Learning from the Wiggles

Do you have kids under five? If so, you need no explanation of who or what The Wiggles are. But for those of you who have not changed any diapers in the last fifteen years, I will explain the phenomena that are known as The Wiggles.

The Wiggles are an Australian pre-school sensation now celebrating their 15th year together. There are four members: Greg (Yellow), Murray (Red), Jeff (Purple) and Anthony (Blue). In 2003, they sold out 12 shows at Madison Square Garden in New York. This year they earned $38.4 million dollars with their tours in the United States and Britain helping greatly. The windfall meant that for the second year in a row The Wiggles were crowned the highest entertainment earners in Australia ahead of AC/DC, Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban.

The Wiggles story began in the early 90’s when Anthony Field, Murray Cook and Greg Page studied early childhood education together at Sydney’s Macquarie University. The three began writing children’s songs as one of their music projects. They enlisted the assistance of Jeff Fatt, who played with Anthony in the popular 1980’s band The Cockroaches, and The Wiggles were born.

Kids and parents alike are drawn to the enthusiastic, educational and easy on the ears music of the Wiggles. While hearing Barney makes most parents gag, the Wiggles makes watching television with little ones actually enjoyable. I believe the key to the Wiggles branding success are the “real” guys of the band. They are cool guys who could have (and some did) played in a rock band, but instead took their talent and good looks and applied them to preschooler entertainment.

While Barney and the Teletubbies play down to kids, The Wiggles play up to them. A Wiggles concert delivers a song and rock experience akin to U2 for little ones.

But today there is some Wiggly trouble going on. I first realized this when I took my two boys to the show here in Atlanta on Wednesday. As the lights dimmed, it was announced that the lead Wiggle, Greg, would not be performing due to illness and a substitute would be filling in. OK, I thought, everybody gets sick. But then the Wiggles commented during the show that Greg was in Australia and hoped to feel better soon. Well, in Australia meant that he was not just sick for one day but likely to be missing the entire US tour. I made a mental note to Google the Yellow Wiggle upon returning to the office.

And here is what I found out from an Australian newspaper:

YELLOW Wiggle Greg Page is reportedly suffering a mystery illness that threatens his future with the children's music supergroup. News Ltd says Mr. Page, 34, is at home in Sydney battling a condition that includes regular bouts of fainting while The Wiggles tour the US with a replacement member. The Daily Telegraph quotes Mr. Page as saying that he's “not really well enough to talk”. But in a statement to fans, Mr. Page said doctors had yet to diagnose his health problem. “I have had numerous bouts of this over the past eight months but they are getting more frequent, and more concerning,” Mr. Page said. “So I have decided that I must go home, rest and seek further medical advice to assure myself that I will be OK for future tours.”

Wow, this is a major problem, not only for Greg Page (who I hope gets better quickly) but for the Wiggle brand. What should The Wiggles do? I think the first step is honesty. When facing a possible PR and brand crisis, getting out ahead of the storm with the truth is the best strategy.

The problem of Greg being sick does not hurt a majority of The Wiggle brand business. The television shows, DVD’s, amusement park rides and merchandise are pretty much unaffected. But the live shows which are the bread and butter of the band are hugely impacted. Can you imagine showing up for a U2 concert and having no Bono on stage? That is exactly how I felt with no Greg. (My kids could not have cared less, running out of popcorn would have been much more traumatic.)

The reality was, the show was fine without Greg. Luckily there are three other Wiggles still on stage and Anthony did a tremendous job of picking up the slack. But keeping Greg’s absence a secret could backfire. I believe parents and kids would be very sympathetic and understanding to Greg being sick. It is not as if he is in drug rehab or jail. But feeling duped by not telling people that he will not be on the tour is a pain many could find difficult to recover from. It is usually the lying that gets you in trouble more so that the act itself. (Just ask Nixon, Clinton or Martha.)

This is always the danger of having a live brand. What happens if something happens to my brand’s persona? If Martha Stewart goes to jail? If Jack Welch retires? If Kobe Bryant attacks a girl? If Steve Irwin gets killed? If Mel Gibson gets drunk? If Greg Page gets sick?

Brand building always involves taking risks. But without taking some risks, you are unlikely to achieve the reward of building a strong brand. It is the price you have to pay to get into the mind of the consumer. So never be afraid to put your eggs in the basket of a person to stand for your brand. Build a strong brand and succeed first. After you are earning $38 million a year you can worry about the what ifs.

Because even if Greg has to retire, the Wiggles brand will likely survive because it is so powerful in the mind. But without Greg the brand would have never gotten off the ground in the first place.

Check out my new post with the latest on the Wiggle brand.

Comments

[Brian O'Neill]

Bad news kids, according to:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wiggles

Greg Page Leaves the Group
On 30 November 2006, lead singer and founding member Greg Page announced his retirement from the Wiggles due to a chronic, non-life threatening illness called orthostatic intolerance, which causes low blood pressure when sufferers stand up. He has been replaced by his longterm understudy, Sam Moran, who was an understudy for the Wiggles for five years and had already stood in for Page on 150 shows. Greg officially handed over his yellow "skivvy" (shirt) to Sam in this video on The Wiggles official web site. Page had suffered several recent bouts of ill-health, including a double hernia in 2005; he also collapsed several times during a US tour in early 2006, forcing him to return to Australia for treatment. He did not accompany the group on their most recent US tour.

Let the weeping begin...

[wiggle momma]

we once saw the wiggles w/o murray (who had a family crisis at the time ) in toronto.

both my 4 year old and i felt we got only 3/4 of the experience. although ryan, who is canadian, filled in, (and much was made of ryan's canadian citizenship and he did an excellent job of wearing the red skivvy) it wasn't the same for me and my daughter.

each of the wiggles except jeff (who hasn't missed a performance in 15 years) have at one time or another missed concerts due to illness or family necessity. the fans have been understanding 'cause life happens.

this is different. greg is not missing a concert, or even a tour
he's going into semi-retirement. While we are all praying for him... i do believe it will hurt (somewhat) the brand

i think this is different from blue's clues. the brand in blue's clues is the dog not steve or joe.
nor is this sesame street (where characters have come and gone for various reasons). sesame street is upfront about a character's leaaving (mr. hooper and "the other mr. noodle" (michael jeter) died. others 'moved away') the brand here is greg, murray, anthony and jeff.

for the wiggles to survive, they have to be upfront w/ the kids (as they were at the toronto concert and as i might poing out they are on sesame street) about greg. hopefully greg will be better soon. if they need a permenant replacement for the yellow skivvy, they will have to honest w/ the kids about why and create a new personality/character for the wearer of the yellow skivvy - for someone to assume greg's personality/character would ring false to the kids. (i might add at the toronto concert ryan did not assume murray's personality/character - he was ryan - w/ his own quirks, and schtick)

[Laura]

Molly, another excellent example. My kids too watch Blue's Clues. And I thought it was over when Steve left. But the overall brand stayed the same and with the very similar Steve (his younger brother I believe) stepping in the brand did not lose a beat.

[Laura]

Thanks Neil. You are right, The Wiggles are a powerful brand and the power of it is much greater than any one person. The characters built the brand but the brand now The Wiggles. Now after so many years of success other players can step in and the brand survives. Thanks too for the High 5 case story, very interesting.

[Molly Bruce]

My first child was between 2 and 3 when Steve left Blue's clues and was replaced by brother Joe...or was it cousin Joe? The goofines was the only thing that was the same. The shirts changed, the opening songs changed and so many other things. I was so hurt. My son however, was totally unaffected. He's since grown a bit and Blue's clues is only interesting if it's little sister's turn to pick a video. Strangely enough, they still re-run the old Blue's clues with Steve. My kids have never asked why. They seem to share equal affection for both characters. I think the Wiggles are not threatened. As long as their replacement has a strong, distinct, leading voice and presence; even if he doesn't have a strong resemblance to Greg. Remember they do have a turn over with their demographic. Kids grow a year or two and lose interest and move on to Power Rangers and Power Puff Girls. Less singing and more action. In a short time, kiddies will be none the wiser and the Wiggles will continued to get paid, courtesy of Mom and Dad and the rest.

[Neil Bull]

The real question here is who is driving The Wiggles brand?

You have nailed it on the head when you say "my kids could have cared less"

The truth is that the target audience for any brand is what matters... they will understand that he is "sick" and that is enought for them.

I think that for the Wiggles brand in the long term, it might serve as a reminder that their brand is bigger that any one person, and that is the hallmark of a truely great brand.

Take another great Australian childrens export, High 5 who have now replicated themselves accross the globe. High 5 has effectively become a franchisable operation, multiplying its ability to impact through live performance. It is the brand that is multiplied, and not the people (even though the selection of personell is deliberate and clearly linked to original cast members).

High 5 has not skipped a beat since the original Kathlene, (its most talented singer) left to have her first child. Another "Kathelene" figure subsisitutes in (called "Sun") and the High 5 brand is unimpacted.

As long as the Wiggles have 4 quality singers in those colored tops, consistantly delivering their unique proposition of being the "U2 for the little ones" and "playing up to them", their brand will stay strong well after the original members retire. Kids do not overanalyse like adults... Bono leaves, and U2 die... Greg leaves and The Wiggles are still The Wiggles.

Neil Bull, Melbourne Australia