Anyone know how I would go about this?

[Young Hove]

I have invented this really great product, and have taken a lot of time with it, and have taken the time to get it pattented, so no one else can copy it. The product is called Pophorn. It's basically like a cone, that you eat popcorn out of, that doubles as a makeshift megaphone. It's a printed recyclable material, made from cardboard, and is printed with graphics. So that it is a "team" item For example, I sold 50,000 of them already to the Anaheim Angels. They're like horns, with the personalized Angels logo on them, after you're done eating the popcorn. It would cost concessionaire's the same amount as regular popcorn bags (for both the stadium/team, and the fans), and up their popcorn sales dramatically, since everyone would want to be yelling something, or making noise at the game.

Now the reason why I got the in with Angels, is because my parents print flyers for them. I am looking to take it to more than just MLB baseball though, maybe youth leagues as a fundraisers, the NBA, NHL, and basically any sport where they would allow such an item (In the NFL, they will not allow noise-enchancing items). So I've got this great product, but I just need a little help with ideas on how to get ahold of the right people to market this stuff to. Any advice is greatly appreciated.

[AnticorRifling]

Easiest way is cold calls. Call the team, find out their marketing person and setup a meeting. Pitch your item and boom. Requires travel but if you want to make the item take-off you gotta do what you gotta do. Website wouldn't hurt either.

[DeV]

Referrals... find out if anyone from the Angels can refer you to other behind the scenes persons from different teams in the league. Local high schools, colleges, and universities may be a more workable selling point until you get your feet in the door some more. You might also try advertising through your local Chamber of Commerce.

[Sean of the Thread]

Too bad popcorn tastes like shit.

[AnticorRifling]

You know you have to pop it first right?

[Sean of the Thread]

You know you have to pop it first right?

Dammit.. I knew it wasn't sposed to be that crunchy.


On a side note.. how the hell did you get a patent on something men have been doing in movie theaters for years with a slightly different "twist"???


Cold calls are great. Make a LLC.. make media for your new LLC and product... buy a mailing lists tuned to your demographics... do mass mailings....include demo product... instead of doing cold calls yourself get a leads list that matches your mailing list and contract it out to a third party outbound room..get testomonials from the anaheim whatever they want to call themselves this year... get a player endorsement... get a popcorn endorsement.. get a vendor endorsement..


Sorry for the above I was just free form storming. Best of luck to you pal! Great to see people succeed in this world.

[AnticorRifling]

A bucket of corn with a hole in the bottom so your date feels a flesh suprise in the popcorn is in no way shape or form the same thing as this idea. I'm not saying your idea is bad, just not the same.

Besides real men do that trick with the soda then she's all "OMG this soda has the biggest straw ever!!one1"

Nub

[Drew]

Having done a lot of work with patents I know the amount of time put into it is certainly enough so that you know how to spell 'patent' when you are done. I imagine it's not actually patented, he just doesn't want anyone stealing his idea.

[Artha]

Having done a lot of work with patents I know the amount of time put into it is certainly enough so that you know how to spell 'patent' when you are done. I imagine it's not actually patented, he just doesn't want anyone stealing his idea.
The word only appears once, it could pretty easily be a typo.

[Sean of the Thread]

I was going to say something about that my first post. The is also a HUUUGE amount of money required for a patent. There is also zero reference on U.S. patent site. I didn't want to pwn warclaidhm's glory tho.

[Young Hove]

Thanks for the advice so far. My dad actually helped me design and get a patent on the item (pardon my typo earlier). This has been in the works for awhile, so it's not like I am "just saying that". I'm hoping selling these things should be like shooting fish in a barrel, but I just gotta meet the right people. It's a lowcost item, so many stadiums/teams wouldn't making a huge investment to see if they work at improving their popcorn sales, and it would cost the same amount as a regular popcorn container. You guys can call bullshit if you want, but I am going to really hustle this so one day you will be using one of my pophorns... Then see if I'm bullshitting. :-)

[longshot]

I'm sure a message board for a text-based roleplaying game will give you all the advice that you need.

Best of luck to you, dumbshit.

[Young Hove]

I am just getting all the ideas I can... Good ideas come from the most unthought of places, asshole. Go be negative someone else.

[Apotheosis]

First and foremost, figure out who's in charge of making the purchase decision for this sort of product. Mail everyone in their office product samples, explanation of the product, perhaps with photos of them being used , along with appropriate contact information. Follow up with a call every week or so afterwards.

Hell, you should even send some to the publicity office of the teams (or stadiums).

Knock on doors if that doesn't work (or knock on them first). Approach the larger stadiums first, because they're going to bring the most initial revenue. If your production process needs tweaking, approach the smaller stadiums first.

In addition, if there are any trade or industry magazines, you could purchase some advertising space in them, and/or see if you can get a product placement in your article (after all, there's a team that already uses them).

Key selling points: No additional cost, team branded product/doubles as entertainment device. Fans would love it. There's absolutely NO RISK involved on the product purchase, so the main point is to get it to everyone involved in the purchase desicision (including influencers).

Make sure it's easy for them to order as well, cause if it's a good product, but they can't order it easily, they'll get frustrated. Set up a simple website with product info, and forms for purchase inquiries (should be fairly inexpensive).

As far as the printing angle's concerned: Some companies can be picky about color, although in the sporting industry, that's not as likely to be the case. But make sure you know your color.

Logistics: Make sure you can produce and deliver agreed upon amounts on the deadline they're requested.

Am I leaving anything out?


(The previous approaches are more likely going to be most effective).



Your next challenge is how to make more "fun" concession products.


Additional ideas....

- Barring that, if it's cost effective enough, you could just target another stadium of your choice and pass out samples to people walking in. Explain to them what the thing is for (their popcorn), and show them how they can make a ton of noise with the product.

(another take on the above idea)

- You could also go to the stadium with a group of your friends (20 - 30 people, maybe?), spread them around the stadium, and have them eat out of and alternatively use the horns (preferably near areas where the people you want to notice them are going to be). Make sure your friends can point the people in your direction.

- You could sell the product to (or through) their existing vendors

- You could rely on the "Word of Mouth" generated by the product itself. There's a possibility that other team executives would see it, and want it as well.

- The last sly thing that I can think of would be to try and get some "Pophorns" directly in the executive boxes.

My consulting fee for this one is $5,000, mail it to georgi =D

[Apotheosis]

an additional thought...

if you go the mailer route hire an ingenious designer (me) to come up with a way to turn the product (the pophorn) into the mailer. That way, it shows the idea fast, along with a message as to HOW much it costs (comparing it to their current packaging), and WHERE they can purchase it (the web).

[Drew]

I was going to say something about that my first post. The is also a HUUUGE amount of money required for a patent. There is also zero reference on U.S. patent site. I didn't want to pwn warclaidhm's glory tho.



Not really, exactly. It's a huge amount of money or a huge amount of your time. One or the other.