1 Which of the four types of studies are presented in this case. 2 Using the criteria in Exhibit 2-1, evaluate the research that HeroBuilders.com conducted prior to launching its hero and villain action figure business. 3 What issues, other than those Vicale chose to evaluate, would you have included in your research plan for HeroBuilders.com?
1 Which of the four types of studies are presented in this case. 2 Using the criteria in Exhibit 2-1, evaluate the research that HeroBuilders.com conducted prior to launching its hero and villain action figure business. 3 What issues, other than those Vicale chose to evaluate, would you have included in your research plan for HeroBuilders.com?
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![>AbstractEmil Vicale, president of BBC (BBC) Design Group, used rapid prototyping technology
to build wax or plastic three-dimensional prototypes of his clients' designs. But this same
technology can be used to custom manufacture dolls. Shortly after September 11, 2001,
Vicale Corporation, BBC's parent company, purchased an e-commerce toy company. Vicale's
first action figure was made to honor the heroes who emerged from that event. Using RPT,
he crafted a doll with the head of George W. Bush and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Other figures followed. This case is about a design firm that used exploratory research to
define a niche in the action-figure business. www.herobuilders.com
(RPT)
>The Scenario
with
Used
permission of
Pamela
S.
Schindler ©2004.
Emil Vicale,
president of
HeroBuilders.c
om
Corporation,
thinks
entrepreneurial.
His industrial
design
company, BBC
Design Group.
has
been
operating for
more than 20
years. One
cornerstone of
his design
business is an
innovative
technology
called
>cases
HeroBuilders.com
designer to go from 3-D computer model to 3-D plastic or wax prototype in a
matter of hours rather than the days, weeks, or months that prototypes using
subtraction technology (carving) from wood, metal, or clay might take.
As part of a growth strategy implemented shortly after September 11,
2001, Vicale finalized the purchase of an e-commerce toy company,
ToyBuilders.com. This was his first venture into the manufacture of toys,
although his design firm had done developmental work for toy companies in
the past. Vicale made his first doll to honor an admired hero of 9/11. "The Our
Hero doll (resembling George Bush) turned out great, but I basically did it for
me," shared Vicale. Over time, Vicale added to his personal collection of
admired men with The Ally doll (resembling Great Britain's prime minister
Tony Blair) and the American Mayor doll (resembling Rudolf Gulliani, then
mayor of New York City). HeroBuilders.com creates each doll by assembling
a custom head (created with the rapid prototyping technology from
photographs) on to a buff, one-size-fits-all action figure body. As more
friends and acquaintances saw the dolls in Vicale's office, requests increased
for similar dolls for their own collections or as gifts.
"I'd been making dolls on my personal time. And the individual requests
became too much," claimed Vicale. He decided to research the potential for
the actionfigure business. Starting with the Internet, Vicale found dozens of
companies were involved worldwide, some big and some small. "Hasbro was
the biggest player, but there were numerous others," described Vicale. Then
he took his research to the retail environment. "In the toy store, action figures
take up the most aisle space, second only to electronic games. And young girls
have an action-figure section, too."
The exploratory research findings stimulated Vicale's interest. It was this
evidence
rapid
prototyping
(RPT). RPT
allows
a
Business Research Methods, 14e/Schindler HeroBuilders.com
of the magnitude of the action-figure business, combined with a genuine respect and
admiration for the heroes of 9/11 that led to the launch of an e-commerce business to
sell dolls based on modern day heroes. To cover all the bases, Vicale did consult a
lawyer about using the likenesses of living heroes, especially about using the likeness
of a sitting president. The lawyer assured him that presidential likenesses were used
for numerous commercial ventures, including the sale of newspapers and magazines.
The rapid prototyping capabilities make custom doll manufacturing possible. The business is also
in a position to make dolls from photographs of everyday heroes in the lives of everyday people.
What HeroBuilders.com hadn't anticipated was the media attention that discovery of the dolls
would create. "Our sales of the figures at the time [less than 10,000 units] didn't warrant the media
attention we received," explained Vicale. "But one story led to another, then to television. We were
unprepared." After receiving numerous requests for villain dolls, HeroBuilders.com introduced
dolls patterned after Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
>Discussion
1 Which of the four types of studies are presented in this case.
2 Using the criteria in Exhibit 2-1, evaluate the research that
HeroBuilders.com conducted prior to launching its hero and villain
action figure business.
3 What issues, other than those Vicale chose to evaluate, would you
have included in your research plan for HeroBuilders.com?
>Sources
"Bin Laden doll outsells Tony Blair toy," Guardian Unlimited, April 16, 2002 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/
afghanistan/story/0,1284,685463,00.html)
Emil Vicale, President, HeroBuilders.com Corporation, interviewed April 26, 2002.
"Printer turns 2-D images into 3-D Objects," How Stuff Works, July 26, 2000, (http://howstuffworks.com/news-
item115.htm)
"Rapid Prototyping," Battell, April 26, 2002 (http://www.battell.org/specialprograms/advancedmaterials/
polymer/rapidp.pdf)
Toymaker Sells Bush, Bin Laden Dolls," Excite.com, April 19, 2002 (http://news.excite.com/article/id/
42932%7Coddly enought%7C04-19-2002::13:40%7creuters.html)
Business Research Methods, 14e/Schindler](/v2/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fcontent.bartleby.com%2Fqna-images%2Fquestion%2Fef5d1c10-7574-4bc8-85cf-ca5a894d441f%2Fb341c856-8133-4fc8-9ba0-9c6979d530a9%2Fgygrdt8_processed.png&w=3840&q=75)
Transcribed Image Text:>AbstractEmil Vicale, president of BBC (BBC) Design Group, used rapid prototyping technology
to build wax or plastic three-dimensional prototypes of his clients' designs. But this same
technology can be used to custom manufacture dolls. Shortly after September 11, 2001,
Vicale Corporation, BBC's parent company, purchased an e-commerce toy company. Vicale's
first action figure was made to honor the heroes who emerged from that event. Using RPT,
he crafted a doll with the head of George W. Bush and the body of Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Other figures followed. This case is about a design firm that used exploratory research to
define a niche in the action-figure business. www.herobuilders.com
(RPT)
>The Scenario
with
Used
permission of
Pamela
S.
Schindler ©2004.
Emil Vicale,
president of
HeroBuilders.c
om
Corporation,
thinks
entrepreneurial.
His industrial
design
company, BBC
Design Group.
has
been
operating for
more than 20
years. One
cornerstone of
his design
business is an
innovative
technology
called
>cases
HeroBuilders.com
designer to go from 3-D computer model to 3-D plastic or wax prototype in a
matter of hours rather than the days, weeks, or months that prototypes using
subtraction technology (carving) from wood, metal, or clay might take.
As part of a growth strategy implemented shortly after September 11,
2001, Vicale finalized the purchase of an e-commerce toy company,
ToyBuilders.com. This was his first venture into the manufacture of toys,
although his design firm had done developmental work for toy companies in
the past. Vicale made his first doll to honor an admired hero of 9/11. "The Our
Hero doll (resembling George Bush) turned out great, but I basically did it for
me," shared Vicale. Over time, Vicale added to his personal collection of
admired men with The Ally doll (resembling Great Britain's prime minister
Tony Blair) and the American Mayor doll (resembling Rudolf Gulliani, then
mayor of New York City). HeroBuilders.com creates each doll by assembling
a custom head (created with the rapid prototyping technology from
photographs) on to a buff, one-size-fits-all action figure body. As more
friends and acquaintances saw the dolls in Vicale's office, requests increased
for similar dolls for their own collections or as gifts.
"I'd been making dolls on my personal time. And the individual requests
became too much," claimed Vicale. He decided to research the potential for
the actionfigure business. Starting with the Internet, Vicale found dozens of
companies were involved worldwide, some big and some small. "Hasbro was
the biggest player, but there were numerous others," described Vicale. Then
he took his research to the retail environment. "In the toy store, action figures
take up the most aisle space, second only to electronic games. And young girls
have an action-figure section, too."
The exploratory research findings stimulated Vicale's interest. It was this
evidence
rapid
prototyping
(RPT). RPT
allows
a
Business Research Methods, 14e/Schindler HeroBuilders.com
of the magnitude of the action-figure business, combined with a genuine respect and
admiration for the heroes of 9/11 that led to the launch of an e-commerce business to
sell dolls based on modern day heroes. To cover all the bases, Vicale did consult a
lawyer about using the likenesses of living heroes, especially about using the likeness
of a sitting president. The lawyer assured him that presidential likenesses were used
for numerous commercial ventures, including the sale of newspapers and magazines.
The rapid prototyping capabilities make custom doll manufacturing possible. The business is also
in a position to make dolls from photographs of everyday heroes in the lives of everyday people.
What HeroBuilders.com hadn't anticipated was the media attention that discovery of the dolls
would create. "Our sales of the figures at the time [less than 10,000 units] didn't warrant the media
attention we received," explained Vicale. "But one story led to another, then to television. We were
unprepared." After receiving numerous requests for villain dolls, HeroBuilders.com introduced
dolls patterned after Osama Bin Laden and Saddam Hussein.
>Discussion
1 Which of the four types of studies are presented in this case.
2 Using the criteria in Exhibit 2-1, evaluate the research that
HeroBuilders.com conducted prior to launching its hero and villain
action figure business.
3 What issues, other than those Vicale chose to evaluate, would you
have included in your research plan for HeroBuilders.com?
>Sources
"Bin Laden doll outsells Tony Blair toy," Guardian Unlimited, April 16, 2002 (http://www.guardian.co.uk/
afghanistan/story/0,1284,685463,00.html)
Emil Vicale, President, HeroBuilders.com Corporation, interviewed April 26, 2002.
"Printer turns 2-D images into 3-D Objects," How Stuff Works, July 26, 2000, (http://howstuffworks.com/news-
item115.htm)
"Rapid Prototyping," Battell, April 26, 2002 (http://www.battell.org/specialprograms/advancedmaterials/
polymer/rapidp.pdf)
Toymaker Sells Bush, Bin Laden Dolls," Excite.com, April 19, 2002 (http://news.excite.com/article/id/
42932%7Coddly enought%7C04-19-2002::13:40%7creuters.html)
Business Research Methods, 14e/Schindler
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