Social Nation: How to Harness the Power of Social Media to Attract Customers, Motivate Employees, and Grow Your Business

Chapter 7. PRINCIPLE 4: MONITOR AND MEASURE YOUR COMMUNITIES' CONTRIBUTIONS

	A man travels the world over in search of what he needs, and returns home to find it.
	--George Moore

Samuel Ganz, a Holocaust survivor and son of a candle maker, had settled in New York while his two sons, Sam and Jack, went to Toronto. On a visit to see his children, Samuel brought along a doll that had caught his attention in New York. The three had the idea to distribute the doll—and others like it—in Canada. And so, Ganz Toys was started in 1950. The company's products quickly became popular, and Ganz itself became legendary, in particular because it was one of the first companies to import Asian dolls, long before that became common.

Ganz Toys continued to grow, and expanded beyond dolls into the distribution of all sorts of toys for Disney, as well as other giftware items including mugs and even candles. The business stuck with fairly traditional products and was a solid family enterprise that followed an almost predictable merchandising track—that is until, in 2005, Howard Ganz, the grandson of Samuel, took his family and the company on a wild ride into the online world. It all started with a small, plush toy Howard invented called Webkinz.

Webkinz are cuddly stuffed animals that live and interact online with others. Essentially, the Webkinz lifestyle is the reason owners (i.e., kids) go online, where they and their pets can enter a virtual world of fun and fantasy. Webkinz and their human counterparts ...