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New business ideas keep pouring in from around the world, thanks to our network of hawk-eyed Springspotters. This week's selection includes ready-to-cook meals for busy urbanites in Singapore, customized storybooks for children, and a British grocer that only sells food produced less than 50 miles from his store. Our next edition is due on 19 December 2007. In the meantime, check out our daily postings on www.springwise.com, send us your tips, and please don't forget to tell your friends and colleagues about us. Much appreciated! |
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In the past, we've covered concepts created by Dutch Postbank that focused on helping children find their inner entrepreneur. A new initiative, Speel Goed met Geld (roughly: Play well with money), enables 'kidpreneurs' to earn money not for themselves, but for children in war-torn areas including Afghanistan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. Money earned through Speel Goed met Geld will be donated to War Child, a non-profit organisation that provides psychosocial aid to children who've been traumatised by war. Launched today, Speel Goed met Geld is essentially an online marketplace for toys. Children who'd like to sell a toy can upload a digital picture and add a description to their classified ad. Buyers pay the price set by the seller, the money is collected by Postbank on behalf of War Child, and the bank adds EUR 2.50 to each donation. If a toy robot is sold for EUR 10, War Child receives a donation of EUR 12.50. Once the toy has been sold, the seller receives a confirmation from Postbank and can contact the buyer to arrange shipping. (Postbank suggests that buyers pay for postage.) While Postbank's previous efforts focused on helping children earn, save and spend money, Speel Goed met Geld demonstrates how money can be used to help others, and not just by donating cash or goods directly to a cause. More engaging than traditional toy drives, Speel Goed provides a thoughtful example for other social entrepreneurs and marketers looking to activate consumers (and their brand). Website: www.speelgoedmetgeld.nl
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We recently covered Australian NapkinAd, which distributes free,* ad-emblazoned napkins at food courts. Now US-based NapAd has picked up on the same theme but played it in bars and nightclubs instead. NapAd, which just launched this fall, uses what it calls high-definition napkins to bring marketers' messages directly into the hands of urban consumers when they're relaxed and uninterrupted by other media. The photorealistic, 5-by-5-inch cocktail napkins are distributed free to NapAd's network of bars, nightclubs and lounges; in exchange, the venues serve them with drinks to their patrons, who can then be exposed to the messages printed on them for hours at a time. Targeting is customizable within NapAd's network, so that if an advertiser wants to reach males aged 18 to 34 in Garden City, Kansas, for example, NapAd might tap into a network of sports bars in the area. The company is currently focusing its program on Manhattan, but it's planning to add five more markets in 2008 and can serve areas requested by clients as well. A typical New York City campaign with 1 million NapAds starts at about USD 27,500. NapAds is part of Maryland-based guerilla marketing firm JI Worldwide, which was founded by 28-year-old Jay Jaber, a finalist in the 2007 Wall Street Journal’s Creative Leaders Challenge. The company (which also sells its napkins under the name HDN—High Definition Napkin) is now seeking distribution partnerships with major airlines, cruise ships, bars and lounges, and is also interested in hearing about other collaborative opportunities, Jaber says. It's a big world out there—so many bars, so many patrons, so little time… ;-) Website: www.napads.com Spotted by: Bill McMahon * Check out the hygienia trend briefing for more about 'free love' and the opportunities it creates for entrepreneurs and marketers.
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The supermarket business is about as mature as an industry can get. Giant chains with centuries-worth of collective management knowledge compete fiercely in hundreds of markets for margins amounting to just pence on the pound. Even so, entrepreneurs have succeeded in nibbling away at mega chains. From online grocery ordering to gourmet and ethnic food stores, entrepreneurs can still find plenty of opportunities to disrupt the long-established grocery-chain paradigm. And the consuming public will thank them for it. The crowds that gather at farmers’ markets provide proof that consumers welcome changes in how they buy groceries. UK grocer Sussex and the City is one of the latest disrupters. The store sells staples such as jams, nuts and biscuits, along with beer and wine. The point of difference: all the wares are produced within 50 miles of Sussex and the City’s location in Brighton. Thus customers aren’t simply stocking their pantry shelves, they’re demonstrating some healthy local pride, and getting guaranteed freshly delivered foods in the process. Equally important, Sussex and the City’s customers help support small-scale local food producers. (For much more on the comeback of all things local, check out trendwatching.com’s still made here briefing.) It’s important to note that the store's founder, Duncan Innes, did his homework. Before launching the business, he managed a local Japanese restaurant, a role that acquainted him with quality suppliers in the area. But the concept could be easily replicated just about anywhere. Local food producers have flourished throughout the industrialized world thanks to the popularity of farmers’ markets. Many have won devoted followings. And those same eager buyers would likely welcome a year-round store selling their favourite local foods. (Related: Order online from local shops.) Website: www.sussexandthecity.co.uk Spotted by: Clare Griffiths
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Nearly 21 million people in the United States have diabetes, and for many of them, checking blood sugar levels is a daily ritual. Why not brighten up that disagreeable yet necessary task by carrying your testing supplies in an attractive case, wondered Rickina Velte? When she was pregnant with her second son, Velte was diagnosed with gestational diabetes and instructed to test her blood sugar several times a day. The problem, she explains on her website, was that the utilitarian bags that come with glucose meters clashed with her personal design taste. They tended to get lost in her purse and they were an unwelcome message to the world about her illness. So in typical entrepreneurial fashion, Velte first searched for cheerier bags to carry her testing supplies. Finding none, she decided to make them herself. The result? Virginia Beach-based Stick Me Designs, which sells styles that range from denim to floral, via a website that puts a positive spin on the disease. Velte wisely enlists customer input for new designs, helping build loyalty in the process. That could be an important factor in her long-term success, since many of those customers likely will face a lifetime of daily tests, and decide that one attractive carrying bag (priced at USD 34.99) just isn’t enough. Stick Me Designs may be on to something. A recent BusinessWeek article noted that more manufacturers are looking to aesthetics in order to make diabetes management more palatable for sufferers. “The goal,” according to the magazine, “is to provide diabetics with equipment that fits as seamlessly into their lives as, say, an iPod, complete with an intuitive interface and a ‘cool’ design factor that encourages patients to monitor their health and self-treat the disease.” Velte’s success at putting a positive spin on managing her own disease should be an example for other entrepreneurs: products that add a level of cheerfulness to the tasks of disease management will be welcomed by patients, and targeting a defined groups of consumers can offer unique marketing opportunities, using platforms such as syndrome-related user groups, websites and blogs. Website: www.stickmedesigns.com Spotted by: Susanna Haynie
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The brainchild of a mother of 4, Margo MacDonald Redfern, Flattenme has developed a line of storybooks that can be personalized with a child's photo, making them part of the story. In addition to their photo, a child's name is also incorporated in the text and illustrations, creating a highly personalized product that children seem to love. How it works? Customers simply upload their child's (or pet's) photo to flattenme.com, indicate their name and gender, and select a book. Flattenme does the rest, using high-quality digital printing, and the book is delivered 10-14 business days later. Personalized books are saved in the company's database for simple reordering. Flattenme has released four titles since it launched in August: Tuesday Mushroom King (about wood sprites), Here There Be Pirates (for aspiring Johnny Depps), The Potty Dance (for those who refuse to go) and My Little Monster. The latter can feature pets as well as children. Books are hard cover and full-colour, and sell for USD 33. Flattenme currently only ships within the US and Canada, but international shipping is in the works. French, German and Italian versions are available, with more languages to follow soon. We've featured dozens of business concepts that use personalization, from bank cards to passenger jets, but this is definitely one of the cutest. Giving customized publishing a gravanity* twist and targeting parents, grandparents and other gift-givers is a smart move. One to bring to other parts of the world? Website: www.flattenme.com Spotted by Bjarke Svendsen * Gravanity is what our sister-site trendwatching.com dubbed the enduring trend of catering to consumers who want to leave 'something' behind in print, audio or imagery. It's a goldmine of inspiration for entrepreneurs and marketers.
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You can't be all things to all people, as the saying goes, and guided tours are no exception. Now Urban Gentry is offering a set of customized, insiders' tours of London for those interested in art, fashion or other elements of style. Featuring a team of guides that includes artists, designers, journalists and trend spotters, Urban Gentry serves up small, specialist tours that take participants well off the beaten path. The focus of each tour can be chosen by theme—"Creative London," for example, or "London Close Up"—or by interest, such as art, fashion, interiors or shopping. The Art Insider half-day tour, for example, starts in London's hip east end enclave of Shoreditch, "the epicentre of contemporary bohemia," and continues further east into Bethnal Green, winding its way through artists' works and exhibits. The 7-hour Home Style tour, on the other hand, takes participants through London's interiors and furnishings shops and studios, highlighting the eclectic choices on offer. Pricing is GBP 159 for half-day tours, GBP 269 for those lasting a whole day. Personalized tours are also available. Urban Gentry just launched earlier this year. For style-minded consumers with the resources to afford them, its tours will offer a fresh, new way to learn about the parts of London that interest them most. This is customization at work once again, creating a new niche market for an old type of service. Bespoke Tokyo has Tokyo covered with its "urban safaris for savvy city trekkers", and we've also spotted Eye Prefer Paris. Who will take Antwerp, L.A., Sydney, Hong Kong...? The sky's the limit on the opportunities for this one. Just pick a city and a target audience. Website: www.urbangentry.com Spotted by: Joe Swinkels
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Any florist or gardening company can place potted plants in an office, then dutifully drop by to water them when needed. But it takes skilled artisans to create the indoor walls of greenery that are indoorlandscaping’s speciality. The German firm’s Grüne Wand (green wall) adds a welcome green element to sterile office environments and improves air quality while taking up less floor space than potted vegetation does. Indoorlandscaping isn’t the only company creating green walls for public spaces. Green Fortune, launched by two Swedish entrepreneurs, has already amassed an impressive list of international clients, placing their Plantwalls in offices, stores, restaurants and even car dealerships. Likewise, French artist Patrick Blank’s meticulously sculpted Vertical Gardens have transformed ordinary walls in Paris and elsewhere into works of foliage art. From LEED certification to green roofs, commercial buildings are being swept up in a big eco-wave. Which isn’t just good and necessary, but also creates a host of new business opportunities for entrepreneurs—whether creating their own eco-friendly concepts, or partnering with up-and-coming players like Green Fortune and indoorlandscaping. And how about making green indoor walls feasible and affordable for private homes? (Related: Urban farming.) Website: www.indoorlandscaping.de — www.greenfortune.com — www.verticalgardenpatrickblanc.com Spotted by: Susanna Haynie
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Home cooking is a basic pleasure that gets denied by busy schedules all too often, and at least part of the reason is the time that must go into shopping for and preparing ingredients before the cooking can begin. We've already covered a few examples of semi-cooking purveyors (most recently: Kit a bien manger), and now I Love Mother has come to the table—so to speak—with more ways to help consumers serve up freshly cooked meals at home. Customers of the Singapore-based service, which just launched in October, begin by going to ilovemother.net and choosing from a wide variety of menus. Meals are presented in categories, such as "Quick & Easy," "Something Special" and "Comfort Classics," and can include side dishes, desserts and wines. Next, once their selections are made, customers are presented with a list of the ingredients required. After indicating the number of servings needed they can approve the list as is or make modifications to suit their palates and the supplies they already have at home. I Love Mother will then shop for the required ingredients at restaurant suppliers and fresh food markets on the morning before the meal is to be prepared and deliver them in the afternoon. All items are delivered in exactly the quantities needed, so there's no waste, and for those who desire, I Love Mother will even chop and prepare them so they're ready to throw in the pan. Customers pay just the cost of the ingredients plus a SGD 5 delivery charge, along with variable fees for the optional slicing and dicing. Most recipes can be made in 30 minutes, and I Love Mother provides step-by-step instructions. I Love Mother currently delivers to locations all over Singapore, and has already fulfilled about 50 orders since its launch without any advertising or PR. It also has big plans in the works, including upgrade options to premium and organic ingredients, special detox menus, healthy versions of classic junk foods, and a 2008 marketing campaign. Ultimately the company hopes to roll out to other regions, founder Christine Lim says, and it's open to mutually beneficial partnership opportunities. As a team of busy urbanites ourselves, we're betting there is pent up demand for dining-insperience enablers like this in cities around the globe. Paris already has Kit a bien manger; how about London, New York, São Paulo? Website: www.ilovemother.net Spotted by: Lesley-Anne John
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Most of us realize there are changes we should make in our lives to become more environmentally friendly, but overcoming inertia and actually doing it can be another matter. Now a few different companies offer starter kits to help make those changes happen. Greensender, which just launched in October, sells green gift boxes designed to help people start embracing simple green practices. Each Greensender box contains a reusable aluminium water bottle, a reusable organic cotton grocery bag, an energy-efficient compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulb and an organic cotton T-shirt—all selected for their easy integration into people’s everyday lives, Greensender says. Prices are USD 49.99 for the Big Greensender Box or USD 39.99 for a version without the T-shirt; individual items are available separately as well. Logo-emblazoned versions can also be purchased for corporate or event purposes, and New Jersey-based Greensender donates at least one percent of its sales to 1% For The Planet. GoGreenGift, meanwhile, packs a reusable bag with a CFL bulb; a low-flow shower head; organic fruit leather, coffee and tea; assorted herbal body care products; and its GoGreen EcoGuide. The kits are available in original and deluxe versions for USD 45 and USD 63, respectively. Virginia-based Green-kits, which launched earlier this year, offers a variety of eco kits including basic and deluxe starter kits along with packages focused on cleaning, the kitchen, and baby care. Prices begin at USD 10. A full 87 percent of Americans are "seriously concerned" about the environment, according to the 2007 GfK Roper Green Gauge study, yet only 30 percent of the population is actively 'green'. The remainder, and the rest of the over-developed world? Nothing short of a ripe opportunity! Websites: www.greensender.com — www.gogreengift.com — www.green-kits.com Spotted by: Daphne Tan
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Music fans are increasingly being recruited to fund the recording efforts of their favourite bands (to wit, for example: Sellaband), so it's no surprise to see that they're now being explicitly involved on the promotion side as well. Similar to GoodStorm's MixTape, which we covered earlier this year, Mixaloo is an online venture that lets music lovers create, distribute and sell custom mixes of the tracks they love and receive a share of the profits in return. Mixaloo, which just opened its doors to the public a few weeks ago, allows music fans to choose from more than 3 million songs when they create their mix, including every major label and thousands of independent artists. Based on their searches, Mixaloo also suggests related artists to consider. Once users finalize their mix, they can distribute it with 30-second song samples inside a widget to any personal or social networking website, or email it directly to their friends. Creating and distributing the mix is free, and users can personalize its appearance by uploading images, adding titles and selecting from different widget formats. Visitors and friends can then listen to the clips for free; if they like the mix, they can purchase and download it. Best of all, when someone makes a purchase, the original compiler of the mix receives half the profit from each sale--generally between 8 and 20 cents per track, Mixaloo says--along with points that can be redeemed for Mixaloo merchandise such as T-shirts and audio gear. Poughkeepsie, N.Y.-based Mixaloo is open to advertising and partnerships, but it currently offers its service only to US users. As fans continue to play ever-larger roles in the music industry, however, it's a good bet this type of service will spread quickly. With one part crowdsourcing, one part viral marketing, one part profit-sharing and one part great music, sounds like this mix could be a hit... (For more on rewarding consumers for their valuable efforts, see trendwatching.com’s Generation C(ash) briefing.) Website: www.mixaloo.com Spotted by: Bjarke Svendsen
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