Some ideas are more difficult to bring to market than others. How great the idea is has little to do with it. For example, I warn my students not to pursue innovations that are too new. Sure, the idea might be fantastic, but if the market isn’t ready for it, the question becomes, how hard are you willing to work to get it there? You’re going to face an uphill battle. Product ideas that require teaching consumers how to use them are among those that must be handled a little differently.
Inventors sometimes tell me, with a note of pride in their voices, that nothing like their idea is out there. Alix Reed, a former student who is now an inventRight coach, knows the feeling well. Reed is the inventor of , an ingenious new laundry tool that helps users get stains out of their clothing more effectively. She came up with the idea because she-like all of us-struggled to stretch a shirt flat and scrub out its stain at the same time. “If someone could just hold this for me, I thought!” she explained. “I needed an extra pair of hands.” The Stain Station secures clothes for easier cleaning. It’s a great idea!
When she approached inventRight co-founder Andrew Krauss to tell him about the idea after she conceived of it, Reed remembers exclaiming that she couldn’t find a single piece of relevant prior art. “There was nothing! I couldn’t even identify an appropriate category for it,” she said. “I thought I was so brilliant.” Potential retailers liked the Stain Station, but weren’t quite sure what to do with it. Where would they stock it on their shelves? Would consumers understand its benefit simply by scanning its box cover? As Reed put it, “It doesn’t have a reference point. The Stain Station really has to be demonstrated. When people see how it works, that’s when they love it.”
Educating consumers is expensive. Most companies aren’t willing to take on the risk. In the old days, when television ads were cheaper, an inventor could consider that route. Having a video play in the retail environment? Even better. But times have changed. We have new tools at our disposal to help us educate potential customers about our products.At this point, I think we’re all well aware that social media can be a powerful force. Several weeks ago, one of my students had his product video go viral on Facebook. Ryan Diez, the inventor of the , woke up to discover that the video he had uploaded the night before had already been viewed more than a million times. To date, it’s been viewed on Facebook more than 63 million times. His pet-washing product is similar to Reed’s in that it needs to be demonstrated. But once you get it, you really get it.
If you have an idea that requires education, map out a social media strategy. How are you going to get people to view your infomercial? A good way to start is by connecting with people who will benefit from it. Consider how to make the most of every platform at your disposal, including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram. Focus on sharing rather than selling. Don’t simply talk about your product-get creative about showing how it does what it does. Contacting influential bloggers to help you spread the word is easy and affordable to do. Getting in touch with publications that feature new products is another winning strategy. They want to hear from you!
With the enormous reach of video, I think it goes without saying that creating a YouTube channel is a must. Video is king. It’s the best way of showing off the benefits of your idea. Will it save people money? Will it make a consumer’s life easier? Show them how your product will improve their day-to-day.
Just because a product idea is more difficult to bring to market doesn’t mean you shouldn’t try. Diez had been trying to license the Woof Washer 360 for years before he achieved success. Now he has a hit on his hands! Reed is bringing her Stain Station laundry tool to market using social media, including a YouTube channel to broaden consumer awareness. She’s already experiencing some early rollout success.
The moral of this story is that there are instances in which you may have to help retailers see the opportunity that’s right before their eyes. You may even have to take matters into your own hands to drum up demand. This is especially true when it comes to product ideas that require a unique approach-like having to educate consumers about them.
Originally published on Inc.com July 23rd 2015.
