Published on: June 17, 2016

by Kevin Coupe
Have you ever had a moment where you saw a new product and immediately smacked your head because it seemed like such an obvious innovation that you've never seen before, and maybe never even thought about?
That happens to me all the time. (Probably because of a lack of imagination.) And it definitely happened to me last weekend when I went to the Global Market Development Center (GMDC) GM16 business session. I was scheduled to do a version of "The Innovation Conversation" there (with Tom Furphy participating via video because of a scheduling conflict), but I came in early because I wanted to check thing out. (Thanks to Patrick Spear and the entire GMDC membership and staff, by the way, for being terrific hosts ... there seems to be a genuine hunger there for change and innovation, and I think GMDC's size and focus will serve it well.)
What I found was a ton of energy and a desire for change at both the business meetings and the exhibit floor - and one product that made me smack my head.
The item - which to be fair, is not yet on the market, but will be shortly, and I can't wait - is a combination LED light bulb with a built-in bug zapper. You insert the bulb in any standard light fixture, and you can turn the bulb and zapper on together, or just the zapper. The company that makes this item is called Pic, which has been in the pest-fighting business for a long time, though I predict this will be the most successful item it ever has had.
Brilliant.
Now, the only thing they have to do is come up with one that is part of an exterior floodlight, and they'll have the whole package. (I'm told that is in the works.)
I love companies that innovate, and unless I'm missing something, this strikes me as a terrific idea with natural consumer appeal.
It was an Eye-Opener, and I just wanted to share it.
- KC's View: