Case Study: Pressie Pouch
Client: Sharon McGillion
Website: www.presssiepouch.co.uk
Facebook: www.facebook.com/Pressie Pouch
Twitter name: twitter.com/pressiepouch@bizzistationery
The Idea
Pressie Pouch is a self sealing gift bag with the “to-from” label encompassed on the outside of the gift bag that negates the need for scissors or tape when wrapping a gift. Intellectual Property Protection US Design Patent Application Serial Number 29440439, EU Registered Community Design Application Number 002156372, The Kangaroo logo is a Registered Trademark.
The Project
Sharon had her lightbulb moment, when she was sitting in the car park outside her local shop trying to wrap a gift before sending her 6 year old son off to a birthday party. As a single parent of a 6 year old boy who was going to birthday parties of his cousins and classmates on a weekly basis, Sharon was constantly getting gifts – often at the last minute and with little time to wrap. When she was organised with time to wrap, she often had no tape, or couldn’t find scissors! It was then that she thought, surely there was a gift wrap product that would overcome the need for a separate wrap, seal and label, but as she couldn't find one, she invented it herself!
The Process
At this point, Sharon found Innovate and the team launched a worldwide patent search to ensure nothing like this was already in the works. The search results were promising, and the Innovate team set about designing the product itself, creating CAD models to further illustrate Sharon’s idea. Photo-realistic images showed what the final product would look like and how it would work. Sharon applied to Invest NI (a Northern Ireland regional business development agency) for support to assist to her in developing the product and brand. She used Innovate Product Design portfolio to pitch the idea to a panel to see if it was viable. "I confidently presented my idea as the portfolio told the story and fortunately I was successful!" After a few drawbacks, "I was very lucky to find a great company where due diligence was no problem. Each stage was a highlight e.g preparing designs that would capture most gift buying occasions, selecting paper and seeing the final product before going to print."
What Next
"To have Pressie Pouch retailing in multiple stores and over the coming months and to set up my website that Pressie Pouch can be bought via pressiepouch.com and on Amazon. Also, I have a Kangaroo logo which has been designed so that it can be animated. I would hope to develop this at some point. I am working with my Patent Attorney at present on securing a name for the kangaroo."
Testimonials
“Working with Innovate gave me the solid foundation my idea needed to develop into a sustainable business. The team were efficient; professional and the process was without problems. My portfolio was exceptional and allowed me to confidently present my idea to industry players.” Sharon McGillion For more information on the self manufacturing process click here