by: Geoff Ficke

The Pedestrian Umbrella Becomes a Prized Luxury Accessory When Made by Swaine Adeney Brigg 

People of a certain age will well remember the classic British television series “The Avengers”. The shows main character Steed was as famous for the umbrella he wielded as for the daring skirmishes undertaken to save Britain from sinister evil do-er’s. Steed’s formidable sidekick, the gorgeous Emma Peel quipped, “I’d like you to listen to this umbrella”. The Whangee umbrella that was utilized so memorably as a prop in the show actually possesses quite an interesting history. 

For over 250 years the venerable London store of Swaine Adeney Brigg has supplied British gentlemen with equestrian and country clothing, leather goods and umbrellas. Located in the St. James area, one of London’s most exclusive, and home to the most influential gentlemen’s clubs, the store has supplied the elite of British society virtually since opening in 1750. 

The umbrella for which Swaine Adeney Brigg is famous is the Brigg umbrella, the same umbrella used by Steed, business tycoons, actors, politicians and discerning British gentlemen for generations. Designed originally by Thomas Brigg, the Brigg Umbrella has served Queen and country for most of the past 250 years. England’s famously damp and dreary climate makes the umbrella a vital accessory, and no British gentleman would be caught carrying anything but a Brigg umbrella.  

Swaine Adeney Brigg enjoys a Royal Warrant from the Prince of Wales for the Brigg umbrella. They have kept the Royal Family dry for generations. A Brigg umbrella can cost from $500 to $2,000 per piece. The store creates units to order and will customize assembly and detail as per client requirements. This level of service and luxury is emblematic of the British bespoke tradition. The Brigg umbrella enjoys added fame for its eccentric appearance, including gold and silver

Collar’s which can be engraved. 

The Whangee style of Brigg umbrella is the most popular. Whangee is a type of bamboo which is grown in very specific soil on a steep gradient. This exposes the bamboo to the elements more fully. After harvesting on bamboo plantations in Asia it is then shipped to England. At the Company’s factory the shoots are bleached, boiled and then straightened. It is then worked into the artesian designed handles that are attached to the proprietary Briggs shaft and frame. 

Swaine Adeney Brigg has created a unique niche for all of their product offerings. In addition to Brigg umbrellas the Company has maintained Royal Warrants for other products and is most proud of its long relationship with the House of Windsor. 

Any visit to London is enhanced by a walk through the grand St. James area and time spent at Swaine Adeney Brigg. This most British emporium is a throwback to a time when product construction was paramount and personal. Modern Marketing Strategies required to commercialize Brigg umbrella’s and the Company’s other Luxury Goods is unnecessary. History, referrals, word of mouth and the never changing desirability for the acquisition of the “best” insures this famous store’s continued success. Do not miss it if you travel to great Britain.

Duquesa Marketing, Inc.

www.duquesamarketing.com

Press Release

For Immediate Release:

June 18, 2011

Contact:  Geoff Ficke

 859-567-1609

 gficke@msn.com

 Renowned Swiss Jeweler Gilbert Albert and Prima Ballerina Nina Ananiashvili to Award 3^rd “Star” Prize

Rising International Ballet Talents to Be Honored June 27, 2011 At the Rustaveli State Theatre in Tblisi, Goergia 

Geneva, Switzerland Famed Swiss Jeweler Gilbert Albert, announced today that he and Prima Ballerina Nina Ananiashvili will jointly award the third annual “Star” prize to rising young ballet talents at a special show, June 27 at the Rustavelli State Theatre in Tblisi. Mr. Albert and Ms. Ananiashvili pioneered the award in 2003 to recognize the importance of supporting and encouraging young ballet artists. 

“Previous winners of the “Star” include magnificent young talents such as Lasha Khozashvili of the Boston Ballet, Yevgenia Obraztsoza of the Mariinsky Theatre of St. Petersburg and David Hallberg of the American Ballet Theatre, among others”, said Nina Ananiashvili. “Winning the”Star” award is confirmation within the Ballet world of the excellence of these amazing young talents”.  

The “Star” was designed and created by legendary Master Jeweler Gilbert Albert, who is renowned for his use of natural elements in each of his creations. “The “Star” is made in the form of a Sea Star”, said Mr. Albert. “Of course, I could have looked at the sky, but then the “Star” would not have been so stunning.” The prize piece is made from a laced form with pink diamonds on a black deck. 

Gilbert Albert, in addition to his renown as Switzerland’s most honored living jeweler, is famed for his philanthropy and support of the performing arts and environmental organization and issues. His collaboration with Nina Ananiashvili to pioneer the coveted “Star” prize is indicative of this commitment.

by: Geoff Ficke

The Importance of “Instant Gratification” When Marketing Consumer Products

I remember as a little boy the excitement of shopping for a new car with my father. Dad was a Chevrolet man. He always bought cars from the same dealership and the same salesman. We would walk the lot, climb into various models, review the stickers for price and features, and then dad would go into a little cubicle with the salesman and make the deal. 

This was always a big event at our house. And yet, we always left the dealership without the new car. Dad would explain that the car had to be ordered. The color or special feature or exact model he wanted was not in stock. In the 1950’s most new car dealers only stocked a few examples of each model on their lots. The concept of inventory floor planning and instant consumer credit that became so ubiquitous was several decades away. We had to wait for the factory to produce and ship the car, typically four to six weeks, and my father had to arrange financing on his own. Those six weeks were always full of anticipation. 

Needless to say this put a crimp in sales flow. When I bought my first new car in 1970 I clearly remember the difference between my experience and my fathers. I bought a 1970 Oldsmobile Toronado. The car was test driven, my old car traded, the deal negotiated, papers signed and I had the keys and was out of the dealer’s door with the new car in about one hour. The immediate benefit of instant gratification was obvious to me then, and is more obvious as a professional Marketing Consultant today. 

Marketers know that instant performance is a huge Sales benefit. Weight Loss Products always include specific Performance Guarantees.  Anti-Aging Skin Care Products show before and after photos of treated skin and include a time performance reference. Note how many products, from Car Polishes to Vitamins to Wellness Products use the word “Instant” in their Marketing Campaigns. 

Instant Gratification is expected in today’s bustling Consumer Product Marketplace. Consumers will desert Retail stores that maintain even a small level of out of stock items. Advertised specials must be available, and in sufficient quantity to meet demand. The explosion of consumerism that began in the 1970’s has only been possible because the supply chain has expanded to support the consumers desire to purchase and enjoy Consumer Products immediately.

Furniture manufacturers have always had a difficult time fulfilling the “Instant Gratification” demand. Chairs and Sofas are available in hundreds of colors and upholstering options. Case goods come in many styles as well. No store can carry such a wide variety. Ikea solved this dilemma by creating the concept of Mass Marketed “knock down” Furniture. Ikea did not invent “knock down” Furniture, but they perfected the commoditization of the product and the opportunity for consumers to select from a wide assortment and instantly take the item home in their van or truck. 

Tooth Whitening has become a big business in recent years. All of the major Oral Care companies, Procter & Gamble, Colgate and Unilever Market proprietary Brands of whiteners. Many shopping malls have storefronts that Sell Tooth Whitening services. Typically these products are used daily for up to 30 days to see results. 

Recently I saw a Tokyo retailer that was offering a product called Makeup for Teeth. Like Lipstick or Eye Makeup, this product is painted onto the teeth each day and is removed each evening by brushing. Application of the product provides immediate whitening, “Instant Gratification”, not 30 day performance. The product is sweeping across Japan. 

My Consumer Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm launches a number of new items for clients each year. We work in every Consumer Product category. In order to differentiate these products from larger competitors we often utilize a performance Feature and/or Benefit Marketing Campaign related to “Instant Gratification”. You must be able to demonstrate the utility of the product and substantiate the validity of the claim when using this Marketing Strategy. But it does work.

by: Geoff Ficke

An Old Mustard Brand Teaches the Power of Marketing Exclusivity 

The practice of Brand Exclusivity is one that consumers associate with Luxury Goods categories such as Cosmetics, Perfumery, Jewelry, Fashion or Automobiles. The Marketing Strategy utilized to keep product distribution limited, pricing levels maintained and supply levels tightly controlled is synonymous with Brands such as Estee Lauder Cosmetics and Fragrances, Bentley Automobiles, Gilbert Albert Jewelry and Balenciaga Haute Couture. The cost and rarity of these products contributes mightily to their desirability. 

My Product Development and Branding Consulting firm works with new clients to develop customized strategies for consumer product launches. More and more we are utilizing campaigns that employ key elements of Exclusivity. This strategy works, even for seemingly mundane products. Here is a famous example that has been applied to an item found in every household pantry: mustard. 

Most consumers would consider mustard to be a basic condiment. Sure, there are various styles, textures and colors of mustards. Most, however, would not think to apply an Exclusivity Strategy to Marketing a relatively common Food product such as Mustard. 

In 1747 Antoine Maille opened a store in Paris, France to sell his personally blended Mustard. The taste of Maille Mustard was so unique, the shop so successful that the store became a mainstay for French gourmands. In 1845 a second store was opened in Dijon. This is not exactly rapid expansion, but the limited production and availability of Maille Mustard products served to increase the Brand’s desirability for consumers. 

Maille Mustards are only available in original recipes from the two French eponymous stores. Owing to the potency of flavor, these Mustards are never over 10 days old when sold and must be consumed within 3 months for maximum taste. The original three styles of Maille Mustard, Chablis, Grape Juice and Honey, are still sold in the shops. Free tasting is encouraged. Batches of fresh pretzels are provided to make the sampling a most enjoyable experience. After the consumer selects their preferred style the Mustard is scooped and taken to packaging. The purchased quantity is placed inside special Maille crockery jars, corked for closure and wrapped in tissue. 

A milder, mass produced version of Maille Mustard is sold in the United States. Though slightly different from the original in taste, this style regularly wins taste competitions when placed against other mustards. 

The Company seeks to keep Maille Mustard unique, exclusive and highly desirable. This strict Marketing Discipline has enabled the firm to prosper. In keeping with modern technology and Brand Support the Company maintains a beautiful web-site, however, they have never allowed translation to any language beside French. 

This is an elegantly simple example of a 250 year old business that has taken a condiment and built a great Brand and interesting History by executing a classic Exclusivity Strategy. The two French shops are now tourist destinations. The small batch production is unique in an impersonal world of mass production. The customized assembly of the fill and packaging of the mustard in full view of consumers only adds to the products mystique. 

This strategy, employing Marketing Exclusivity, customized production and personalized attention to detail can be utilized by many artesian producers on a wide variety of products. It affords small businesses and Entrepreneurs the opportunity to compete and win against much larger competitors. This Marketing Strategy works and should be considered by more start-up businesses.

by: Geoff Ficke

The Crucial Importance of Crude Prototypes in Launching And Marketing New Consumer Products

The most spectacular example of stunning product design extant in the world today must surely be on display in Marinello, Italy at the Ferrari Auto works. Ferrari is the apex of beauty; exclusivity, performance and technology, all bundled into one visually stunning work of mobile art. The famous Prancing Horse icon, seen racing down a winding road, attached to a Ferrari is one of the most beautifully alluring visions in the world. 

The legendary Ferrari, so rarely seen on the road or in showrooms is the highest form of world famous Italian design. However, like any other car, the Ferrari is conceived only after small scale models and prototypes are made. Typically the first prototypes are crafted from clay. Then they are critiqued, tweaked and re-worked. Only after much prototype development work is conducted is the car ready to go to engineering for planning and detailed design and construction. 

The Ferrari is never produced from a single prototype design. The styling group is always looking to improve and enhance the design. Even when the silhouette of the shape appears perfect, the designers continue to strive for perfection. This drive to make a “Ferrari” is what makes the car so desirable. 

Consumer Products that are considered “Hard Goods” are always evolved from prototypes. Established Companies with sophisticated Engineering and Marketing Departments intentionally seek “crudeness” in early design. This relatively undefined “alpha” model is purposely created to spark creative input. Product Design Engineers have learned that a near perfect or too finished prototype results in too much agreement and too little critical thought. It is criticism that generates improvement. 

Toy Companies always utilize prototypes to pre-test responses from children before entering production. Jewelry manufacturers use wax and then alloy prototypes to insure integrity and detail of design. Sporting Goods, Small Electrics, Sporting Goods, Packaging Components and Pet Products are made in the same way.

Another reason to produce prototypes through a “crudeness” cycle is to insure proof of product performance. A Consumer Product that must be built from tooling in the manufacturing process requires a significant investment. The cost of a crude prototype can be a source of great savings by confirming the Features and Benefits of the product before spending any monies on the construction of molds.

As the prototype is improved and finished it will take on the look of the go-to-market product that the Sales, Marketing and Branding departments will launch.

For Entrepreneurs the prototype process is crucial. My Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm works extensively with inventors and small businesses. The proper investment in obtaining a Production Quality Prototype is often an enterprise’ Achilles Heel. This is a reality that we must constantly restate. 

A few points that will reinforce the importance of securing Production Quality Prototypes: 

• Decision  Makers expect to see a working model in shelf-ready shape
• Garage, self-produced models demonstrate a lack of professionalism
• 3D CAD art used to create Prototypes is essential in learning Cost of Goods
• Manufacturing process requires a Release Packet based on the Prototype
• Finished Prototypes are the model for Manufacturing Execution
• We Pre-sell from Production Quality prototypes
• Prototypes determine unit carton packaging options
• Prototypes can be photo-shopped for producing Sales Collateral
• The Web-Site visuals can be created from Prototype images
• Do not expect the 1^st prototype to be perfect, “crude” is a good 1^st step

Multi-national Companies such as Toyota, Swatch or Unilever have extensive R&D and New Product Development budgets. Entrepreneurs typically do not. Nevertheless, the prototype development process will be the difference in whether most projects reach market. Do not skirt this step. There are no rewards for taking shortcuts.

by:Geoff Ficke

How to Fail at Launching a Clever, Novel Consumer Product!

The current economic malaise has created a surprising level of interest from entrepreneurs keen to launch a bevy of assorted consumer products. Our Marketing Consulting and Product Development firm is reviewing more submissions than we have seen in years. Every product category from Sporting Goods to Health and Beauty Aids to Fashion and Jewelry and everything in between seems to be drawing inventors seeking to launch their creations. 

This article is being written with a bit of a sense of frustration. As a Mentor and Professional Consultant it frustrates me to no end to review truly interesting Consumer Products and opportunities and then to realize that the project will go no further, ever! Why do I make such an absolute statement? Because the owners are sloppy, or are dreamers, or naïve or seeking shortcuts that always insure failure. Here is an example. 

This week we reviewed a new concept for a revolutionary Golf club. The submission was an interesting tease. We love Sporting Goods, and novel Golf Products especially, are always in demand. The written description held out the possibility that there were some truly unique Features and Benefits attached to the proposed club design. We organized a conference call with the Inventor. 

On the call, after the introductions were concluded, we asked for a verbal Executive Summary (an elevator speech) briefly describing the new Golf Club and its design variants, the cues that made it different from Golf Clubs we all know.

The Entrepreneur and his partner were dispassionate, almost clinical in describing their novelty. Our first mini-red flag popped up. 

I then walked the designers through a series of fairly standard questions that we utilize to understand where the project stands. These included the following:

• Do you have 3D CAD art?
• Do you have engineering plans?
• Have you submitted the design to the USGA for approval?
• Do you have a prototype or plans to make test units?
• Do you have a source to manufacture the Golf Club?
• Do you know the cost to tool or create molds?
• Do you know the Cost of Goods?
• Have you tested the concept to prove play benefits?
• Do you have a Business Plan?
• What is your goal for Harvesting a Financial Benefit from the product?

The answer to each question, except the last, was exactly the same. No! The answer to the final question was the standard “we want to sell, or license or partner in order for someone else to commercialize this idea we have”.

The project submission document seemed to have some legs. If the described design really worked this could have been an interesting opportunity in the golf industry. But the owners had conducted none of the crucial due diligence required to successfully license, fund or sell a product or project. They did not have enough commitment to invest themselves in the program. They were all too keen to involve others. This insures failure.

The first clue that this group was not serious was their demeanor while initially describing the Golf Club. It was cold. There was no passion. Listening, my team did not sense that they possessed any real excitement about the club. Successful entrepreneurs have a real sizzle for their ideas and concepts. This is always an obvious tell. This group was simply looking for an injection of money.

The series of questions I asked are standard boilerplate. No matter what type of project you are developing you will be confronted with these sorts of queries (with minor tweaks) and you had better have the answers. If you do not have the answers, or need to find the answers, professional help is always available to lead the way.

Let’s examine the answer to the last question. This is the key. Harvesting a financial benefit from a project only happens to those willing to fully commit their time, energies and resources to a campaign. Filing for a Patent is not a Business Opportunity for Investors. Most Patents are never commercialized. This opportunity fell on the sword of laziness and lack of effort.

Decision makers (i.e. Venture capital, Investors, Merchant Banks, Strategic Alliances, Partners, etc.) are looking for projects and owners that will run through a wall to insure that their product receives every consideration. If it was easy to launch a Business Opportunity everyone would be doing it, and they are not.

If you seek and require professional consideration, do not take shortcuts. Do not guess. Get the facts and needed details. Support your assumptions. Be prepared to fight. The competition is spirited and only the truly gritty win.

by: Geoff Ficke

The Rarest Most Exclusive Garment Wool in the World is Not for Sale 

For centuries the famous weavers of Kashmir have gathered and produced shawls from the rarest fiber in the world, Shahtoosh. These fabulous, prized shawls are so exclusive that the name Shahtoosh, meaning “king of fine wools”, is synonymous with exclusivity. The Kings of Persia were especially partial to this most unique wool, thus the name Shahtoosh. 

The rare Tibetan antelope called the Chiru is the only animal that produces Shahtoosh fibers. The chiru is exceedingly rare, lives in the most remote geography on the planet and is now on the international endangered species list. It is against the law to buy or sell new Shahtoosh shawls or woven products. Shahtoosh is still an object of great desire, and an even more interesting story.

The hair of the chiru is so exceedingly fine that it is considered impossible to weave, except by the Kashmiri weavers. Chiru wool fibers measure between 9 and 11 micro-meters in size. A completed Shahtoosh shawl can be passed through the inside diameter of a wedding ring. The finished pieces are exceedingly rare, priced for potentates purses only and lustily sought after. 

The chiru lives at an altitude of over 5000 meters. The chiru’s very light down fur is incredibly light, soft, strong and warm. For centuries the nomads of the Himalaya’s hunted the chiru for meat and skins. They had no use for the wool fiber. They could never figure how to weave it.

It wasn’t until the British Raj that appreciation and demand for the luxury and beauty of Shahtoosh and Pashmina was popularized. The British spread stories of the unique qualities of shawls made from Shahtoosh and the drive to harvest chiru was on. The chiru cannot be domesticated and the fiber is so difficult to handle that the only source of the animal’s wool was hunting, and ultimately over-hunting. 

The harvesting of chiru for their fine wool was fortuitous for Kashmir’s skilled weavers. Only they possessed the skill and patience to handle and produce shawls from the micro-fibers. Their fame spread worldwide. They prospered as demand for these loftily prices shawls boomed among the world’s elite.

Unfortunately for the Kashmiri weavers the laws of supply and demand cannot be suspended. As the chiru population became near extinct, and the animal became a protected species, the work of weaving Shahtoosh shawls disappeared. The fiber has virtually disappeared as international trade has been suspended. 

Today, the prime market for Shahtoosh shawls is in estate and private sales. The kashmiri weavers have not worked with the fiber for so long, that their weaving skills have atrophied and disappeared. There is a small bit of poaching of chiru occurring but not enough to sustain a commercial enterprise. The Shahmina fiber, a 13 micro-meter wool, is the nearest legally produced wool to approximate Shahtoosh. However, it is not considered as exotic or unique, though still expensive. 

The world’s rarest, most highly prized wool fiber is not for sale, at least legally. The demand would boom if supply could be maintained, and critically, there were artesian craftsmen like the Kashmiri weavers who could manage and control the impossibly difficult chiru wool. “The King of fine wool” is now but a great legendary exotic chimera.

by: Geoff Ficke

Did a Fragrance Really Trigger the Events That Led to the Infamous Beheading of Marie Antoinette? 

Jean-Francois Houbigant launched his famous Perfume atelier and shop on the Fauborg St. Honore in Paris in 1775. This was during the gilded age of French royalty and of the elite that that parasitically clung to the Court. Luxury, hedonism and sensuality were the cornerstones of life for these denizens of hedonism. 

Mr. Houbigant opened his shop and carried a beautiful basket of flowers over the threshold on its first day in business. The basket of beautiful flowers drew very favorable comment from his initial clients, so, being a clever Marketer he commissioned a sign to be painted representing the bouquet. This sign was hung over Houbigant’s shop door at 19, Fauborg St. Honore and became indelibly identified with the success of the Fragrances and Soaps produced therein. For decades Houbigant advertisements and handbills copy began with “At the sign of the Basket of Flowers”. 

The list of clients who frequented Houbigant included everybody who was anybody in pre-French Revloution Paris. Only the finest, rarest Toiletries were produced and made available at Houbigant. Dandies, church prelates, government ministers and military officers and their wives were listed on preserved invoices as having been customers. But it was the Royal Family and their Court members that conveyed a special patina on Houbigant. 

Alas, the glow of the royal life would be sundered by the violence and anarchy produced by the outbreak of the French Revolutionary. The rich and luxuriant class associated with all that was wrong in France was hunted down by the mob, instilled with the lust to remove those whom they perceived had caused their impoverishment and servitude.   

The Empress Marie Antoinette was certainly a prime target for revenge. Her ladies in waiting knew that she was a highly prized object of derision by the mob and that violence would be done her if caught. The Empress was purportedly bundled into a carriage and surreptitiously led away, hopefully to safety. 

The escape was foiled, however, when the carriage carrying Marie Antoinette became bogged down in the confusion of peasants fleeing the violence in all directions. There was a maelstrom of mob activity, noise and mistrust around her. Then someone sniffed an elegant scent emanating from a carriage. Only a person of real wealth and refinement could wear such a Fragrance. That person would naturally be an enemy of the enraged proletariat. 

And so, Marie Antoinette was captured by the mob. Her beautiful, refined Houbigant Perfume had signaled that she was definitely not one of the masses. This story has taken hold and become part of the legend of Houbigant. After the spouting the infamous quip, “Let them eat cake”, the Empress Marie Antoinette was unceremoniously beheaded. Houbigant survived the French Revolution. It seems that the new non-bourgeoisie rulers of France loved luxury Perfumery too. 

For the next 200 years Houbigant prospered, introducing over three dozen unique Fragrances including such classics as Quelques Fleur (1912) and Chantilly (1941). The luxury and exclusivity that Houbigant represented insured that stores around the world pampered the brand. 

Unfortunately, as so often happens when classic family nurtured brands come under the control of asset managers, Houbigant declined in the late 20^th century. By the 1980’s Houbigant products were only to be found in mass merchandise outlets. The Company was acquired out of bankruptcy by a start-up; Renaissance Fragrance. Renaissance itself filed for bankruptcy in 1999. 

By the beginning of the 21^st century the venerable House of Houbigant was no longer producing Perfume Products. The revered Brands that the Company had launched, nurtured and pampered had been watered down, diluted and were sold in deep discount chains. The Luxury Scents that had enchanted Marie Antoinette, and is said to have lead to her capture and subsequent execution, also has disappeared forever as a harbinger of beauty, quality and exclusivity.

by: Geoff Ficke

A Baby’s Illness Was Responsible for One of the World’s Most Revered and Iconic Brands 

There is barely a household anywhere in the world that is home to a baby that does not have a supply of Gerber Baby Food in the cupboard. The product is ubiquitous. The label is one of the most recognizable in the world. The story behind the germination of the brand is a testament to the old adage of   opportunity arising from ones life’s experiences. 

Daniel F. Gerber owned a Michigan-based Food canning Company in the 1920’s. In 1927 his seven month old daughter Sally became ill. Mr. Gerber’s wife Dorothy took little Sally to the child’s pediatrician. The Doctor advised Mrs. Gerber to put young Sally on a diet of strained, hard foods. This was an unusual prescription for that time. 

In the early 20^th century babies were not usually put on a hard or strained food diet until about the age of one year. Strained foods were a chore to create requiring a lot of preparation, boiling and mashing. There were no shelf ready strained fruits and vegetables. Mrs. Gerber took the task home and went to work. 

Daniel Gerber became interested in the straining process and quickly saw the Marketing and Sales opportunities that he believed a line of strained, canned, prepared foods would offer. After much testing, Gerber began to make strained baby food in five flavors: peas, carrots, prunes, spinach and vegetable beef soup. The Brand was almost an immediate hit. It was convenient and babies loved the product. Within six months Gerber Baby Food was being distributed nationally.

The Gerber Baby Food Company did a very clever thing to find a logo for its packaging. The Company publicized a contest for artists and consumers to submit drawings of possible label icons. The charcoal drawing submitted by Dorothy Hope Smith won the contest. The baby drawn was not Sally Gerber, but Ann Turner Cook, her neighbor’s child. Ms. Cook has been the famous Gerber Baby ever since. 

Sally Gerber played an interesting role in the Gerber Baby Food Company. As a 10 year old in 1938, she went to work in the firms Consumer Relations Office. She answered personally each letter sent by Gerber customers, and she continued this practice for many years. Ms. Gerber became a Senior Vice-President of the Company, a nice consolation for not being the face on the jars. 

Today Gerber offers more than 200 products sold in more than 80 countries with labels translated into 16 languages. The Company has expanded into Infant Toys, Youth Accessories, Juvenile Safety Products and Life Insurance for young families. Gerber controls more than 80% of the United States Baby Food market. In 2007 Nestle purchased Gerber for $5.5 billion. 

A baby was sick more than 80 years ago. Concerned parents took the baby to a doctor. The prognosis was to treat the child with strained fruits and vegetables. This everyday occurrence, one of the situations that every parent faces, resulted in discovering the process that birthed of one of the world’s great Consumer Product Brands. Smart Branding and Marketing, mated with an Entrepreneurial sensitivity for opportunity resulted in the creation of a Company which has enriched lives around the world. Oh… and the label is still one of the cutest ever seen on any product.

by: Geoff Ficke

Entrepreneurial Creativity Is Still Rife in the Fashion Jewelry and Cosmetic World 

My Product Development and Marketing Consulting firm has had a busy spring introducing a slew of new products in international cosmetic and jewelry industry trade shows. We participated in the largest Beauty and Fragrance Industry expo, Cosmoprof in Bologna, Italy. Immediately after Cosmoprof we were off to Basel World in Basel Switzerland, the premiere international couture watch and jewelry show in the world. This past week we finished a new Fashion Jewelry product launch at Couture Las Vegas, the exclusive American trade show for luxury jewelry product. 

These industry specific trade shows draw store buyers, distributors and vendors from every corner of the world. Cosmoprof offers products from the giants in the Cosmetic world such as Proctor & Gamble, Estee Lauder, Cosmair-L’Oreal and Shiseido. Basel World and Couture are utilized by internationally famous brands such as Harry Winston, Richemont, LVMH and Bulgari. All of the biggest players attend these expositions. And yet, the most interesting, exciting and well-shopped stands are often those representing small, entrepreneurial start-up businesses. 

The entrepreneurs we visit at beauty and jewelry trade shows are unique. They are among the most creative artisans you will find anywhere. Their display will be smaller than the multi-national brand powerhouses, and their marketing miniscule. But their passion, intensity and ability to find a path to success against long odds and heavy competition is often inspirational.  

The Couture Las Vegas Jewelry trade show is an ode to luxurious human adornment. There are no Costume Jewelry or mass market products on display. Show management vet’s every product entry and allows only the most beautiful, unique and exclusive lines to be offered. Attendance is strictly controlled and buyers are invited, there are no walk-ins.  Nevertheless, there were dozens of small artisan jewelry producers, all offering a range of product created from a novel medium that they had discovered, executed and perfected. The result is innovative jewelry lines that are able to find a niche in the congested world of Couture, High Fashion Jewelry.

The story is the same at Cosmoprof Bologna. There are over 3000 vendors selling every imaginable type of Beauty Product. Aromatherapy, Cosmetic Implements, Cosmetic Applicators and Accessories, Skin Care, Bath and Body Care, Fragrance, Hair Care, Hand and Nail Care, Baby Care, Men’s Treatment, and Color Cosmetics of every type, description and price point from all over the world are on offer to buyers and international distributors from 120 countries. Still, once again, the small producers enjoyed a terrific opportunity to differentiate themselves from their mega-competitors. Their booths were busy and interest levels in  the newest products and concepts was at an all-time high.

Cosmetics and Jewelry are industries where we see incredible entrepreneurial activity.  The barriers to entry are not as difficult to hurdle as in many categories that require large technology and financial commitments. If you are creative, driven and have a passion to compete there has never been a better time than the present to be a fashion entrepreneur.  Nimble innovators are always in demand.