Patent Application
20110041368
The invention relates to the field of product marketing. In particular, the invention relates to a method and apparatus for marketing an object.
Consumers today have shorter attention spans than previous generations of consumers given the myriad of information sources such as, for example, television, radio, internet, and the like fighting for their attention. As such, it has become increasingly challenging to distinguish a product from another product and to capture the attention of the distracted consumer. It is generally acknowledged that the commercial success of a product is partially dependent on product marketing. If consumers are not aware of a product's existence and/or virtues, it is unlikely that consumers would covert the product and subsequently consider purchasing the product.
Traditional ways of product marketing involve the use of placement location, colors, shapes, unusual package designs, illumination techniques and so forth. However, for products that are not visible from within the packaging, consumers typically have to request for the sales personnel to open the product and should there be any delay/inconvenience, the consumers may walk off without viewing and understanding the product. Consumers who do not view and understand products will typically not covert the product per se even in the present era of readily-available online product catalogs. As such, transparent materials may be used for product packaging to enable the consumers to view the products in a convenient manner. However, while this may be convenient for the consumer, the disadvantage is that the product may be perceived to be a low-end/low-quality product and this may adversely affect the perception of the product which may cause consumers to deliberately shy away from purchasing the product.
Furthermore, product packaging is typically designed for storage and protection of the product during transportation, and when in a retail outlet's inventory. Such packaging is typically disposable. There have been instances when certain forms of packagings were used to commemorate events, occasions, special edition products and so forth. However, such packagings do not include an aspect which generates interest from the use of the packagings. In addition, disposable packagings are also typically harmful to the environment as the packagings are typically non-biodegradable.
In view of the preceding paragraphs, it is evident that there are issues pertaining to product packaging which need to be addressed.
In a first aspect, there is provided an apparatus for marketing an object. The apparatus includes a display with a first mode and a second mode; and a housing for containing the object adjacent to the display. The display may preferably be coupled to a controller circuit for activating transition of the display between the first mode and the second mode, with the object being viewable through the display in the second mode. The display may be hinged to the housing. The display may be opaque in the first mode, with the opaque display being either a dark surface or a reflective surface.
It is preferable that the transition of the display between the first mode and the second mode includes effects such as, for example, a vertical scrolling effect, a horizontal scrolling effect, appearance of a graphic object and the like. Activating the transition of the display between the first mode and the second mode may comprise either applying a force on the display or triggering an actuator which is electrically coupled to the controller circuit. Alternatively, activating the transition of the display between the first mode and the second mode may include providing an audio output such as, for example, a song, a spoken phrase, an aural notation and so forth. In addition, activating the transition of the display between the first mode and the second mode may also include providing illumination to the object adjacent to the display.
It is preferable that the controller circuit is incorporated in a part of the apparatus such as, for example, a frame of the display, the housing, a supporting structure and the like.
It is preferable that displacing the display may provide an audio output such as, for example, a song, a spoken phrase, an aural notation and the like.
The apparatus may further include supporting structures located within the housing, the supporting structures being for a role such as, for example, holding the object, partitioning an area within the housing, absorbing impact forces exerted onto the apparatus, adding structural strength to the housing and so forth.
In a second aspect, there is provided a method of marketing an object using the earlier described apparatus. The method includes carrying out activities to create an association between the apparatus and the object; using the apparatus for containment of items; and causing an increase in awareness in the object through use of the apparatus. Preferably, the activities may be carried out via either online selling channels or brick-and-mortar selling channels.
In order that the present invention may be fully understood and readily put into practical effect, there shall now be described by way of non-limitative example only preferred embodiments of the present invention, the description being with reference to the accompanying illustrative drawings.
It should be appreciated that the apparatus 10 may be used in a manner where a plurality of the apparatus 10 may be stackable with each display 12 of the apparatus 10 being visible while the plurality of the apparatus 10 are stacked. Stacking the plurality of the apparatus 10 should not lead to damage to each object 16 contained within each apparatus 10, as construction of the housing 14 and the supporting structures 17 of the apparatus 10 enable each apparatus 10 to sustain loads resulting from the stacking of the plurality of the apparatus 10.
Referring to
Consumers are typically accustomed to either looking at products that are left in plain view or looking at product depictions on product packagings per se. The apparatus 10 offers an alternative manner for a consumer to view the object 16 contained within the apparatus 10. This alternative manner to view the object is likely to either arouse or increase the consumer's interest in viewing the object 16. Therefore, the apparatus 10 advantageously piques the interest of the consumer as the consumer is unable to garner information on at least an appearance of the object 16 during the first mode. Further interest from the consumer may also be aroused given a contrast of an understated appearance of apparatus 10 compared with gaudy and colourful packagings of other products that are displayed around the apparatus 10 in a retail outlet. While the object 16 is hidden from view in the first mode, the consumer is likely to hold or touch the display 12 in an attempt to obtain a view of the object 16. In addition, the alternative manner which causes the object 16 to be visible to the consumer may also garner additional attention due to a novelty aspect which leads to the object 16 being viewable. The object 16 is depicted to be semi-visible in
In
Referring to
The controller circuit 11 may include a power source 52 for powering the controller circuit 11. The power source 52 may include, for example, dry cells solar cells, capacitors, and the like. The controller circuit 11 may also have a switch 54 to enable either opening or closing of the controller circuit 11. The switch 54 may aid in prolonging longevity of the power source 52 as opening the controller circuit 11 prevents continual draining of the power source 52. The controller circuit 11 may also include a DC step-up converter 56 to enable provision of an adequate voltage to ensure that the control unit 50 and, in certain instances, an LED driver 60 are adequately powered. For example, the power source 52 may be rated to provide 1.5V, while the control unit 50 may be rated at 3V. As such, the DC step-up converter 56 enables the 1.5V power source 52 to power the 3V-rated control unit 50.
The controller circuit 11 may also include the LED driver 60 which controls at least one LED array 62 used for illuminating the object 16 in the apparatus 10.
Each LED array 62 should include a plurality of LEDs to provide adequate illumination to enable visibility of the object 16 within the housing 14 of the apparatus 10. The at least one LED array 62 may be incorporated within either the frame 18 or the housing 14. The control unit 50 may also instruct the LED driver 60 to power the at least one LED array 62 when transmitting the LCD control signal 58 to the display 12. It should be appreciated that the control unit 50 may instruct the LED driver 60 either simultaneously or after a delay. For example, the delay may be a time required for the LCD module in the display 12 to transition from the first mode to the second mode. This enables the display 12 to appear to be transparent with a corresponding illumination effect on the object 16 within the housing 14 caused by the at least one LED array 62. The at least one LED array 62 may be lit to a maximum brightness either gradually or at a single instance. Furthermore, the at least one LED array 62 may be controlled to be lit up in, for example, a blinking manner, a running manner, a pre-determined sequential manner and so forth.
The controller circuit 11 may also include an audio generator 64. The control unit 50 may also instruct the audio generator 64 to generate an audio output when transmitting the LCD control signal 58 to the display 12. It should be appreciated that the control unit 50 may instruct the audio generator 64 either simultaneously or after a delay. For example, the delay may be a time required for the LCD module in the display 12 to transition from the first mode to the second mode. This enables the display 12 to appear to be transparent with the object 16 being visible within the housing 14 before the audio output is generated. The audio output may be, for example, a song, a spoken phrase, an aural notation and so forth. The at least one LED array 62 may also be controlled to be lit up in a synchronized manner with the generated audio output from the audio generator 64.
In addition, the controller circuit 11 may also include an apparatus status sensor 66 which detects whether the display 12 is completely covering the area 19 within the housing 14. When the display 12 is completely covering the area 19 within the housing 14, the apparatus status sensor 66 transmits a “closed” status to the control unit 50. When the display 12 is displaced and does not completely cover the area 19 within the housing 14, the apparatus status sensor 66 transmits an “open” status to the control unit 50. When the control unit 50 receives the “open” status from the apparatus status sensor 66, the control unit 50 may instruct the audio generator 64 to generate an audio output such as, for example, a song, a spoken phrase, an aural notation and so forth. This may ensure that the audio output is generated from the audio generator 64 when a user displaces the display 12 to access the area 19 within the housing 14.
Referring to
The display effect 103 may be dependent on both the LCD module of the display 12 and how the control unit 50 controls the LCD module of the display 12. The LCD module may be specified to appear in a particular manner when controlled by the control unit 50 either when transitioning to the second mode or when in the second mode.
Referring to
An advantage of the apparatus 10 is that the apparatus 10 attracts the attention of the consumer when the display 12 is in the first mode (consumer would be intrigued by what is in the apparatus 10) and allows the object 16 (product) to “communicate” with the consumer once the display 12 is in the second mode. When the display 12 is in the second mode, when the consumer makes contact with either the display 12 or the actuator 15, the display 12 may transition from the second mode to the first mode. Alternatively, the display 12 may transition from the second mode to the first mode after a predetermined period of time has elapsed from when the display 12 transitioned from the first mode to the second mode. This may be because the display 12 consumes less power in the first mode compared to the second mode.
In a preferred embodiment, the apparatus 10 may be re-usable for the placement of other items. The supporting structures 17 shown in
Referring to
Subsequently, the method 100 includes using the apparatus 10 for containment of items (104). By using the apparatus 10 for the containment of items, the method 100 also causes an increase in awareness of the object 16 by consumers who come across the apparatus 10 being used for the containment of items (106).
Whilst there has been described in the foregoing description preferred embodiments of the present invention, it will be understood by those skilled in the technology concerned that many variations or modifications in details of design or construction may be made without departing from the present invention.
