Toys R Us is they have failed in at least incorporating one or two of the aforementioned methods. From a digital marketing perspective, their SEO techniques are underutilised. Their websites aren’t even convenient for phones and desktop usage.

 

Digital marketing is such a powerful method of creating an online presence. Almost everything a business can present should be seen online by anyone. From services to products, the strength of a digital presence can be beneficial in the long run. Through this manner, companies are able to connect with customers, gather data much more easily, and create a length of analytical predictions through the use of digital marketing.

 

How the company could have been saved

 

With the imminent passing of Toys R Us in the United States, we could only evaluate their business strategies and how they could have been saved. We could even assess their oversights and put their demise to good use for other companies to learn.

 

There are many things Toys R Us could have done to boost their sales and market visibility. One of them is to employ ads and content on social media platforms like Facebook and Twitter. Social media is a powerful setting to establish their digital presence; they could’ve promoted new products and commercials to make them accessible to anyone.

 

Toys R Us has a wide selection of toys. Their products could have been made visible to everyone online through their web page. Unfortunately, their product pages aren’t well optimised for Google search engines. Not enough utility is established for their product pages and visibility.

 

While the brand has permanently closed their doors in the United States, Toys R Us is still significantly present in Asian countries like Singapore, Philippines, and Hong Kong. Their Asian counterpart are still open to more worldly opportunities that can breathe new life to the industry. Maybe these surviving branches in Asia can learn from the faults of their fallen Western parallel.

 

Geoffrey’s Box: The Resurrection

 

Not all is lost and forgotten. As of early October 2018, Toys R Us has been planned to relaunch as its new name: Geoffrey’s Toy Box. The name is titled after the brand’s mascot Geoffrey. It also seems that they’ve have retained the same image but with a new vision in mind.

 

Apparently, the brand’s lenders who took part in the company’s liquidation stages were already planning to relaunch Toys R Us. It’s a smart move on their part to retain the brand’s image after its sudden closure this year. Toys R Us is a universally known brand with an iconic mascot; it would almost be ridiculous to start over a brand new company again without preserving what’s left of their legacy.

 

The current plan for them now is to set up at a few locations and let them grow from there. It’s expected to see their business as a store-in-store kind of retail. Their next plan is unknown as of now, and we have yet to see from the brand’s ongoing revival.

 

We can only hope for the best and see Geoffrey’s Toy Box learn from their past mistakes.

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