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Product Magazines: Product Trends |
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THE clothes that people choose to wear often reflect their personality. As a consequence, certain cultural "uniforms" exist: wearing a leather jacket suggests rebellion, a pinstripe suit, conformity. These "uniforms" tend to locate individuals within society; they help to define a person's identity.
Anthony Chan, managing director of Asia Splendor Ltd, realised this in 1984 and began to develop a range of address books, personal organisers, purses and photo albums which were "dressed up" in uniform.
Some products feature a cover that looks like a plaid shirt under denim overalls, others include tuxedo jackets and leather motorcycle jackets. The amusing idea caught on and the products have been a success.
Chan has now introduced dressed-up clothes hangers. "This is a further extension of my original idea," he says. There are "30 to 40 different designs with more each week", Chan says. "The wilder the outfits the better they sell." Some uniforms come in pairs, a hanger dressed as a denim jacket with another hanger sporting denim jeans and boots.
The product carries the Clothed Hanger brand name. Chan says he is negotiating for the use of licensed cartoon character images with the appropriate licence holders to further enhance his idea.
Manufacturing takes place at Asia Splendor's 40,000-square-foot factory in Guangdong, China, which has 350 workers including an in-house quality control team. The firm makes 400,000 Clothed Hangers per month.
Quality in production is important to Chan and he regularly sends another team from his Hong Kong office to double check on procedures and working practices. Some of Chan's customers accept his invitation to inspect the site and look at the production process. Polyester, cotton, acrylic, PVC and wood are sourced from China, Taiwan and Hong Kong.
The company is applying for patent and design copyrights in the US and is pursuing the same official protection in all its other major markets.
Chan says, "Our first order came from the US and that continues to be our largest market." Europe comes in second, with particularly good sales in the UK. The company also has developing markets in South America, Malaysia, Singapore and Japan.
The minimum order is 10,000 pieces and delivery takes up to 60 days. The Clothed Hanger is priced at US$1.30 FOB Hong Kong each.
Written by Roger Cave
THE masses of greeting cards companies send to their customers at Christmas and Chinese New Year usually end up in the rubbish bin after an appropriately gracious period. The Pallock Postman aims to transform that wasteful ritual into a year-round marketing opportunity.
The Pallock Postman is a greeting card held upright by two triangular frames on the top and bottom. Together, they form a desk caddy to hold pens or other stationery.
Pallock Int'l Ltd will customise any order and print information specified on the card. Examples include calendars with company logo, Merry Christmas messages and phrases urging company employees to save energy and recycle office materials.
The Postman is also available with a tiny, battery-powered light source controlled by a printed circuit board. Pallock marketing manager Philip Chan says the light is activated by a sensor that reacts to objects being placed inside the triangular caddy.
The Musical Pallock Postman is a new twist on the idea. This product broadcasts a message like Happy New Year every time its owner places an object in it. This is made possible by an integrated circuit attached to the printed circuit board and a tiny speaker.
The company plans to take the audio concept a step further soon, with the development of a Pallock Postman with built-in microphone, enabling it to record personalised messages. That way, each card can offer a unique combination of written and spoken sentiments through the post.
Pallock Int'l Ltd was formed in June 1994, its aim to focus on the research and development of innovative products. It has also invested in and marketed services related to new video compact disc technology.
Chan says that the company has excellent contacts in China and is able to act as agent for companies looking for marketing opportunities there.
The company manufactures its products at its 20,000-square-foot factory in southern China.The minimum order quantity is 3,000 and delivery takes 4-6 weeks after order confirmation. Unit prices start at US$0.63 FOB Hong Kong for the standard model without light or sound.
Written by Roger Cave
WHEN is a clock really a projector? When it's Projectime by Daka Development Ltd.
Pat Mah, managing director of Daka, explains that Projectime looks unlike any other clock, but uses a light source to project an analogue clock face onto a flat surface.
The projecting clock seems like such a simple idea that it is surprising that nobody thought of it before. Mah, who designed the clock, was inspired by a digital projecting clock but he is adamant that Projectime is "the only analogue clock of its kind on the market''.
The clock face image that Projectime displays comes from semi-transparent plates placed in front of a 12V/5W light source and shone through an optical lens. The image that appears on the wall is about one metre in diameter at a projection distance of three metres. The projection can shine vertically or at an angle.
Because of the "unique optical effect produced by the specially manufactured Japanese lens, the clock tells the time day or night", Mah says.
The image that the clock displays can be a combination of the available plates that the company already has in production. However, Mah believes that a customised design specified by the buyer and appropriate to the market in which the product is to be sold will be the direction in which sales will go.
He sees certain educational designs for young children Ä to make children interested in learning to tell the time Ä and images that complement room decor and colours. Premium designs featuring licensed cartoon images and company logos are also applications Mah envisages for the product. The six modernist colours available are earthy and fashionable.
Projectime has only recently come into full production but already orders have been received from the US and Europe. "Our 1,000-strong workforce is now in 100% production at our 20,000-square-foot factory in China," Mah says.
Daka produces 20,000 Projectime clocks per month. It requires a minimum order quantity of 1,000 pieces and delivers 30 days after order confirmation. The price is US$11 FOB Hong Kong each.
Written by Roger Cave
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