Wife?s Marketing Prowess Helped Edison See the Light

It is well known that Thomas Edison was an inventor, a genius, and he never slept. Did you know that Mrs. Edison was a genius and never slept too? She was the marketing guru behind his engineering success. True, Tom had discovered what is today known as the light bulb. When he showed it to the Mrs. Mina Edison, his second wife, she asked "what are you going to call it?"

Tom said. "I call it an affordable electrical home-lighting device."

"Great," she responded, "with a name like that it will sit on the shelf at the patent office. We will just add it to the other money-losing patents you have conceived."

"How will people know what it does? She asked sarcastically, "From its name? You need a short catchy description that customers (yes, even in the 1880s they were already called customers) will immediately identify with."

This time Tom listened. The English inventor, Sir Joseph Swan, his arch rival, was ready to introduce a similar device and he did not want to lose out this time.

Mrs. Edison started grilling her husband. "Why will people want to buy your affordable electrical home-lighting device?" "Well, it has the incandescence of 81 candles or 2.3 gas-burning lamps." he proudly answered.

"Tom, I keep on telling you that those are features. Customers don't buy features; they buy benefits," she said. "How will this device benefit people?"

"They will be able to stay up later and read more books," he offered.

She glared at him. "Are you telling me that people will invest tens of dollars to bring wires into their houses to connect to your affordable electrical home-lighting device just to be able to read the latest Mark Twain novel?, she said. "I don't think so. My research shows that only 18 percent of adults can read on an eighth-grade level."

She decided to bring in some of her neighbors and ask them their opinions of the device (history records this as the first documented focus group). Their comments were invaluable:

"I will be able to put make-up on before school," said the high school debutante.

A little 4-year old girl shyly whispered that she would be able sleep at night and not be afraid of the dark with an affordable electrical home-lighting device glowing in the hallway.

As always it was the female head of the households who saw the benefits most evidently. "No more soot from the oil lamps means cleaner floors and therefore less of a need to wash and wax daily. Why with the extra time, I would be able to go to school and get a degree and work independently and therefore have the money I need to leave my husband," one said.

Mrs. Edison was excited. This affordable electrical home-lighting device could finally make her husband an entrepreneurial success. However the focus group balked at the name. No way could they see themselves walking into one of those new Woolworth five-and-dime stores and asking for a dozen affordable electrical home-lighting devices.

Mrs. Edison would not let them leave. "So what would you call it?," she asked in desperation.

The responses were flying, "How about a non-candle lighting device" or a "Man-made bumble bee, or a ..."

The little 4-year-old girl said it looked like her dad's bald head. He had started shaving his entire head for some unknown reason, and it gave off lots of light. Why not call it a bald light or a light bald?

People stared nodding. They said the name was different and it would create a lot of buzz. They could see people walking into a store and asking for a box of light balds People stared nodding. They said the name was different and it would create a lot of buzz. They could see people walking into a store and asking for a box of light balds.

So the obvious question is: "How did light balds become what are today universally known as light bulbs?"

Beats me.

Hesh Reinfeld writes a syndicated business humor column. You can read additional examples of his columns on his website: http://www.heshreinfeld.com Or contact him at hesh1@comcast.net

---

Looking for Sky In All The Wrong Places

Ever sit with a single puzzle piece of clouds and... Read More

Business Leads

Anyone who runs their own business can tell you how... Read More

5 Tips to Heat Up Your On-Line Marketing Using Off-Line Tactics

The internet of course brings a huge arena of marketing... Read More

Are Corporate Awards and Corporate Gifts Beneficial for Your Business?

With the increased challenges that all companies are faced with,... Read More

Packaging Trends You Cannot Overlook (part #1):

1) People are buying in smaller quantities. Our busy lifestyle... Read More

Build your Trade Show - Virtually

Virtual trade shows are gaining momentum as a way to... Read More

Modern Marketing With Postcards

Postcards may be one of the best kept secrets of... Read More

Let It Ring

Telemarketing has its place in the marketing arsenal. But telespammers... Read More

Focusing Your Marketing Efforts

One of my favorite quotes is often used to describe... Read More

5 Ways to Market for Immediate Results

Sales are down, and I need more customers now! Sound... Read More

Is It Time To Kill Your Marketing Program?

Ouch . . . sounds pretty drastic I know, but... Read More

Your Headlines Are Key To Your Success Or Failure. Do You Know What To Write?

Most professional copywriters would say that headlines account for 80%... Read More

Stretch Your Marketing Reach

One of the most cost effective marketing strategies you can... Read More

Using Business Cards as Invitations

Business card size works well for invitations to special events.What... Read More

Census Data Mapping for Small Business

When studying the demographics of an area for a business... Read More

Small Business Bonzai Marketing

Do you own a small business? Do you wish to... Read More

How To Get To The Top of The Marketing Food Chain

Are you tired of living off handouts from big-name marketers,... Read More

20 Power Marketing Tips

Use these powerful yet simple tips from the national best-seller,... Read More

Increase Your Profits Through Customer Loyalty

The job of convincing your existing customers to spend higher... Read More

Are Your Marketing Efforts Working...Or Could They Use A Little Help?

Marketing is a broad business subject that encompasses a range... Read More

Turbocharge New Sales with a Marketing Database

What is the most valuable asset your company owns? Inventory?... Read More

Deceptive Marketing and Procrastination

Procrastination is every marketers worst nightmare.This applies on three fronts.Firstly... Read More

Finding a Brochure Printing Company

A brochure can be a great promotional tool, whether it... Read More

Is A Marketing Plan The Same Thing As A Communications Plan?

How does a marketing plan relate to an organization's communications... Read More

Tradeshow Booth Cures - Ancient Cures for Modern Day Problems

At first glance, nothing seems more chaotic than a trade... Read More

Youre Halfway There!...Or Not Part 2

Now that you have had a chance to create a... Read More

How To Recognize Your Niche Marketing Agenda

Starting a business, whether it's retail products or services, must... Read More

6 MUST Have Strategies To Make Big Bucks with Big Ticket Items

Strategy #1: Change Your Mindset That's right, change your mindset!... Read More

Design, Design, Design

You need only one card, but make it noticeable. Make... Read More

Small Business Marketing; Abstract Philosophical Discussion

Our bodies work like our small businesses. They work best... Read More

Using Demographic Data For Your Direct Mail Marketing Campaign

Targeting high potential markets with a direct mail marketing campaign... Read More

Fundraising Letters Should Raise Donors, Not Donations, When Mailed to Strangers

Are you willing to spend $1.25 to raise $1? To... Read More

Hermey Wants To Be A Dentist

December marked the 40th anniversary of the original broadcast of... Read More