Hunting for New Products in Trade Publications
Whether you're an industry leader or simply responsible for bringing new product ideas to the table, the road to finding new ideas may be easier than you think. "New Product" or "What's New" sections of trade publications could be a great resource for finding new product concepts that might not be on the market yet and are available for licensing or manufacturing.
Many times, when flipping through these sections of trade pubs to see who has recently released new items, you may come across something that is not even available for retail sale. It may be a patent or something in the developmental stage like a prototype or product concept. With a little legwork, you could find a product idea that makes sense for your company or organization.
Simply picking up the phone and placing a call to the company or inventor of the item could have you on your way to finding a product that could help update your company's current product line. Or check out the web site, if one is available. Many companies or inventors list their new products online, which could be a great resource for research. You might even find a related new product or project that is more interesting than the one that piqued your interest initially.
Every day inventors are coming up with new products, and editors of trade publications are receiving new product press releases. Before a press release is actually printed, it will go through a review process by editors or reporters who work for the magazine. If the publication views the press release to be interesting to its readers, it is likely to be something news worthy and potentially of interest to your company.
Keep in mind that searching for new products in trade publications is a lot like catalog shopping. While you may see an invention and read about it, you can't always get a feel for it or its uses. We truly believe there are many other avenues to explore. For example, attend a trade show like INPEX – The Invention Show. Walking the floor of INPEX is like flipping through a new product section, and it's a lot more fun. Unlike magazines, you can see, touch and often even test the invention, and the inventor will usually be right there to answer questions you may have. There are many product categories at INPEX – automotive, health & beauty, toys & games, etc. We welcome your visit. You may find a product at INPEX that could match your company's industry or product category.
Some of the inventions that are exhibited at INPEX each year have also been featured in trade publications. Take for example, Simple Compression, which was exhibited at INPEX 2004. This method of binding pharmaceutical tablets with gelatin has been featured in Pharmaceutical Manufacturing, a publication that reports on the latest developments in the pharmaceutical industry. The invention was also featured on inpharma.com and PharmaLive.com, two trade websites that report on industry news.
Our goal is to get you to look for new products at INPEX. But remember, there are numerous possibilities for finding new products and one of those choices is as quick and easy as flipping through a magazine.
