Our home products expert, Tom Kraeutler, is the Host, Founder and Chief Home Improvement Evangelist of The Money Pit. He is a hands-on home improvement broadcast journalist and the kind of guy homeowners want to call at midnight when their basement floods. He first earned his home improvement stripes as a professional home inspector, amassing over 20 years experience learning how houses are put together, and how they fall apart!
Here are his selections for the Most Memorable New Home Product Launches of 2012:
These windows are an excellent choice to replace old, drafty windows that are hard to open or require frequent scraping and painting. Andersen has made it so that installing these windows couldn’t be easier. The 400 Series Tilt-Wash Double-Hung Insert Window is custom sized to fit inside an existing window frame. Just remove the top and bottom sash and insert the new window. It’s a great DIY project that requires only basic skills and no special tools. Plus, you can install the window from inside your home, making it easy to replace even second-floor windows. The tilt function makes it easy to clean them, and the low-maintenance exterior eliminates the need for paint. Plus, the high-performance Low-E4 glass provides superior energy-efficiency.
Every once in a while a company comes out with a truly unique innovation that completely takes me by surprise. Gyro is one of those products — the world’s first motion activated power screwdriver. It’s really cool and fun to use. Here’s how it works: the trigger is on the back of it, so when you squeeze the Gyro you engage the power switch. To turn it on, you rotate it to the right. It starts very slowly, and the more you turn, it goes full throttle. To slow it down you simply turn it back towards neutral or center, wherever you started with it. And then to reverse the direction, you simply turn it to the left. Gyro was developed by Black & Decker to give users more control over the application, both in speed and direction. And at a suggested retail price of $39.99, it’s both innovative and inexpensive!
The age-old problem of leaving lights on in empty rooms is solved with the Maestro Occupancy Sensing Switch from Lutron. It can detect motion so that it turns lights on when you enter a room and off when a room is empty. This hands-free technology makes life easier when you’ve got an armful of laundry or groceries, and it’s great for a household with kids who might not always remember to turn off the lights when they leave a room. It’s also convertible to manual on/off vacancy sensors for use in bedrooms and homes with pets. You can install it in 15 minutes or less, and it works with all types of light bulbs, including LED, CFL, tube fluorescent, halogen and incandescent. And by replacing just one standard light switch with a Maestro Occupancy Sensing Switch, you can save up to $25 in energy costs.
This $10 million prize-winning light bulb is an answer to our energy future that’s here today – selected by the U.S. Department of energy as the most energy efficient-alternative to the standard 60-watt incandescent bulb. Philips 10-watt LED bulb lasts 30 times longer – up to 27 years!! – and can save you up to $165 in energy costs over the life of the bulb. Wave goodbye to the hassle of changing bulbs frequently and pat yourself on the back for choosing a bulb that’s smart for the planet AND your wallet. Philips 10-watt LED bulb is fully dimmable and provides soft white light with virtually no UV in the beam, so it won’t fade fabrics. And it’s designed in a traditional bulb shape that will fit right into your existing fixtures.
As a nation, we flush away billions of gallons of water every day. You can be part of the solution by improving a water-wasting toilet in your own home. Fluidmaster’s Duo Flush is an innovative system that converts any toilet into a high-efficiency, water-saving dual flush toilet that saves you money to boot. It provides up to 50% water savings with every flush, and can knock your water bill down by more than $120 a year per toilet. It’s easy to install – takes just 20 minutes – and easy to use: Just lift the handle up for a half flush and push it down for a full flush. You’ll be reducing your annual water usage by more than 15,000 gallons, and the planet will thank you.
Amanda Shih, our pet expert and dog trainer, walker, groomer and boarder created her blog, Doggie Product Review, to provide other dog owners with helpful, easy to understand product reviews. Based in Chicago, she reviews toys, treats, food and general tools. Here is her list of the top Five Most Memorable 2012 Pet Products.
Absolutely New’s Treat Launcher™eliminates getting doggie drool on your hands and makes feeding time fun! Simply pull the trigger and a single piece of food is launched into the air. Not only is this a great way to give your dog exercise, it also feeds your dog at the same time.
The DogGone Smart Pet Bed is the latest high tech product to hit the market for dog beds. The truly amazing water-resistant Dog Gone Smart Pet Bed leaves your dog’s bed clean without compromising on fabric feel or comfort.
Bionic Toss N Tug Toyfloats, flies, and is guaranteed to be chewed and not break or Bionic will give you a new one for free! The demo video for this cool toy shows how it can survive a blender and still look like new.They also have models that can be filled with treats to provide hours of safe fun for your pooch.
Frosty Bowlzhas a freezable insert that will keep your pet’s water ice cold for up to 18 hours! A must for hot summer days.
Pet Paintis just that: safe, non-toxic, and veterinarian approved paint for your dog. The first-of-its-kind, this product is sure to leave a lasting memory when you paint on your team’s colors. Imagine the looks your dog will draw at parades, social events, and parties all painted up and ready to show!
The year 2012 has introduced us to many new pet products. What do you think is the best new product? Which would you be most likely to try? Make sure to check back toward the end of the year, when we will be revealing our Most Memorable New Product Launch survey final results.
No one launches products like Apple, and you can learn a lot from their hugely successful Apple Conference 2012 event. These events have become so iconic, they have truly changed the game when it comes to press conferences.
SA’s EVP Julie Hall and marketing coordinator Noel Fisher discuss how Apple manages to build buzz and gain media attention using the very traditional press conference.
A snapshot of the 2011 MMNPL survey results was featured in the January 18 edition of USA Today. The USA Today Snapshot, titled “Most Memorable Product Launches of 2011,” displays the top product launches of last year. The survey conducted by research partner Sentient Decision Science polled a national sampling of consumers who named the Kinect for Xbox 360 as the most memorable product launch of 2011, with Nintendo 3DS and the Chevy Volt (tied), and Wendy’s Natural Cut Fries rounding out the top three spots.
To read more about the 2011 MMNPL survey, Click Here.
Range Rover has rolled out an impressive campaign to launch the 2012 Evoque. The initial launch event in July 2010 showcased the new compact SUV model, the smallest of the Range Rover line. The Evoque has all of form and function of other Range Rovers, but with greater fuel-efficiency because it 35% lighter than the Range Rover Sport. The launch event was held at Kensington Palace in London in a partnership with Vogue magazine, and closely resembled a fashion show, (appropriate given that Range Rover named Victoria Beckham as the creative design executive behind Evoque.)
Recently Range Rover has been ramping up its marketing with a trans-continental concertevent May 21st featuring Cee Lo Green in Times Square, Paolo Nutini in Milan and Mark Ronson in Shanghai performing simultaneously. Evoque models were lined up on the square along with interactive displays, so that attendees could look “under the hood” of the new vehicles. This is part of a 100-city global Evoque tour that Range Rover is calling “The Pulse of the City,” playing off the Evoque’s city-friendly size and style.
To capitalize on the personalization trend we have seen in so many new product introductions, Range Rover hired The Brooklyn Brothers, and Somesuch & Co to produce an interactive online promotional video, Being Henry. The trailer coaxes viewers to visit the website and make in-video choices for the protagonist, Henry, by dragging him or clicking on options – like a modern, interactive “Choose Your Own Adventure.”
The video is quirky, and the events that unfold are hilariously unexpected. The video theme supports the Evoque’s customizable features, as well as the tag line Range Rover is using for the vehicle: Where will you end up?
Following the trend of stylized, smaller vehicles like the Mini wagon and Nissan Juke, the Range Rover is an SUV that provides an attractive, more fuel efficient option at a time when gas prices are rising precipitously.
Procter & Gamble Co. is launching its biggest laundry detergent innovation in decades: Tide Pods. These highly concentrated tablets – two times more concentrated than the regular Tide liquid – have three chambers of detergent inside a plastic film that dissolves in cold water. The tablets contain only ten percent water, and can be used in regular and high-efficiency machines.
Even though the U.S. market has traditionally resisted using laundry tablets, Proctor & Gamble is backing Tide Pods with a $150 million marketing campaign. “We want marketing that’s as innovative as the product technology,” said Alex Keith, VP of North American laundry in an interview with Ad Age. “The powder-based tablets we launched last time came right as the market was making an inflection point toward liquid detergents.” Tide’s goal is to shift the work of pre-treating, soaking, and other laundry-related tasks to the detergent. The test results so far have been compelling; with 97 percent of test consumers agreeing that the new formula “provides excellent results with minimal time and effort.”
The media is already buzzing about the test launch that is scheduled for July, with the full line hitting shelves early next year. Originally planned for September, the Launch was pushed back due to high retail distribution demand. Procter & Gamble took a risk letting their competitors know about Tide Pods five months before it is available, but the brand is confident its patents will protect the product. “I don’t imagine that this is going to be able to be copied in any way that it will become a threat,” P&G Chief Executive Robert McDonald was reported as saying by Fox Business News.
Tide Pods follows in the footsteps of Tide Stain Release single-dose gel packets, launched in 2009, which have become the Stain Release line’s most popular product. Can a pod-ful of innovation and a $150 million marketing load change consumer thinking and habits? One thing is for sure: It will all come out in the wash.
Another new product that may be included in the Most Memorable New Product Launch Survey: MiO water-enhancer, by Kraft Foods.
Personalization is a popular trend among consumers, so what could be better than instantly mixing your own drink just the way you like it? Last month, Kraft launched its new caffeine free, artificially sweetened water-enhancer, Mio, in six different flavors.
MiO in Italian means “mine.” In an interview with Packaging Digest, Bridget MacConnell, senior manager, corporate affairs at Kraft Foods, explained “[that’s] what makes MiO so special—it lets me make my drink my way.” MiO senior brand manager Lisa Laibe talked with the Chicago Tribune about the idea of personalization. “Consumers are really looking to have their personal tastes reflect in all things they’re doing and using. It’s particularly important for millennials, which Kraft pegs as those age 18 to 39.”
Found in supermarkets and sold in a convenient, portable pod container, MiO allows you to add a touch of Berry Pomegranate, Strawberry Watermelon, Fruit Punch, Mango Peach, Sweet Tea or Peach Tea to water for a new way to experience your favorite flavor. Each bottle contains about 24 servings at a price of around $3.99.
To launch MiO, Kraft hired a familiar face from YouTube to be the spokesman for the campaign: Brian Gallivan, more commonly known as “Sassy Gay Friend.” Gallivan stars in a number of viral videos encouraging young women to “FTS: Flip it, tip it and sip it.”
Aside from the YouTube promotion, MiO is advertising on television, online and on Facebook. Free samples were sent out to 100,000 Facebook users in the weeks leading up to the launch as a giveaway promotion. Most of the consumer feedback was positive, and some fans even suggested new and creative ways to use MiO, like mixing it in ice cream, yogurt or soda.
With recent health news surfacing on the dangers of food colorings, MiO faces a challenge in connecting with health conscious consumers. Is MiO a beverage innovation, or a product launch with no real market? One thing is clear, MiO will be an interesting launch to watch in 2011.
A product launch that we’re watching: Orville Redenbacher’s New Microwave Popcorn Pop Up Bowl. By using innovative marketing strategies and creating a solution to a common snack-time problem, this product is a possible entry for this year’s Most Memorable New Product Launch.
Microwave popcorn lovers everywhere are familiar with the icky buttery hands that result from reaching into the bottom of a microwave popcorn bag. Orville Redenbacher has launched an innovative packaging solution to produce a clean and enjoyable popcorn eating experience: the Pop Up Bowl, now available at Walmart. “This is the biggest thing to happen to popcorn in 25 years,” says Jesse Spungin, general manager at Orville Redenbacher. The new packaging, available in Ultimate Butter, Smart Pop, Movie Theater Butter and Butter, makes sharing a popcorn bag easy without the hassle of rinsing out a bowl when you’re done. So what’s all the buzz about? The bag transforms into a bowl while in the microwave, so the only clean up required is tossing the empty bowl. In a society that relies on convenience and efficiency, a clean, fun and user-friendly package is the perfect improvement to everyone’s favorite snack.
The new packaging was launched towards the beginning of Orville Redenbacher’s Pop & Win Instant Win Game. Specially marked boxes of popcorn contain popcorn bags with heat activated game messages that announce whether or not the bag is a winner. Winning bags contain a code to be entered online to redeem prizes that range from HDTVs and Wii consoles to games and digital cameras to grand prizes like a $10,000 Game Room Bundle or a $10,000 Home Theater Makeover.
Before the Pop Up Bowl launch in February, bloggers and Blissdom 2011 social media conference attendees were sent samples of the product to generate internet buzz. A large portion of the reviewers are moms who shared the popcorn bowl with their families. The FoodYouLove Youtube channel features a video demonstrating the convenience of the Pop Up Bowl as opposed to traditional bags of popcorn. A SmartSource $1 off printable coupon is circulating online, and The Orville Redenbacher Facebook page is also marketing the new product, emphasizing the easy cleanup and share-ability of the packaging.
So far, reviewers are raving about the Pop Up Bowl. It has already been featured on The View’s blog as one of this year’s hottest food trends. With a no mess, easy to use package and faster preparation time, it’s a wonder this hasn’t been thought of before. The Pop Up Bowl is sure to be a revolutionary product that pushes the snack food industry to reconsider packaging as vital to product differentiation. Environmentalists will approve of the waste saved from using napkins. Clean, convenient, easy to eat – what’s not to love?
Schneider Associates (SA) is a full service public relations firm that specializes in Launch Public Relations®. SA launches products, services, companies, and communities for clients ranging from entrepreneurial firms to the nation's largest corporations. CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
Sentient Decision Science
Sentient Decision Science was created to bring the visionary advances from the behavioral sciences to the business community in a practical and accessible format in order to move global business forward. Sentient's mission is to become the most sought after resource for behavioral insight by providing unrivaled business advantage to their clients and advancing human knowledge on the drivers of behavior.CLICK HERE TO LEARN MORE
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