Ho, ho, huh? Last week I spotted my first holiday display right in front of my grocery store on September 12th. The powers that be at this major retail chain decided that just as we were ringing in the school bells and memorial bells for the victims of 9/11, we would welcome some holiday cheer, too. After all, summer is the perfect time to roll out an early holiday promotion.

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When I first watched this video, I’m pretty sure my eyes dilated from the sheer surprise of this innovation. My mind instantly thought of the boys in the Tour de France peloton. I always wondered how these cyclists handle stages such as the one on the Champs-Elysees where the lighting goes from bright sunlight to dark tunnels and back again at speeds of over 40 mph.

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Over the years, I’ve heard prospective clients and colleagues say, “online advertising doesn’t work.” They say it with such bitter indignation that you know they don’t want to hear anything to the contrary. I bite my tongue. I mute my “Does so!” Because let’s face it, we’re both right.

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The Oxford Dictionary defines mash-up as “a mixture or fusion of disparate elements.” Just when you think you’ve seen it all, someone comes up with a remarkably unique business model or marketing approach. I’ve been saving up a few of these to share with you.

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This is one of those inventions where I immediately thought two things:

‘Why hasn’t anyone thought of that before?’

and

‘Wait, what, what, what…really? Seriously?’

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When I took up the sport of triathlon a decade ago, I had a major hurdle to overcome – a lifelong fear of the water. Though I took lots of swim lessons as a kid, I could never comfortably complete a lap. I could run a marathon. I couldn’t swim a lap. Which is why I’m so excited about this new invention, a swimsuit designed to prevent drowning.

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There’s a lot of talk about branding these days. (Which I still find refreshing as the need for it gains more recognition and respect.) And a big part of branding in this “new normal” is social media. What fascinates me the most about social media? It’s not the latest apps and platforms. It’s not the underlying battle between traditional marketing and digital marketing. No, what intrigues me is when I see companies and organizations dare

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I’ll be the first to admit, I’m usually pining for the next big thing from Apple. I’m a gadget girl. But in the back of my mind, I’ve always wondered what can be done with all this electronic waste we create when we upgrade to the next shiny thing? I’m thrilled that the engineers at Apple came up with a new invention to address this problem – a robot called “Liam” that disassembles iPhone 6S’s.

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When I come across an innovative new product, I just grin. I think of the engineer, entrepreneur, industrial designer, or scientist who had the amazing fortitude and perseverance to turn the seed of an idea into a great invention that fills a new need or want, builds a business, and drives the economy. They truly are lateral thinkers. As the daughter of an inventor, I have a soft spot for people like that. I want to work with people like that. They’re the ones who are revolutionizing the world in countless ways.

 

I believe their work – those wonderful inventions deserve our attention. So when I find one, I’ll put a spotlight on it right here. It could be anything – from toiletries to technology. It could be groundbreaking, downright entertaining or both. Check back often. This is going to be fun. And if you find one, I’d love to hear from you. Just drop me a note at me@ameliaostroff.

 

 

photo credit: <a href=”http://www.flickr.com/photos/17423713@N03/23873648935″>Intelllectual Property Innovation</a> via <a href=”http://photopin.com”>photopin</a> <a href=”https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/2.0/”>(license)</a>