I am surprised microban does not offer an anti-microbial door handle for public restrooms in restaurants, airports, malls, etc. Many people are very concerned about contamination following washing their hands and use a paper towel to open the door. Either automatic doors and/or anti-microbial door handles would help alleviate this concern. The door handle approach would likely be cheaper.
This is a bit far reaching, but interesting and I am sure underdevelopment, nonetheless:
Provide feedback and communication between vehicles on the freeway. Each car knows where each car is. It can utilize GPS as well as range finding technology such that a car maintains a known distance from the car in front of it which maintains a safe distance with the car in front of it and etc. This would obviously just work in the far left (speed) land. Would improve efficiency and reduce accidents given the technology is proven.
For the man or woman that has everything, including a pool, a love of 'gizmos' and is a data hound.
A small, floating thermometer that wireless transmits temperature data to a stand alone monitor (much like the weather monitors popular today) or to a computer which can track the temperature data over time.
The floating monitoring device could also have additional sensors to monitor pool water such as salinity, chlorine, pH, turbidity, etc. added over time. The device will have a solar panel on the top and have rechargeable battery, obviously too low of a voltage to produce any injuries.
Here is a very simple and basic idea. I am surprised it has not been implemented yet.
Essentially combine tupperware type food storage container with zip-lock bags. When empty the container can be collapsed.
These containers would hold solid food, but liquids as well. They will have a wide mouth for easy cleaning. Eventually, the container will be disposed of, but it is good for a dozen or so uses.
The cap will be designed to act as a vent for when heating in the microwave. Additionally, the customer can buy different colored caps to denote different stored items.
Very inexpensive service to start up.
A blog that summarized business week, the wall street journal, investors business daily, forbes magazine, etc. The highlights broken down by investments, markets, insights and trends in each of the publications and summarized. A cliff notes for business publications. Free service paid for by advertisements. As an added service, common denomenators between the publications can be highlighted. For instance, if business week and forbes both recommend a stock, this would be pointed out to the reader.
XM Radio has its work cut out for it. It has numerous competitors and an industry that is not fully proven and whose future is uncertain. Currently, XM radio has competition from the other satellite radio station, Sirius. It also has to compete with the traditional radio format, MP3 players and recorded music. When WiMAX, WiFi with broadband capability, is widely release XM will have an additional competitor.
I think the future does not look bright for either of the satellite radio companies, and they must figure a way to market themselves to ensure survival.
I do not think advertising for additional revenue is a wise choice. Part of the reason people choose them is the lack of sponsors. If they have sponsors, they will have lost a competitive advantage of traditional radio.
Adding satellite radio capability to airlines is a wise move. They need to continue to develop partnerships. If they for instance, could permit recording of songs (or even certain song) off their players directly to MP3 format then they would evolve a place for themselves in the future. Even if the song 'expired' off the player in a certain amount of time they would gain market share I believe.
XM could implement this concept with joining with one of the 'underdog' MP3 manufacturers. The device could both receive XM Radio, but also record the music. The would obviously require 'buy in' from the music industry. Setting a digital rights time limit may alleviate some 'angst' from the music labels. Special live broadcasts that could be recorded for a fee would also be an advantage.
New packaging design for shaving cream and razor manufacturers such as gillette. Innovative packaging design would enable a razor, such as the mach 3, to conveniently 'snap' into place on the shaving cream can. This packaging will be innovative and different in shaving cream package design, but also allow the consumer one unit to store instead of two. The can will be designed to house the addtional razor cartridges for the razors.
cell idea number 1:
Large retailers such as The Home Depot and Wal-Mart should post 'cell assist numbers' throughout the store. A shopper can call the number on his or her cell phone, be directed to a sales and or technical expert on a particular subject for information on a 'how to' project or, for example, just to find out what isle in store #43 (store number is listed at each store) vick's vapor rub is located. Once smart phones are video capable, store such as The Home Depot will be able to send a video to the customer on a specific project, such as 'installing dry wall'.
cell idea number 2:
why not just have a number you can call, on the other end is an individual with a computer and an internet connection. This is your 'command central'. You can ask for anything when outside the reach of an internet connection. The cost will be free. User just has to listen to ads. Eventually advancing technology may make this feature obsolete. Maybe be a good augmented service to cell phone service providers at a minimal cost.
I am sure this idea has been applied to entertainment before, but it would be new to me so it may and should have a rebirth.
The idea is simple. Line up a well balanced mix of products and services that support a specific life-style or character. For instance, a network wants a series about a spy. What does a spy need? A watch, an umbrella, food, fashion, housing…
These products would develop and follow the development of the show. Essentially this idea is a cosmopolitan magazine in TV media format!
For instance, our spy walks across a room with a ‘where’s waldo’ type feel with products and pieces of the story embedded into the scene. The commercials will only be commercials in the sense that they highlight a specific product, but at the same time a little known detail of the story line. It will essentially be a mini-side story revealing a detail that the viewer may have missed during the main characters stroll across a room. For more information about the story and side-stories the viewer can go to the internet.
IN addition, a website with facts and background information will be updated as the story on the television unfolds. On the web site, the viewer can see a map of where the character is moving in the city on the show, real time. And learn about the capabilities of his new Garmin GPS device. Or the viewer can learn details about the main character’s watch and how it works and how the character used his car in the way that he did…
In short, the advertisements, story and web-links are all embedded together with no discernable difference between them. The entire hour is entertainment connected to a single story.
I am surprised there has been no consolidation in the micro brewery market. The only quality beers that come to mind that are public and have relatively decent distribution networks are Boston Beer (Samual Adams), Pyramid Brewing and Sierra Nevada. Would it make sense to consolidate a lot of the smaller breweries, keep them independent but combine distribution channels?
Simple and easy ideas:
Picking up Doggie Doo Doo is not fun. Picture the advertisement. A driver of a BMW gets out of his car with his exquisite dog. They go on a nice walk. The dog does this ‘doodie’ and our friend has to lean over and pick up stinky, wet and gross dog doodie.
This product idea aims to make this task less disgusting and less demeaning. This product idea consists of a carry bag, spray can and cover disks. After your dog does his business, the can of activating microbial agents will be sprayed on the waste and aid in waste breakdown. Then a cover disk made of biodegradable material such as recycle news papers and coconut husks will be placed on top of the waste so not to upset others. The disks will be marked with advertisements for non-profits, ecological ideas, insightful thoughts and tips for pet owners.
A novelty item for SUV owners. Most 4X4 driving SUV owners never get them dirty. Most SUVs are sparkling clean. This novelty item is “’Off Roadin’ in a can’ for that SUV owner that doesn’t…”
Picture snow in a can, but this is mud in a can to be sprayed by the wheel wells to give an SUV that overworked and official look. Obviously the substance in the can has to look like mud and actually not harm the paint but make provide some protection to scratches and dents and dings. For novelty purposes.
Last idea is for the kitchen. A two part sponge for wiping down counters. Top part of sponge contains soap and water and the bottom half of sponge has just water to wipe up the soap. Picture the moisturizing strip on a razor. Same concept but with a sponge. Instead of moisturizing the sponge picks up the soapy water.
An evolution of financial planing software is Life Planning Software. Intuit and Micorosoft may want to explore the possibilities of building upon the finanacial planning software foundation they have laid. Afterall, once you have the money what are you going to do with it?
I believe this concept should be marketed with a blogging and community aspect. People talking to people about their dreams and transitions into new phases of life. For example, the life planning software will ready an individual transitioning in his or her last year of working into retirement. It will assist him or her in establishing a blog to talk abou the transition, tie him or her into a community of like minded individuals and prioritize his life planning priorities with the dollars needed for each concept. It can directly tie him or her to an active adult community and meet the people that will be his neighbors.
The LPP (or Life Planning Priorities) is the basis of the life planning sofware. The software tool will assist the user in identifying his or her goals and aspirations. It will weight the varying goals with the variables of time, effort and dollars. This tool will walk the user through to the end point they actually want to reach, but may not or have not been able to articulate.
The products on the market today will assist in saving money, investing money, making a will, paying off a car, paying for college, what type of life insurance to buy. But all of these factors are means to an end. Most users are not sure what their end is. Without an end in mind, how can you have any means.
"If you don't know where you are going, you will probably wind up somewhere else." Yogi Berra
SC Johnson and Company, maker of ZipLock storage bags, should offer it's ziplock branded bags to store snacks and breakfast cereals for company's such as Frito-Lay and Kellogg. The newly designed bags, specifically for 'Snack Freshness', offers ziploc and additional market, the orginal product packaging market. It offers the snack and cereal makers a packaging competitive advantage over other snack makers.
Microsoft has attempted the impossible. To dethrone the king of the MP3 player hill. So far it looks like the Zune is going to come up short.
Microsoft has an advantage that Apple doesn't. A beachhead has been established in the digital living room. The Xbox factor needs to be incorporated into the Zune's functionality. Microsoft needs to do several things:
Establish its concept of a digital ecosystem. Which involves how each piece of this ecosystem and how they are going to play together. It must be in the Zune's future that it will play with it's counterpart, the Xbox. Why wait? Start now.
Microsoft needs to create a name for this network of devices to avoid confusion. And they all need to link on the web via the live concept. Right now it is too confusing and fractured. They have live.com, xbox live, and Zune marketplace. If they are going with the 'live' marketing it should have been 'zune live'. Then everything can interact on live.com. Go with something catchy, "EcoLive". Counter the Ipod, "I", that is being incorporated in all things Apple. Good marketing. It creates a one vision for the consumer to to identify with.
Downloading songs to the Xbox makes sense. Easily transfering those files via wifi to the Zune should have been implemented.
The Zune should build upon the Xbox gaming capabilities. Your zune could be a 'mini map' of a game board that each player is privy too. The zune could display your 'hand' in a game of poker on the xbox. The possibilities are endless and a new and novel approach to the gaming ecosystem and give micorosoft something to boast about to fend off the Wii new controller. “look, we have a nifty gizmo too...can't do that with your ipod or Wii...”
The intent here is for a partnership between Apple computers I tunes software and radio operated by Clear Channel. The I Tunes radio stations will identify new music for the listeners. Stations will have different hosts, focusing on different genres of music, interviews with bands, and insights. These stations will have minimal to no advertisements since they drive customers to I tunes. The stations should be run in a manner similar to high school and college radio stations with different themes. The stations will be connected to I Tunes such that the user will be able to identify what song they heard and at what time. If heard on the radio station a slight discount code can be applied. Clear Channel obvious benefits. They evolve an ability to compete in a world where more people listen to ipods instead of the radio. Implement in one or two major metro areas.
