This week, we distill insights around Walmart and Mattel's Virtual Toy Store in Toronto, which enables people to complete their Christmas shopping while on the go. 100+ thinkers and planners within MSLGROUP share and discuss inspiring projects on corporate citizenship, crowdsourcing, storytelling and social data on the MSLGROUP Insights Network. Every week, we pick up one project and do a deep dive into conversations around it -- on the MSLGROUP Insights Network itself but also on the broader social web -- to distill insights and foresights. We share these insights and foresights with you on our People’s Insights blog and compile the best insights from the network and the blog in the iPad-friendly People’s Lab Quarterly Magazine, as a showcase of our capabilities. For more, see: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

1. crowdsourcing | storytelling | citizenship | social data
People’s Insights: Volume 1, Issue 50
Walmart &
Mattel’s Virtual
Toy Store
Andrew Livingstone /Toronto Star

2. What is the Virtual Toy Store?
In November, Walmart and Mattel lined two walls of an underground
walkway in downtown Toronto with images of toys and invited passers-
by to purchase them on-the-go using their smart phones.
brandchannel.com

3. How does it work?
To make a purchase, people scanned the toy’s QR code with their smart
phone and were re-directed to Walmart’s website where they could
enter payment details and avail of free home shipping.
mobilecommercedaily.com

4. Located where the people are
Located along a retail concourse and commuter hub, the virtual store
enabled Walmart to reach a large audience of urban Canadians who
might not otherwise shop at Walmart.
marketingmag.ca

5. A convenient way to shop
Moms and bloggers responded favorably to the concept of a virtual toy
store, highlighting that it helps them skip lines, avoid lugging around
shopping bags, and immediately recognize the hottest toys, on the go.
1) extremetech.com, 2) Mommy blogger Carrie Anne at everythingmom.com

6. “Perfect for Christmas”
Marketers too responded well to the program, noting that it eliminates
retail costs, including rent, maintenance and staff salaries, is easy to
scale and helps reach crowds during the shopping season.
chrisreed.brandrepublic.com

7. Tailored to the new age consumer
The virtual toy store caters to time-crunched consumers, who own smart
phones, are comfortable with online shopping and open to the idea of
purchasing products through their mobile phones.
moneyville.ca

8. Technology opens new possibilities
Marketers believe the interactivity and appeal of virtual stores can be
enhanced through technology, by targeting ads better, changing
products based on data, and making QR codes more attractive.
1) Photo: Andrew Livingstone /Toronto Star via moneyville.ca
2) ft.com

9. A new way to shop, and engage
2012 has seen a rise in similar virtual stores across the globe, and
marketers speculate that this hybrid of real life meets digital life will
shape the way people shop and the way brands engage with people.
extremetech.com

10. More People’s Insights Weekly reports
Every week, we dive into one topic for discussion on the MSLGROUP
Insight’s Network and discuss insights and foresights, in four key areas:
crowdsourcing, storytelling, citizenship and social data.
Crowdsourcing Storytelling Citizenship Social Data
Mahindra Spark the Rise @MarsCuriosity #Kony2012 MTV Fantasy Election
For more reports, visit: peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/

11. Read People’s Lab insights and foresights
The People’s Lab team shares the insights and foresights from the
MSLGROUP Insights Network on the People’s Insights weekly blog and
the People’s Insights Quarterly magazine.
MSLGROUP Insights People’s Insights People’s Insights
Network weekly blog Quarterly magazine
50+ MSLGROUP planners We deep dive into Every quarter, we will compile
share and discuss inspiring conversations around one the best insights from the
projects on corporate project -- on the MSLGROUP network and the blog in the
citizenship, crowdsourcing and Insights Network itself but also iPad-friendly magazine, as a
storytelling. on the broader social web -- to showcase of our capabilities.
distill insights and foresights.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

12. People’s Insights Annual Report
In January 2013 we will publish the ten-part People’s Insights Annual
Report, in which we synthesize our insights from 2012 and provide
foresights for business leaders and change-makers for 2013.
Now & Next: Future of Part 1: Crowdfunding Part 2: Behavior Change
Engagement Games
(coming soon as an iPad app)
Subscribe to the report at: http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com/peoplesinsights/annual-report/

13. People’s Lab: Crowdsourcing Insights &
Innovation
People’s Lab is MSLGROUP’s proprietary crowdsourcing platform and
approach that helps organizations tap into people’s insight for
innovation, storytelling and change.
For more, visit http://peopleslab.mslgroup.com

14. For People’s Lab
solutions, contact
pascal.beucler@mslgroup.com