Since 1997, Maxine Clark has been creating meaningful experiences for families and children across the globe. Her company, Build a Bear Workshop, offers a unique environment where people of all ages can design their very own stuffed animal. After all, who doesn't want to own a one of a kind creation that will stand up to years of affection? Each Build a Bear location seems more like a love factory than a retail store found in a mall. The sights, sounds, smells, and employees all contribute to this multi-sensory and emotionally charged shopping experience. While Build a Bear started with, you guessed it, teddy bears, they've branched out to also include puppies, giraffes, ponies, and kittens.

The Build a Bear process illustrates an important principle of marketing through experiences: when gift giving is involved the product is always more meaningful when the customer helps create it. The process starts by picking out the perfect bear and recording a "Build-A-Sound" message for your creation, from there the bear gets stuffed with love (and polyfill); making sure it's just right with a "Hug Test", each guest then selects a heart for their new buddy to carry for the rest of its life. Guests also get to create personalized birth certificates and outfits stamped with a seal of "Pawthenticity." Finally your furry friend travels home with you in its own "Cub Condo" to live out its days as a cherished member of your family. Think of Build a Bear as picking out a new puppy minus the chewed shoes and magical yellow puddles waiting to greet you after work.