The document proposes an educational mobile app called Excelerate that combines mini-games and narrative elements to teach subjects like math, science, spelling to children ages 3-8. It would include modules focused on different topics that players purchase individually. The app aims to make learning fun through an interactive story format tailored for either preschool or grade school audiences. If successful, it could potentially partner with established toy companies to increase recognition without taking on development costs.

1. Christopher Hatch
Renee Hobbs
COM 410: Children & Media
October 11, 2012
Media Pitch
Title:
Excelerate: A Learning Adventure!
Concept:
An at home individualized learning reinforcement program, Excelerate is a
tablet/smartphone app that will combine mini game learning modules for a variety of
subjects, while combining an overall video-game feel, fun cartoons and a strong
narrative.
Content:
The main application will bring the player to the hub, where there are several
options available:
o App Store (Where more modules can be purchased)
o Play
o Trophies (Where players can see which modules they’ve completed and
in what times so that they may try to play again and earn a better score)
o Character (Player will be able to upload a picture of themselves so that
the character on the screen in a virtual representation of themselves)
When a player chooses play, they then would be brought to the next screen to
choose which module they would like.
Modules are broken into two age groups: Pre-School 3-5, and Grade School 6-8.
Within these two groups, there are a series of lessons (modules) that each
contains a different adventure based on the subject chosen.

2. Subjects for Pre-School might be:
o Animals
o Colors
o Time
o Pro-Social Behaviors
o Alphabet
Subjects for Grade-School might be:
o Time
o Math
o Science
o Spelling
o Currency
For example, if the player was in Pre-School, and they chose Colors this is how
the module might be structured:
o Narrative introduction in cartoon form with the uploaded player as the
main character.
o The adventure theme is different in every module, and different between
the two age groups. The pre-school age is a cartoon only, with only the
mini-game lessons being interactive, which the grade school modules are
in a video game format, where instead of seeing your character moving,
the player would control the character.
o The adventure theme is jungle, and the problem is stated by the
character: The jungle people will not help the player out of the jungle
until he brings five parrot feathers back.
o The cartoon shows the player looking in the jungle for a parrot, which
when he finds it, challenges him to a mini-game.
o This mini-game challenges the player to identify the names of the colors.
As each colored feather is shown on the screen, the player must shout
out the color (Which through voice control on a tablet or smartphone

3. would be no problem). After the player identifies all given colors
correctly, the parrot gives him a feather.
o Then the player would be taken to another parrot, where another color
identifying mini game would be played such as, what colors are made
when other colors are mixed? And so on and so forth, completing all five
mini games.
o On return, the player would present the five feather, and successfully be
shown the way out of the jungle, while foreshadowing and setting up the
stage for a new challenge. Each game within the module will all be tied to
the subject and larger story interlocking each challenge.
If the player was part of the grade school group and chose spelling as the subject
the module would be different:
o The narrative in cartoon form with the player uploaded into the game as
the main character would identify the problem based on the module’s
subject as well as the adventure theme which for example might be
underwater.
o The story might be that the player is a diver who is running out of air. In
order to make it back to the surface, the player must guide the character
along a series of treacherous paths (avoiding jellyfish and other perilous
sea creatures) while also looking for bubbles with letters in them.
o The game would shout out a word, and the player must try to spell that
word with the bubbles they find. Each word spelled correctly gives the
player more time to get safely to the end.
o Once again, the grade school modules would be entirely player controlled
and much more video game like, versus the pre-school modules only
having mini games.
Each module will have a different subject, a different theme, and a different
adventure.

4. Additionally, a parent has the option of using their voice as the narrator for
the modules. By repeating a series of phrases, the app can them input the
speaker’s voice into the module to use instead of the generic voice for
narration.
Genre & Formatting:
Excelerate: A Learning Adventure is strictly app based, meant to be used with
any smartphone or tablet that can utilize touch and voice stimulation.
Within the main app there will be different modules that you can buy, with each
module being another adventure as well as another lesson.
Each module will contain a narrative cartoon, a video game component, and
mini-game educational lessons based on the specific subject module purchased.
Audience & Distribution:
The specific buying audience would be parents of children 3-8 years old. The
specific using audience would be children 3-5 in pre-school, and then another
group 6-8 in grade school.
These groups, especially in more recent times, have shown to be rather adept at
not only using video games and new technology, but also understanding them.
This age range is prime opportunity for these youth to not only have fun
because of their need to remain engaged, but also learn through this medium
because of how highly interactive it is.
Competitive Analysis:
Leap Frog: An educational entertainment company that designs, develops and markets
technology-based learning products and related content for the education of infant
through grade school children.
Excelerate is a better product because not only is it a new, but it is just as effective as
the competition if not more so, and it is much cheaper as the only purchasing to be
done is for the app itself as potential customers already have the hardware. Excelerate

5. targets just two age groups, focusing our energies so that each can be as developed and
useful as possible, without overextending the product so that the quality of the product
is more important than the quantity of consumers reached.
Appeal:
Children will love Excelerate because it is not only challenging and fun, but also
unique. Because of the strong narrative component children will forget that this
is educational, and will focus on the video game aspect alone.
Parents will love this product because their children will be learning and having
fun at the same time. Parents also won’t feel guilty about letting their children
play video games with this app, because they know the benefits will outweigh
the risks. Also, once they buy it this app will work on tablets and smartphones of
not just today, but in the future as well, eliminating the need to buy additional
hardware for every update.
Distribution:
My new product will reach its audience though the Apple/Android App Stores,
where the app can be purchased and used at any time by anyone with an
account through Apple or Google.
The main application would be available for .99₵with one free module from
each age group included. Each module would then be priced at $4.99 each, and
would be purchased in game and downloaded immediately for use.
Marketing/Promoting, Licensing/Merchandising:
The plan would be to contract with a larger, more well-known company with an
established consumer base. This would be for a larger standard of recognition,
not to develop or create the app, which if you know how to create apps would
be free to do so. Partnering with someone like Sega Toys would be a good way to
get recognition as a reliable product, without having to rely on them for
hardware development.

6. The Apple App store is also a good way to get people interested in your product
as many people review apps and then post their thoughts. Well reviewed apps
are often featured in the app store and with strategic pricing all of the work is
almost done for you.
The other great benefit of the App store is when people do review your
products, it is free consumer feedback that you might have to pay another
company to find for you, and therefore eliminates another cost.