Among their current industry developments are special editions for tie-ins with movies (Men in Black), companies (JAL Japanese Air Lines), fast food chains (Kentucky Fried Chicken), Toys (Barbie), TV (Sabrina's Cat), and other similar projects. The manufacturers are being contacted by these large concerns and produce special editions for them. The units are usually their standard units with some cosmetic changes. These "deals" provide them with solid orders for hundreds of thousands of units. They have very little incentive to talk to you about some idea you think might sell, when they can cut deals like those.

There have been several innovations in the industry: linking pets, cases that detect your "rapping" on them, the use of LEDs, custom cases shaped like animals, talking pets, the pause feature, and others. Currently, there is another wave of innovations similar to these already being worked on by the manufactures. To show them something new in this area you are going to have to be way in front of the current virtual pet technologies. (Infrared links and Television interaction are already well past the drawing boards stages at pet manufacturers). If you have an "innovation idea" of this nature it might well be useful, but it will be very, very hard to present and sell.

Also, most of the keychain virtual pets have been originally built for consumption in Japan and then were mover over to the U.S.. If you are a U.S. viewer of our website, you probably have little concept of what kind of virtual pet might be successful in Japan. That is where most of the manufacturers are targeting new products.

For these reasons and others mentioned below, trying to sell you idea of a new virtual pet to a manufacturer will prove virtually impossible.

Steps to Marketing Your New VP or VP Innovation

• Define your idea completely. A working model would be nice. If you are still trying to promote a new kind of keychain virtual pet, define all the buttons, the stages of growth, a life chart, etc. Don't just say a "zebra". If you idea is a virtual pet innovation (such as infrared linking of the pets) describe exactly how it would be used, and the benefits derived from it. A working model would be very helpful.

• By the time you can get your device patented it will be out of date. It takes a great deal of energy and effort to promote your idea to manufacturers. The energy, effort, and time spent on the patent process will be so great that one person does not stand a chance at being successful at the real effort (promoting your idea to manufacturers).

  A patent could be beneficial in trying to license your idea to a manufacturer. You need to realize that most of these units are being built in China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan where patents are almost meaningless. A patent might prove the idea is yours to sell, but the manufacturer knows that once he goes into production with it, if it is a good idea, the competitors will follow with the same idea very soon (patent or no patent).

  If you wish to pursue patenting your idea, we strongly encourage you to use the Disclosure Document Program. Details are on the U.S. Patent & Trademark web site in the Forms Area. Look for #PTO/SB/08 Disclosure Document Form.

• Identify the end users of your virtual pet. Who would use your product? Many inventors think their product will be used everywhere. Be more realistic. At identify the major users of your virtual pet or virtual pet innovation. You need to have these users defined before you contact a manufacturer.

• Learn how your virtual pet or vp innovation would be produced in production quantities. Could it really be made at reasonable cost? Don't forget there must be money in it for everyone in the distribution chain.

• We are now at the make or sell point. In this field due to the high volumes, technologies, costs, and distribution systems involved, it is not practical to even consider making the pets yourself. There may be a market for very low volume pets with special characteristics but that is an entirely different market than we are talking about here. You must either sell your idea, give it away, or just "sit on it". Those are your three choices.

  If your idea is not unique and patentable you can forget selling it. There is no reason for them to purchase your idea.

• Learn about the industry and the companies in it. This web site is an excellent place to begin. Also we have a, "How to Learn About an Industry or a Specific Company" page on a sister web site that can help you. We own another business that sells weight lifting products institutionally. It is constantly being approached by inventors with products bound for the consumer market. The business does not deal in the consumer market, we only sell to institutions. They are "barking up the wrong tree" and wasting our time. Don't you make this mistake!

  The big names in this industry do not actually make the pets. The manufacturing and assembly work is being "farmed out "to other companies. That will compound your problems in trying to present new ideas to them.

  Would some particular manufacturer benefit most from your idea? Do they have some similar components, a distribution system, or some other advantage that would make your idea particularly useful to them?

  The smaller the company the bigger your chance of "getting through the door".

This is a Brutal Industry for Inventors

I'm not saying all the big players will do this, I'm just pointing out that they can do this to you pretty much "at will".

As we mentioned earlier, virtual pet manufacturers know that once they go into production with a new virtual pet or vp innovation, if it is successful, the competitors will follow with the same idea very soon (patent or no patent). You will have a very, very difficult time of trying to get the major players to look at your invention. Normal large corporate barriers, the NIH (Not Invented Here) problem, a history of almost never dealing with individual inventors,are compounded with the international problems and language barriers in this industry.

If you do license your idea to someone, you can't just set back and count your money. They may not actively market your product and cause it to "die on the vine". They may just be busy fighting other fires in their company or just not really be interested in your product. They may try to market it and it might fail.

As we mentioned earlier, the manufacturers are concerned with cost reduction, improving distribution, adding new features to their existing pets, and special edition pets at this time. New pet ideas from the outside are a definite low priority.

• You may encounter Invention Submission Firms that will market your idea for a fee. Some better known ones are Kessler Corporation and Invention Submission Corporation. Many firms of this nature advertise in the back of popular magazines and prey on individual inventors. They ask you for a little information, tell you they love your idea, and need payments as they go through various steps of marketing your invention. Ask to see 10 products they have placed with firms and to visit with the submitters. Ask them to put their successful placement ratio on paper (if they promoted 100 inventions how many of them will typically be placed with firms). There are very very few firm of this nature that are on the "up and up." Do not give them any money without some serious promises in writing and visiting with several inventors who have had their inventions successfully placed by them. Find out how long they have been in business and at their present address. How do they select companies to try to market your product to? Several just mail companies listed in your category in the Thomas Register. You can do that yourself, but neither will be very successful. They must have real contacts at these companies and a working relationship with them. Consider that you are working for Mega Corp. Are you going to evaluate every idea sent to Attn: New Products, Mega Corp?? We get hundreds of them at our other business and trash them all.

• See if your state or area has an Inventors Club such as:
  

  Oklahoma Inventors Congress
  P.O. Box 27850
  Tulsa OK 74149-0850
  

  Please do not bother the Oklahoma Group if you are not in Oklahoma.

• See what can be learned from some of the on-line invention forums and news groups (alt.inventors). Remember not to take everything you here in them as truth. They can be a good source of general information, but they are becoming a place for others to market services to inventors.

• Wal-mart has a system set up with South West Missouri State University and a group called the Innovation Institute to evaluate and assess your idea.

  Innovation Institute
  Rt. 2 Box 184
  Everton MO 64646
  

• Before approaching component manufacturers or manufacturers for the full device, be sure to get them to sign a Non-Disclosure / Confidentiality Agreement. It is best to visit with a lawyer dealing in intellectual properties to get a form you have confidence in. Some examples are available in our Inventors segment of the Other Useful Links Page on our RBBI web site. Be sure they know you want them to sign an agreement before they invest time and travel into your project. Also, be sure to prepare and sign two copies of the agreement, one for your records and one for theirs.

• If you do try to approach a manufacturing firm with your idea, be sure it actually fits into their product line, could be sold through their current distribution chain, could be used by their existing end customers, and that it is truly novel (we see hundreds of ideas that are like things that we have already seen).

• You might be able to obtain assistance at your local Vo-Tech school. many provide small business assistance and can guide you to someone who assists inventors.

Some of the very basic problems encountered by all are:

• Where can I have a prototype built?
• How do I get a patent? Should I get a patent?
• How will I deal with the language barriers?
• Where can I find a manufacturer?
• How can I explain my device to others and not have them steal my idea?
• What is a disclosure document and how do I file one?

• What is the market for this device? (Quantity, Geography, Customer Demographics)
• What will it cost to manufacture?
• What can it be sold for?
• What is my cut?
• Who are the most direct competitors?
• If I was looking at this from the outside, would I invest my mother's retirement fund in this thing?

Conclusion

We posted this information to try to answer your questions and help you realize the difficulties you will face in trying to sell an idea for a new keychain virtual pet or VP innovation. I'm sure its not what you wanted to hear - but it will help prepare you for what is out there if you try to go forward with your idea.

Please DO NOT contact us for names and addresses of the manufacturers.

If you have a serious project in this area and understand there will be large investments required in market research, design, new product development, tooling costs, etc. we provide services in this field as Polson Enterprises Research Services.

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