640 pixels wide

spare

    


Home | MyBrainBlog | Ideas | Insight | Inspiration | Innovation | ThinkLinks | DTIG



Thursday, September 22, 2005

Made in the USA
Anyone else watching this show?
I was kinda surprised the Instant Waterfall couple lasted as long as they did. Seemed like they just wouldn't allow themselves to be helped by any of the feedback they were receiving. Theirs is an interesting product, and I wish them luck. My advice would be to open themselves up to the expanded possibilities of their product. They were a little too in love with the waterfall to step back and really hear what others were telling them about their invention.

One of my favorites is the interchangeable shoe. It's fun, creative, and seems to have a waiting base of consumers. But... after reviewing the website's book of inventions, I was amazed at the number of similar inventions trying out for the show. At least three others presented similar ideas. Should Quintanna and Jessica win the competition, they'll have at least three others flooding the market with similar products.

I also really like The Dirtworker. The inventors seem like nice guys -- however -- they seem to be in the same love affair with their invention as the waterfall couple. At least the Jersey Boys started to embrace the idea of adding a bit of portability to their product, but only halfheartedly. Again, they are ignoring valuable feedback about the expandability in the benefits of owning their product. It's NOT just limited to cleaning dirty items you want to store in your car. It IS a mini powerwasher that could be used to clean other items -- if it was a litle easier to tote around. My prediction is these guys are the next to go.

What can I say about the Gorilla Gripper? Not sure why this product is on the show. It's already a winner. And it's SO close to 'finished' that I'm amazed Sears hasn't already called them (and Bob Villa) to begin filming their 60-second commercial pitching the product on tv. It's a product with a very specific audience, so I wonder if it has the appeal to be fully successful on HSN -- but that could be its strength as well. Very focused and a waiting market.

The products I think stand the best chance of winning? The Quad Zipper and the Hydromax System. Between the two, I lean toward the Hydromax. It's a complete product with a specific market. Mom's will want them for their football playing offspring, schools will want them to show their concern for the safety of their students, and I'm certain they'd look really good with a Nike logo on them.

The Quad Zipper is a huuuge idea with tons of potential, but I think they'd do better with winning a booth at every fashion industry tradeshow than spots on HSN. I think their product is better suited to the garment industry than tv infomercials - unless they are selling the apparel designed to showcase their invention, rather than the invention of the Quad Zipper itself. There is a bit of a disconnect in which item is actually in the competition. Is it the 'universal shirt/vest', or is it the zipper itself? The answer to that question could determine who wins the final competition.

0 Comments:

Post a Comment

<< Home


470 170


DON the IDEA GUY

The Idea Department | PO Box 26392 | Columbus, OH 43226 | Phone/Fax (614) 340-7910
me@dontheideaguy.com