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Marketing an Invention

The 11-year-old Auckland boy beat 600 other inventors to take the grand prize in this year's Let's Get Inventin' programme...Toby's Choo Choob invention - a device which makes an asthma inhaler look like a train and therefore appealing to children - earned him a $10,000 prize package which could see him become one of the youngest manufacturers in the country.

Good on Toby for cleaning up in a strong field. But, (you knew this was coming, didn't you?) I'm left wondering if Toby has simply invented a marketing campaign. Kids don't like Asthma Inhalers, paint it up like a train. Add a 20% premium, new packaging, run an advertising campaign, and bam! a career in marketing.

Personally I thought the other finalists had items that reflected "inventions" more than marketing. Am I being too harsh here? What do others think?

The other young finalists were:

Melanie Ansell, New Plymouth, with the Gyminator, a device that harnesses the power generated by bouncing on trampolines and by bicycles.

Andrew Wordsworth, Whangarei, with the Acoustic Apparel, a suit which when plugged into an MP3 player generates lights and vibrations like those experienced at a rock concert. Eldon Bennett, Waiuku, and his the Electronic Moneybox, which counts your savings and displays an electronically-generated picture of what you're saving for.


Related Link: Marketing an invention

Comments

  1. Good for toby.
    He's 11 and already grasped the principle behind 42Below.

    ReplyDelete
  2. actually, google asthma inhaler cases and you'll find such novelty cases and spacers already exist.

    ReplyDelete

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