Professor M. Eric Johnson
Top tech toys for 2008
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE—November 20, 2008
CONTACT:
Kim Keating, 603-646-2733
HANOVER, N.H.—Toys under $25 that mix basic fun with technology topped the list of the Top Tech Toys for 2008. The rankings, released by the Center for Digital Strategies at the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth, were made by six Tuck students under the direction of Professor M. Eric Johnson, the center's director. Johnson, who teaches management and supply chain operations at Tuck, follows the toy industry and has published numerous articles on successful business strategies.
"With the deepening recession, consumers are more cautious than ever," Johnson said. "That means the most successful tech toys will be ones that use technology to create excitement without significantly adding to the product cost."
"Kids are going back to basics for their holiday toys, and manufacturers are responding," added Kirstin Egenes, a second-year Tuck student. "The hottest toys this year are taking simple technology and applying it in new and innovative ways."
Students selected toys based on whether the use of technology was innovative or transformed the toy, the overall play value, and the price point. The Top Tech Toys list covers all ages, from infant to adult.
With tough economic challenges facing parents this holiday season, the team focused on toys under $25. "Technology has become a key focus on competition in toys," said Johnson. "This year, our favorite toys used technology to enhance play value at low price points."
Tuck’s Top Tech Toys for the 2008 holiday season:
- 6 to 24 Months—Move & Crawl Ball (Vtech), $12.99
- 6 to 24 Months—Munchkin Mozart Magic Cube (Munchkin), $19.96
- 3 years and up—Playskool Honeybee Hop (Hasbro), $18.99
- 3 to 6 years—Abby & Emma Deluxe Magnetic Dress-Up (Melissa & Doug), $17.80
- 6 years and up—Magnext Deluxe (Mega Bloks), $15.77
- 8 to 12 years—Air Hogs Zero Gravity Micro Car (Spinmaster), $24.99
- 8 to 12 years—Barbie iDesign Ultimate Stylist (Mattel), $19.99
- 10 years and up—miJam Stage Mic (Blue Box), $12.99
"Technology has become so integrated in all aspects of playing that even the most exciting achievements—including cars that drive up walls—will soon be taken for granted," said second-year Tuck student Kate Reiling.
Full reviews for each toy are posted on the center's website.
The Center for Digital Strategies focuses on the role of information technology in enabling business strategy. Through its programs and research, the center examines the impact of technology on all aspects of management and addresses issues throughout the extended enterprise, including globalization, organizational change, and information security.
Founded in 1900, Tuck is the first graduate school of management in the country and consistently ranks among the top business schools worldwide. Tuck remains distinctive among the world's great business schools by combining human scale with global reach, rigorous coursework with experiences requiring teamwork, and valued traditions with innovation.
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