Invention: Honor Necklace
Inventor: Shirley Reid
SUMMARY
This marketing
report includes individually compiled information concerning the specific idea
for an invention known as the "Honor Necklace" invention. The information specifically focuses on the
potential for marketing this new invention in the present day world market,
most specifically in the
OVERVIEW
The Honor Necklace is an idea for an invention to Salute our Troops in the War Against Terrorism. Many people do not consider the great sacrifice that our troops are making when they leave to fight in the war for our country. It is an incredible sacrifice that deserves great reverence from the citizens back home. Shirley Reid has come up with a design to salute these troops by offering the family members and loved ones of these brave soldiers a stainless steel, gold, silver and crystals necklace decorated with honor tags. This is truly an invention with a "heart" and one that would be greatly appreciated by our men and women in the armed services who are laying down their lives to fight for our country.
Losing someone
dear to you is hard, especially if it was in the line of duty. The
It isn't just
Shirley Reid who hopes to salute the troops. Time magazine has recently anointed "the American soldier" as
its Person of the Year, recognizing the sacrifices made by men and women in
uniform. It seems safe to say about 12,000
In "A Few
Good Men," Jack Nicholson's Col. Nathan Jessep character was the villain.
Yet it resonated when he spoke for front-line soldiers by saying "you want
me up on that wall, you need me up on that wall." Americans watch scenes
from
For now, the
nation and Time bestow their gratitude. Career soldiers and veterans appreciate
it; they realize such affection comes and goes. "Whenever they are getting
killed, they are important," said Chuck Stenton, a retired Army sergeant
first class interviewed at Veterans of Foreign Wars Pikes Peak Post 4051 on
Lt. Col. Tony
Aguto, executive officer for
Asked if the
public's high opinion of the military will last, Aguto wrote: "I think
not. While the editor of Time Magazine's decision to choose the U.S. Soldier
will be the talk among the troops here in
This Memorial Day, Army Spc. Donald Schafer is celebrating just being alive.
The 23-year-old
tank operator was traveling with a convoy of armored vehicles in
Americans
across the country honored their war dead with ceremonies and soggy Memorial
Day parades Monday, even as others celebrated the return of
But for troops
returning home, it was a day for celebration. At
Holiday events
across the country were canceled Monday as stormy weather settled across nearly
all corners of the
"Today, we recall that liberty is always the achievement of courage, and today we remember all who have died, all who are still missing and all who mourn," Bush said.
In
In
Honor Necklaces are indeed a great idea for an invention to show support to our troops and to salute them as they deserve to be honored. In order to understand this market better and to understand how it would best suit this new device known as the Honor Necklace, it will now serve to examine the history of this market for Honor Necklaces.
HISTORY
Most of us have
the date permanently etched in our memories. It was Sept. 11, 2001, when four
We may never
know the destination of the fourth plane, which crashed into a
We all know the
events that have transpired since 9-11. There was the invasion of
One can only
imagine the daily horrors our troops face in places like
Since 9-11,
we've asked much of the young men and women who serve in the
Americans learned a bitter lesson during the Vietnam War that had little to do with the politics surrounding the conflict. We learned, or we should have, that its acceptable to disagree with the justification behind war, but we should never belittle, forget or abandon the people we send into harm's way.
As a result of the recent changes that have come about in history, the idea for Honor Necklaces will be greatly welcomed by families and loved ones of our American Troops who are fighting the war overseas. A device like the Honor Necklace could enjoy considerable success in this very lucrative market but would also need to examine the potentials for the future. In order to understand the more current market trends, it will now serve to look more closely at the Media Potential for a device like the Honor Necklace.
INVENTOR PROFILE
Shirley Reid truly recognizes that great sacrifice that soldiers are making for her and her country. She wanted to express her appreciation and love through the introduction of her Honor Necklaces. They are a way of showing the American soldiers how much she cares and appreciates everything that they are doing for her and her country each and every day.
ALTERNATE UTILIZATIONS
The main
intention of the Honor Necklace is to show an appreciation for the men and
women of the armed services so that everyone will recognize that they are
appreciated and that many people like Shirley have not forgotten what they are
doing as a sacrifice to their country. And its not just those who are serving
in
MEDIA POTENTIAL
It is possible that this product, known as the Honor Necklace, will enjoy considerable success in the near future because of its uniqueness and its ability to fit into a niche market that is growing in popularity. The potential for this device is excellent and the following research is intended to improve the chances of increasing its availability to the public.
To create consumer awareness of your product, you have several options, including press releases to editors of trade magazines, direct mail, classified and display ads, and speaking events and conferences with you as an expert. If your product is off-the-wall, try getting on a talk show such as The Oprah Winfrey Show or The Tonight Show, which occasionally have "gadget" shows. "The wackier it is, the better," says marketing expert Joe Smith of showcasing your product on a talk show. You must be prepared to move your product: "Once your product is shown, it will hurt you if you're not able to meet the demand."
Being able to meet the demand becomes a much more prominent issue with any TV exposure you might garner, including home shopping channels and any type of direct-response TV. But if you're prepared, TV can be a godsend. To get yourself on a home shopping channel like HSN, QVC or the like, watch plenty of home shopping yourself, advises Marilyn Montross, director of vendor relations for West Chester, Pennsylvania-based QVC. 'And not just products in the same category as your product, but [also] different kinds of products," says Montross, whose department fields 16,000 inquiries per year, with 90 percent of them from entrepreneurs. QVC airs more than 250 new products per week, many of them with an entrepreneurial story behind them. "Develop an understanding of the kinds of things that sell on QVC," says Montross, and on any channel on which you hope to sell, taking a close look at value, quality and pricing for the products.
Look at the shopping-channel Web sites for information on submitting your product once it's ready to sell; don't just drop a prototype in the marl, because "samples would overwhelm us," says Montross. Instead, send photos or brochures. QVC also holds an annual product-search tour event, where QVC visits cities nationwide and holds open casting calls for products. "But you can submit anytime," says Montross. You can showcase your product on your own TV show. Says Smith, "Contact your local cable company, and talk to the program director about local access--" free, government-sponsored access granted to taxpayers. "That's a full hour on cable [where] you can talk about your product," says Smith.
Another cable-TV option is lease access which, for a small fee allows you to get sponsors. "You can show your product and charge [sponsors] to have product placements," says Smith. Any profits you make beyond that initial lease-access charge are yours to keep.
It is also important to consider the wider market and general context
of your product. Since the launch of the
"America Supports You" program last November, over a million
Americans, including individual citizens, businesses and organizations, have
logged onto the AmericaSupportsYou.mil Web site to register the activities and
projects in their communities that show their support for
Qwest Communications International Inc. will be the first
telecommunications company to partner with the Department of Defense's
"America Supports You" program, an ongoing, nationwide program to
showcase and communicate
As the first telecommunications company to partner with the program,
Qwest will enable consumers to communicate messages to the troops, through
public service announcements with Denver Broncos quarterback Jake Plummer and
at various public events throughout the year. Starting Monday, in honor of
Armed Forces Day, consumers will be able to visit a
There is even more positive hope for a product like the Honor Necklace. Recently, the Department of Defense launched the "America Supports You" program in November 2004 to spotlight support for our service men and women, and to communicate those messages to troops at home and abroad via the Web site AmericaSupportsYou.mil. Pentagon Deputy Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs Allison Barber said: "We welcome Qwest to the 'America Supports You' team. With the strong support of Qwest, our military men and women and their families will know they can count on our support."
Qwest actively encourages the efforts of people like Shirley Reid are
dedicated to supporting service men and women. For example, in
Qwest Communications International Inc. (NYSE:Q) is a leading provider of voice, video and data services. With more than 40,000 employees, Qwest is committed to the "Spirit of Service" and providing world-class services that exceed customers' expectations for quality, value and reliability. For more information, please visit the Qwest Web site at www.qwest.com.
To commemorate Memorial Day, Compact Power Systems, LLC., (CPS) makers
of Cellboost(TM) portable power solutions, will donate 25,000 Cellboost for
cell phones to Operation Gratitude to be included in care packages that will be
sent to
Operation Gratitude is a nonprofit, volunteer organization that sends
care packages of essentials such as food, toiletries, and gifts to support
troops currently deployed overseas. Its mission is to lift morale, express the
appreciation of the American people, and to provide the military with much
needed amenities. Founded by Carolyn Blashek, a passionate military supporter,
Operation Gratitude has sent over 44,000 care packages to soldiers in
Boca Java, Inc. (www.bocajava.com), a leader in online sales of gourmet coffee and teas, recently announced that it has given away more than 340,000 cups of coffee to American troops overseas as part of Operation Million Cup, a program started in July to demonstrate the company's commitment to supporting our troops and giving something back to the men and women serving in the armed forces. Since 2003, Boca Java has been donating coffee to soldiers and officers in the military as a standard part of its corporate goals, but Operation Million Cup has allowed Boca Java to partner with their customers to give something to the troops serving overseas. Boca Java's goal for Operation Million cup has been to donate 1 million cups of coffee. In addition to customer donations, Boca Java is welcoming corporate donations as well to reach the 1 Million Cup goal. "We're extremely proud of the sacrifice our troops make every day. Our goal with Operation Million Cup is to give back in a small way and show our support for the hard work of those men and women in the armed forces," said Bruce Frcek, founder and president of Boca Java. "Operation Million Cup was a method that we could partner with customers to allow them the opportunity to give back as well. We think it's critical at this time of the year to demonstrate our support. The interesting thing is that we're now getting scores of emails from family members and the troops themselves asking for coffee to be sent. We're looking forward to a strong year-end push to reach our goal."
For every bag of coffee a person donates, Boca Java matches the donation by sending an equivalent bag of coffee. In addition, Boca Java provides the coffee for donation at a discounted price of $4 per 8 oz. bag. An 8 oz. bag is equivalent to 32 cups of coffee. With the match by Boca Java, a $4 donation by a customer is equivalent to over 60 cups of coffee. To donate coffee to the troops, customers can visit the website at www.bocajava.com and click on Operation Million Cup. If customers want to request a specific troop or soldier receive coffee, they can send an email to coffeeforthetroops@bocajava.com. When customers make a donation, they can also send a personal message along with the coffee donation to the soldier or troops where the coffee will be distributed.
Pictures of some of the troops who have been recipients of the coffee can be found here:
https://www.bocajava.com/getPage.do?page=Email10
https://www.bocajava.com/getPage.do?page=Email9
https://www.bocajava.com/getPage.do?page=Email7
"We the soldiers are very appreciative of your initiative to
support the troops. Your coffee is a welcome treat each morning and keeps us
plugging through the day. Because your coffee is so popular it disappears
quickly. We were wondering if we could get some more? Thank you very much! We
also thank the many customers who have contributed to this program. Your
contribution is very much appreciated by all of us," said Rob Harris,
Major, Infantry, Executive Officer, Task Force Konohiki, Al Dujayl,
Retail analysts expected a dip in consumer spending when the nation
went to war. Now, as
Nationwide, however, consumers are holding off on buying television sets, jewelry, cars and other expensive items, said National Retail Federation spokeswoman Ellen Tolley. In January, before the war, the National Retail Federation expected retail sales in 2003, excluding automobiles and restaurants, to grow 5.6% over 2002. Last week, it lowered expectations to 3.8%, Tolley said. "We will probably see sluggish consumer spending until the end of the war and until the economy gets back on track, but once that happens, there will a higher demand for big-ticket items that consumers have been putting off buying," Tolley said. "Hopefully we're looking at a short-term problem that will take care of itself."
The spring and Easter shopping season is keeping sales steady in
shopping centers such as Clearview Mall in
Many experts say the war in
In addition to low cost, many are recognizing the importance of more
practical spending as a result of the
Family members understand the soldiers better than anyone else. The mother of a soldier in the Persian Gulf
phoned
The recognition given to these soldiers has also spurned large companies
to change their marketing strategies after family members have helped to raise
the consciousness of a nation bent on helping them. Georgia-Pacific announced Friday that earlier
in the week it had donated 19,200 tubs of its Quilted Northern wipes to the USO
care package drive for troops in the
With the changing times comes a change in values which can be seen in the new market offerings. The Honor Necklace is just such an offering which will be greatly appreciated by millions of consumers. It is obvious from the extensive evidence that the market is wide open and ready for a great new idea like Honor Necklaces. There are endless directions in which this product could be successfully marketed. Honor Necklaces are a product with a heart and are fitted for great success in an eagerly awaiting market.
PRODUCTION COST ESTIMATE
The production cost of the Honor Necklaces would be relatively low and would therefore be capable of being offered to many more family members and loved ones of troops who could enjoy and appreciate the care and thoughtfulness which has gone into them. Production cost estimates for one necklace would likely run between $5 and $25 depending upon the complexity of design, materials and the bulk of manufacturing.
SUMMARY AND LISTING
The Honor Necklace is an idea for an invention to Salute our Troops in the War Against Terrorism. Many people do not consider the great sacrifice that our troops are making when they leave to fight in the war for our country. It is an incredible sacrifice that deserves great reverence from the citizens back home. Shirley Reid has come up with a design to salute these troops by offering the family members and loved ones of these brave soldiers a stainless steel, gold, silver and crystals necklace decorated with honor tags. This is truly an invention with a "heart" and one that would be greatly appreciated by our men and women in the armed services who are laying down their lives to fight for our country.
Losing someone dear to you is hard, especially if it was in the line
of duty. The
It isn't just Shirley Reid who hopes to salute the troops. Time magazine has recently anointed "the
American soldier" as its Person of the Year, recognizing the sacrifices
made by men and women in uniform. It seems safe to say about 12,000
Asked if the public's high opinion of the military will last, Aguto
wrote: "I think not. While the editor of Time Magazine's decision to
choose the U.S. Soldier will be the talk among the troops here in
Since 9-11,
we've asked much of the young men and women who serve in the
As a result of the recent changes that have come about in history, the idea for Honor Necklaces will be greatly welcomed by families and loved ones of our American Troops who are fighting the war overseas. A device like the Honor Necklace could enjoy considerable success in this very lucrative market but would also need to examine the potentials for the future. Honor Necklaces are indeed a great idea for an invention to show support to our troops and to honor them as they deserve to be honored.
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