The Best of the Competitive Insight - Protection from Death Week
Want to know where other people believe the money is? Every week, The Competitive Insight lists the Utah patents and trademarks pursued by Utah businesses and individuals. These filings are insight into the competitive landscape here in Utah. I'll be giving recognition to the most interesting ones (by my completely arbitrary and capricious standards at the moment I decide) that come across my desk. Here's my favorites from this week.
Patents of the Week
I've known some people who have been hit by airbags. I am one of them. While the airbag likely prevents major damage, some people come out with major bruises and even broken ribs. (Fortunately I came out without a scratch). Autoliv's new airbag technology uses two chambers to apply force where you can take it (like hips and shoulders) and cushions you where you can't (like ribs).
Autoliv also gets an extra vote from me for figure 5. The driver has a goatee. Not only does that raise the driver's coolness factor, I wondered if there was a subtle message that goatee'd drivers need airbags more than non-goatee'd drivers - too busy looking cool to watch the road? While that message is surely not intended, it gave me a good chuckle.
Trademarks of the Week
Granted, I am not within the target market for these products, but I still find them annoying. Life insurance is supposed to be there for the big hit - to protect the ones you leave behind. I can't decide if I'm more irritated that a company pushes out this drivel or that people respond to it. It feels like a sucker punch that says "You're a sucker for grandchildren and therefore you're a sucker."
These marketing pieces are either brilliant or completely off. The first trademark tries to relate an unknown (likely insurance) product to grandchildren. The only reason I guess its insurance is because I know the company name behind the trademark. So the trademark speaks to people who love their grandchildren and want to buy them.
Next, they offer hugs. Actually, help with hugs. And these aren't just ordinary hugs, they're really important now. Further, these hugs will be gaining value like a Google IPO. They become essential sometime in the future. So we should invest in some these hugs available from this company.
After finding these trademarks so outside my realm of taste, I went and did some digging. It turns out the trademarks are associated with their grandgift product.
Their Equitable Grandgift page states as of 1/15/2008:
Hopefully they mean the grandparents and not the grandchildren when they say "long after they are gone."
Basically, buy an insurance product to leave Christmas, birthday gifts, etc., for $25-1000 for up to ten years. Better idea, put the money in or set up a 529 plan for your grand children. It will help with the education of your grand children - not the insurance agent's.
Patents of the Week
| 7,316,415 | Dual chamber airbag | Patrick Jamison, North Ogden, UT | Autoliv ASP, Inc., Ogden, UT |
I've known some people who have been hit by airbags. I am one of them. While the airbag likely prevents major damage, some people come out with major bruises and even broken ribs. (Fortunately I came out without a scratch). Autoliv's new airbag technology uses two chambers to apply force where you can take it (like hips and shoulders) and cushions you where you can't (like ribs).
Autoliv also gets an extra vote from me for figure 5. The driver has a goatee. Not only does that raise the driver's coolness factor, I wondered if there was a subtle message that goatee'd drivers need airbags more than non-goatee'd drivers - too busy looking cool to watch the road? While that message is surely not intended, it gave me a good chuckle.
Trademarks of the Week
| EXCLUSIVELY SERVING GRANDCHILDREN…AND THOSE WHO LOVE THEM | Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Company | Salt Lake City, UT |
| HUGS. IMPORTANT NOW. ESSENTIAL LATER. WE CAN HELP. | Equitable Life & Casualty Insurance Company | Salt Lake City, UT |
Granted, I am not within the target market for these products, but I still find them annoying. Life insurance is supposed to be there for the big hit - to protect the ones you leave behind. I can't decide if I'm more irritated that a company pushes out this drivel or that people respond to it. It feels like a sucker punch that says "You're a sucker for grandchildren and therefore you're a sucker."
These marketing pieces are either brilliant or completely off. The first trademark tries to relate an unknown (likely insurance) product to grandchildren. The only reason I guess its insurance is because I know the company name behind the trademark. So the trademark speaks to people who love their grandchildren and want to buy them.
Next, they offer hugs. Actually, help with hugs. And these aren't just ordinary hugs, they're really important now. Further, these hugs will be gaining value like a Google IPO. They become essential sometime in the future. So we should invest in some these hugs available from this company.
After finding these trademarks so outside my realm of taste, I went and did some digging. It turns out the trademarks are associated with their grandgift product.
Their Equitable Grandgift page states as of 1/15/2008:
| " | A gift that will always be remembered. A patented product available only from Equitable. |
| GRANDgift is a guarantee-issue, whole life insurance policy / gift service designed to provide loving grandparents a unique, timely and affordable gift for grandchildren that will say "I love you" long after they are gone. " |
Hopefully they mean the grandparents and not the grandchildren when they say "long after they are gone."
Basically, buy an insurance product to leave Christmas, birthday gifts, etc., for $25-1000 for up to ten years. Better idea, put the money in or set up a 529 plan for your grand children. It will help with the education of your grand children - not the insurance agent's.
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