BIG's Areas of Interest

While BIG has a general interest in innovative consumer product goods, we have particular interest in hardware, infomercial, promotional, housewares, pets, sporting goods, and lawn & garden. For more about what we're seeking in infomercial, hardware, and promotional, see below. If you have questions about our interest in a specific area, email us at info@bigideagroup.net.

Infomercial Products

We have a number of contacts in the infomercial industry who are always seeking compelling products. Key categories: health and fitness, kitchen, tools, cleaning, housewares, gardening, personal care, and pet. We look for the following in an infomercial candidate:

• Innovative but not revolutionary: Consumers must be able to easily grasp what the product is and how it's better than current alternatives.
• Retails for $20 or less
• Limited development time and investment required to bring the product to market
• Great TV appeal-and will do well in retail
• Appeals to a large demographic
• Easily shippable: Not too bulky, heavy, or fragile
• Has a good upsell item: You have in mind another item that can be added to the original to increase consumers' interest in buying.

Hardware Items

We're looking to build on the success of the Rebound, our spring-mounted driveway marker, bringing to market other innovative hardware items. Your hardware invention might be of interest if it meets these criteria:

• Easily understandable on shelf: Can the consumer get what the product does in 5 seconds or less?
• Fits in an existing store category: Can you walk into a hardware store and point to a place on the shelf where it would naturally fit?
• Has broad audience appeal: For example, nichey specialist tools are NOT of interest.
• Has possible extensions or add-on products: Not just a "one-shot" item.

Specialty Retail and Promotional Products

In 2006, BIG spun off Inventor's Workshop (IW), a company devoted to offering innovative products through retail and advertising specialty channels. BIG continues to work with Inventor's Workshop, licensing innovative products to them. Ideas should be submitted to BIG, not Inventor's Workshop.

In specialty retail, IW's focus is on these categories: office supply, toy, and specialty gifts. Items would be sold in office supply stores, grocery/supermarket, and specialty gift shops.

In ad specialty/promotional, IW is seeking inexpensive products that can be branded with a marketing message to promote goods or services. Generally, these products are inexpensive (under $1 to produce) because they are frequently giveaways. They also must appeal to large target markets such as financial institutions, insurance agencies, etc.—or the public in general. Often they are a desktop/office supply item or something that would be used on a daily basis.

What's NOT of Interest

What's NOT of interest: items that

• Offer little or no innovation
• Require extensive and expensive product development
• Aren't defensible or "ownable": Unless there is something that a company can own, defend, and keep competitors from imitating, they are unlikely to license an idea.
• Don't have general consumer appeal
• Require a lot of explanation of how they work
• Have a very short life
• Are delicate or hard to ship

Also, at this time, we're NOT interested in videos, boardgames, books, music, CDs, and licensed products.

The following resources will assist you in preparing your submissions:

» Target our Areas of Interest

Understand BIG's Process

Review our Legal Agreements

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