S08.E15: The Kooler, Little Nomad, RinseKit, dbest Products

[KaveDweller]

5 hours ago, bilgistic said:

I dislike things being inexplicably spelled with a K instead of a C. Looking at you, Kooking Karp.

I read that companies do that so they can trademark the company name, which you can't do with just a generic word.

I actually think it can be kind of annoying for some products too, but I feel like I should defend it because, well, look at my screen name.

[Amarsir]

5 hours ago, KaveDweller said:

I read that companies do that so they can trademark the company name, which you can't do with just a generic word.

Changing the spelling alone isn't substantial enough to make a generic word protected if the term is general. The landmark case would be Miller trademarking the word "Lite" back in the 70s. The court threw out Miller's lawsuits, finding that regardless of spelling the word is too universal to be protected.

And the reverse case, changing the spelling specifically from someone's granted trademark to claim you're different, is also not allowed. To be registered a trademark must be significantly different from existing ones, both visually and auditorily. 

So they can certainly use "Kook'n Kap" to mark their trade. But if you sustained some brain damage and decided you wanted to make a competing product, you could advertise "@bilgistic Brand Hair Helmets: The best Cooking Caps on the market!" and they couldn't stop you.

[theatremouse]

Funky spellings often happen for trademark related reasons, but also for "available website domain names" reasons. So while I too don't really enjoy companies who go the "spell it oddly" route, it's pretty much an established business strategy at this point, in certain circumstances. I'm surprised at "The Kooler" though since it tells me nothing about it other than it's a cooler.  

[Jersey Guy 87]

The Kooler seemed vaguely interesting although I would pitch to beyond the bodybuilder market.  And the inner container can probably be used for more than just holding liquids.  Little Nomad, on the other hand, was way overpriced and seemed targeted at the "I have kids just so I can brag about my kids but I wish they would just keep out of my way" crowd.  Seriously, for the relatively short period of time you might have these mats around who cares if they're brightly colored or not?  It's not like you cover all of our floors with them, they typically go where the kid(s) will be playing most of the time.

I didn't get the need for RinseKit.  I guess the idea is you fill it up in advance and bring it somewhere to shower off when you finish surfing/camping/whatever.  I can wait until I get home.  The dbest guy was way too hyper.  Plus, if he's constantly short of cash I don't see what another cash infusion is going to do other than delay the next time he's short of cash.

[chocolatine]

2 hours ago, Jersey Guy 87 said:

I didn't get the need for RinseKit.  I guess the idea is you fill it up in advance and bring it somewhere to shower off when you finish surfing/camping/whatever.  I can wait until I get home.

I think it's for people who don't want to get sand in the car.

[Tara Ariano]

In case you missed it, here's the Previously.TV post on the episode!

Daymond John Cleans Up Nicely On Shark Tank

Sharks may come and Sharks may go, but tonight's episode shows why Daymond John is at the head of this particular shiver.

[bilgistic]

10 hours ago, theatremouse said:

Funky spellings often happen for trademark related reasons, but also for "available website domain names" reasons. So while I too don't really enjoy companies who go the "spell it oddly" route, it's pretty much an established business strategy at this point, in certain circumstances. I'm surprised at "The Kooler" though since it tells me nothing about it other than it's a cooler.  

I have gotten to the point where anything I see starting with a K I automatically think is related to untalented jagoffs who are famous for no reason. Thanks, E! and Ryan Seacrest for that.

[vinnieprice]

I was actually in the market for "stylish" floor mats for my 6 month old. They had some at Buy Buy Baby and they were 70 bucks, so I don't know why this lady is thinking she's conquering any sort of new ground, especially for that price.

The Kooler.. man, ok I am a total gymrat and I am one of those people that own a lunchbag that has pockets for shakers, supplements, and a big cooler section with shelving inside to keep my meals. But I would never use this. As a water bottle during a workout it looks bulky and unusable, most people bring a gallon pitcher or something if they need that much, or would prefer to bring powders and pre-mixes for stuff rather than go ahead and make smoothies and cart them around. Better options for all this stuff already exist.

[MakeMeLaugh]

I am Makemelaugh and I have two Stylish Moms in my family. There, I said it. They would absolutely have put those mats on their baby registeries at that price because they wouldn't be paying for them--someone else would be giving them to them (not me!). That was very calculating of that pitcher to zero in on this market. I hate stuff like that and I especially hate people like that. Not thrilled with my two SMs either that they fall for stuff like this.

Edited February 11, 2017 by MakeMeLaugh

[IOU Payne]

I live in the downtown core of a major city and don't have a car, so carts are kind of an obsession with me.  The Smart Cart would not work for me because I'd have to pull it instead of pushing, and the teeny little wheels wouldn't be worth anything in snow.  So I guess I'll have to work on my own design for the perfect cart!  (For me, the Playmarket Go 3 comes pretty darned close to perfection - it makes regular Costco runs with me, by public transit, and has lasted 5 years!))

[aemom]

What bothered me about the floor mats was the skinny trim that would attach to the perimeter.

I could easily see a small child pulling it off and sticking it in their mouth and chewing it.

[LeGrandElephant]

Little Nomad: The mats look nice, but way too expensive. I googled and it looks like you can get a 36-piece pack of brightly colored alphabet ones for $25. So hers, which seem nicer, should be maybe $50 for a pack, not $150. However, if she's hanging out with people who would spend thousands of dollars on a rug (which she mentioned as the other alternative), then I guess I'm not her target market. 

For the grocery carts, I was surprised he kept mentioning California - because in California, everyone drives, and they just need cloth grocery bags, not rolly carts. However, I have seen a lot of people use those rolly carts for groceries in cities like Chicago and Boston; where even if you drive you might have to park far away from your place or carry groceries through a large high rise. 

Edited February 19, 2017 by LeGrandElephant

[LeGrandElephant]

On 2/7/2017 at 9:21 PM, hatchetgirl said:

I live in LA and I can't stand sand, like almost phobia, so the shower thing really interested me son wants to go to the beach all the time.  I'd definitely use it on myself.  Lol. My kid can just sit in sandy swim trunks.

Many beaches in LA already have outdoor showers next to the public bathrooms that you can use to rinse off before getting back in your car. Often they have one for a full body rinse off and one for just your feet. 

[hatchetgirl]

On 2/19/2017 at 8:01 AM, LeGrandElephant said:

Many beaches in LA already have outdoor showers next to the public bathrooms that you can use to rinse off before getting back in your car. Often they have one for a full body rinse off and one for just your feet. 

Oh yes, I know, and I still track back sand.  Shudder.