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Introducing Norman The PhartEphant™
There are plenty of unique products out there, but Norman re-defines the definition of Plush and Novelty products! Norman is more than just a plush toy/juvenile product. Norman PhartEphant™ is an African elephant that was adopted by a US zoo. He is VERY special and is quite a gas when it comes to fun. Best of all, he is soft, cuddly, and is over the top in HugFactor™. There is no question about it, Norman is a one of a kind elephant, err, I mean PhartEphant™.
Don't Squeeze Norman's Tail!
One important feature/factor or unique characteristic about Norman The PhartEphant™, (hereafter referred to as just "Norman"), is his tail. The reasoning behind this is that Norman has a problem with flatulent gas. When Norman was moved to the zoo, the dietary changes in the transition caused unexpected effects with his body's handling the new diet. Now be warned ahead of time, DON'T SQUEEZE NORMAN'S TAIL! If you squeeze his tail, he will in the most simple of terms...fart! The farting is one of those unexpected effects referenced earlier.
Now when we are talking about farting, or for some people who have an issue about being politically correct, passing gas, Norman really makes a statement! Sometimes it might just be a little toot, but be aware of one thing for sure, Norman can really let one rip on occasion, along with a polite apology from time to time.
Grasping The Full Value of Norman The PhartEphant™
At first cursory glance, I saw Norman as just another plush animal to evaluate however, I was in for a refresher course in product evaluation thanks to Norman. You see, when I showed Norman to the behavioral analyst who wrote a report for this evaluation summary, she made it quite clear that I was "quite shallow in the observation and visual interpretation of value in personal perspective of seeing the product." She made it abundantly clear that Norman was "a treasure trove of delight and productive stimulation for any child or adult including special needs individuals." By the end of our evaluation of Norman, her statements proved their full worth and validation.
In the report provided by the behavioral analyst, she reminded all of our staff as to how plush animals/characters contribute so substantially to the betterment of a child. Norman stimulates critical skill development on multiple levels for children while at the same time even providing a productive contribution to adults as well. There is obviously far more to Norman than just soft textile materials and stuffing!
Independent Industry Professionals Give A Thumbs Up
Obtaining An Independent Perspective...
In this section we will cover "Norman The PhartEphant™" from a top level professional point of view. To accomplish that task we have called upon the assistance of two well known industry professionals who have the credentials to provide us with the highest level of independent evaluation we are looking for.
Our evaluators will form their own opinions and produce detailed, in-depth reports connected with their study and evaluation of "Norman The PhartEphant™". The information to follow is comprised of excerpts from those same reports which have been paraphrased in order to capture some of the primary focus being conveyed in each report. This approach provides a completely independent perspective in the evaluation of "Norman The PhartEphant™".
PLEASE NOTE: The names of our independent evaluators are not disclosed to protect the privacy of these individuals upon their request. Their labors are provided at no charge to assist us in providing a well-balanced and qualified product evaluation summary. Their title is provided to clarify for our readers the specific type of specialist from which the information provided has been included in each product evaluation summary.
Board Certified Behavioral Analyst
"Norman The PhartEphant™ is breaking new ground in plush animal creations. Quite inventive and originative in design and purpose, Norman literally is a treasure trove of delight and productive stimulation for a child or adult. The foundation upon which I base that statement is the innate group of characteristics of the product.
For infants and children, there is a substantial range of stimulation. Soft plush material, hard bead shaped material within the tail, variety of shape, '(body transitioning into trunk)', ridges along the length of the trunk, colors, these are a strong group of characteristics of the product which are readily seen and contribute a wealth of stimulation to critical skill development for a child.
For adults there is of course the colors, shapes, and overall visual appeal, yet the the more prominent characteristic of Norman is the production of a very clearly heard simulation of Norman passing gas when his tail is squeezed. rather than have a single sound which will easily lose its appeal from repetitive use like many other products of 'similar' nature, you have a variety of sounds which stimulate a child on multiple levels.
For adults, Norman takes a less commonplace path to follow. The variety of sounds isn't just an assortment of passing gas sounds in general, but rather a more diverse group of 'creative' sound which adults can connect with and allow themselves to enjoy a moment of levity. These sounds invoke a shift in emotional responses and stimulate the child in an adult to spring forth once again. For some this response is but for a moment in time while for others it becomes a break in their busy schedules which excites them enough to share it with others.
Overall, Norman The PhartEphant™ serves as a very strong contribution to positive stimulation for a child and a substantial contribution to psycho-social behavioral improvement with teens and adults. This is a product which can contribute such an immense level of growth to an individual of virtually any age. It is a treasure trove of delight and productive stimulation for any child or adult including special needs individuals.
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ECD Specialist / Pre-school Director
"At first I was lacking in comfort to accept this plush toy along with the other products provided for evaluation, yet a small part of me caused an approval to be made. I am so glad that I had done so. Students who were interacting with the pre-school children for class hours were overjoyed to have this 'Norman' animal here at the school. Considering there was a variable age range of children in enrolled in the pre-school, there was of course going to be a variety of responses coming out of this evaluation.
I must admit I enjoyed the experience with this, Norman The PhartEphant™, far beyond what I had ever expected. The toddlers were all having so much fun as the students interacted with them, squeezing the tail of this plush toy and listening to the unusual sounds which were produced. I have never seen toddlers so captivated by a single toy such as they were with this Norman toy.
The most enjoyable part of the entire study of this toy was how some of the students were using Norman The PhartEphant™ as a medium to explain that if a toddler or someone senior to them passes gas, that it is not a dirty or wrong things. They even went into how that although passing gas is not a wrong ore dirty thing, there are still certain rules to follow so that there is no disrespect being shown to others.
There was some disruption of the flow of the class teaching yet at the same time these toddlers need a little change from time to time, just as their teachers. Norman The PhartEphant™ provided a disruption that I can honestly say was welcome. I even found myself squeezing Norman's tail repeatedly to hear all of the sounds he produces. It was just plain fun.
I also like how Norman is so soft for the toddlers to feel and can appreciate the strong contribution it holds in regard to development of critical skills and other vital concerns for a toddler's development. This was one of the best products of all of those you submitted for feedback.
Consumers In A Riot Of Laughter
Nothing is more powerful than hands-on experience by a consumer with a product when it is being evaluated. Based upon that fact we put every single product we evaluate at the mercy of consumers in a hands-on evaluation where anything goes. Shall we see how Norman The PhartEphant™ was seen by with consumers?
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After 39 years of doing this you would think I had experienced every embarrassing moment in the book yet Norman The PhartEphant™ made his own mark in my history of embarrassing moments. Leave it to Norman!
I took Norman to Hueneme Elementary School in Port Hueneme, CA and gave Norman to the principal of the school, the woman you see in the picture. I told her I wanted to give her something to make her day a little brighter, assuming she would learn about Norman's "problem" AFTER I rolled out of the office, not while I was still there. That assumption turned out to be a wrong assumption.
The very first thing the principal did was squeeze Norman's tail...That's all it took, she was immediately laughing and everyone around here was suddenly gathering to see what was so funny. The principal began squeezing Norman's tail again and again with Norman sharing his entire collections of fart sounds or every type imaginable before I could leave the room.
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In no time at all there were students and faculty all in a riot of laughter as Norman The PhartEphant™ was having his tail squeezed by the school principal. While it was embarrassing for myself, at the same time it was rather humorous to see so many people both young children and "older", having such an immediate draw to see a single little plush animal. What captured my attention the most though was how many times I kept hearing, "Awwww, He's so cute! or "He's so soft and cuddly!" You'd think I was in a pet store!
Every individual who was there literally fell in love with Norman The PhartEphant™. I am sure many of us guys wish we could have had that kind of popularity back in the day...well, one thing for sure is that Norman was a hit! This spontaneous reaction is the kind of reaction a product needs to be a good seller and you can be sure that Norman's definitely got it in that department.
Now please understand that the elementary school was at the end of our consumer evaluation journey. To try and be a bit different in this product evaluation we chose to start it out with an example from a more unusual way of showing consumer response, without our feedback forms, etc. first. Prior to the excitement at the elementary school we had Norman downtown in San Francisco, CA!
We setup 4 tables at Powell and Market streets, right in front of the cable car turntable where there were loads of people. We had about 37 products set up on the tables ranging from board games to baby/toddler toys. We had plenty of people asking either "What are you doing?" or "How much to buy that?". We handed out over 384 info sheets which explained what we were doing and how a person could sign up to participate.
Norman The PhartEphant™ was of course one of the most popular of the products the parents and kids evaluated. When we completed taking our video camera down and folding up all but one of the tables, we finally had the results from our feedback forms tabulated. It seems that Norman pulled in at #4 on the list of what the consumers chose as the top 10 favorite products in the entire lot we had brought. At best guess, we had at least 200 people asked how much Norman was and wanted to buy him right there!
There were a wide variety of opinions on the various products which were evaluated by the tourists and other evaluation participants, yet both young and old had a consistent opinion of Norman. According to the consumers, he is cute, huggable, and funny! We had a very good response from the consumers with Norman. It was only obvious that Norman The PhartEphant™ made it through this segment of our evaluation with strong popularity and passed the evaluation for consumer hands-on evaluation.
Category Ratings From This Evaluation
While other organizations will define their ratings in a "blanket" method which simply defines each rating in an overall usage, we choose to take a different approach. Each individual rating that was assigned to this product, based upon our evaluation process, is briefly explained as to how that specific rating score was reached. The ratings for this product are listed below. Please remember that these are just six primary evaluation categories that are part of a far greater overall group of evaluation categories which were used in the evaluation of this product.
DESIGN QUALITY: Rating Level - [5] 
The level of quality in the design of Norman The PhartEphant™ was of the highest measure. In speaking with a textile design specialist she explained how that the workmanship was of the highest quality. She also made a point about the stitching and how it was so well done to give the toy "more depth and personality."
It is easily seen how Norman The PhartEphant™ is built to last and can be used even in an educational environment. It is durable enough to handle wear tear without any issue. Norman The PhartEphant™ pulled a perfect score in this category.
DURABILITY: Rating Level - [5]
Durability of Norman The PhartEphant™ was just as the design quality, nothing short of the very best. The durability level of Norman The PhartEphant™ pretty much assures extended use under the strongest wear and tear with kids as well as that from a washing machine. The stitching with each piece is of the highest quality and is designed to last yet retain the same "new" look. No matter how much wear and tear we put the product through, it still remained in near perfect condition. The final analysis in our evaluation of Norman The PhartEphant™ in this category was a rating of 5 out of 5.
FUNFACTOR™: Rating Level - [5]
Norman The PhartEphant™ set a new level of achievement with FunFactor™. The response level with parents and kids was literally overwhelming with the level of laughter and excitement! No matter where we took Norman The PhartEphant™ before his final home with the elementary school principal, Norman The PhartEphant™ managed to wow everyone who saw or heard him! Norman The PhartEphant™ pulled a perfect score in this category.
HUGFACTOR™: Rating Level - [5]
When it comes to HugFactor™ with Norman The PhartEphant™, it didn't take a rocket scientist to figure that one out; it was all too evident to determine. Even a person who was blind could easily determine the HugFactorH™ of Norman The PhartEphant™. In our consumer evaluation feedback which was collected, the responses were so very positive with not a single negative response. When we combined our own evaluation scores with the consumer scores in this category, Norman The PhartEphant™ pulled a perfect score in this category.
MARKETING VALUE™: Rating Level - [4] 
Although Norman The PhartEphant™ scored a perfect score in almost every other category, there were a few in which he just couldn't carry on the trend. While Norman The PhartEphant™ is an excellent product, the "novelty" image creates a steeper slope for this product to pull a perfect score in this category. Norman The PhartEphant™ needs a little more umph! in the marketing department. As with any other product on the market, a strong web site, and plenty of legwork are required to make your mark in this industry. ( A little extra funding helps too! :-) ) Norman The PhartEphant™ pulled a magnificent score of "4", just a single digit short of perfect in this category.
VISUAL APPEAL™: Rating Level - [5]
When it comes to visual appeal, Norman The PhartEphant™ really had it. (Did I mention AUDIBLE appeal as well?). It was amazing to see the responses from so many people from multiple areas in the State of Calif., all of them being so impressed with Norman The PhartEphant™.
It was clear to see from the start that Norman The PhartEphant™ was a winner in the visual appeal department and made his mark in people of all ages. Norman The PhartEphant™ pulled a perfect score in this category.
| EVALUATION RESULTS - From evaluation for induction into "The Toy Man® Product Guide" | | Overall Rating: 5 | Seal of Approval: Approved | eco-Recognition
Seal: Not Eligible | Award of Excellence: Approved | eChoice Award: Selected |
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THE TOY MAN® SEAL OF APPROVAL
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designed for product recognition and validation."
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THE TOY MAN® AWARDS
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and give a product the well earned recognition it deserves!"
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