Product name: Noun Nation!
Product website: nounnation.co.uk
Noun Nation! A fun and hilarious simplified word game to play with your family and friends.
Accountant, Ayo Okunuga and her family love playing games, “We have so much fun laughing and joking around. The way we interact with each other brings us close as a family. I wanted a game that could conjure up similar emotions in other families and one that also had an educational element.” To have an idea for a great new board game came naturally. Noun Nation! involves a spinner board with different letters, with the challenge of writing words down beginning with this letter in the quickest time. “Ideas about the game frequently popped into my mind. I’d have to run to my laptop and type them out. Then the ideas just kept bugging me. I felt I had to do more.” “When I told my high school friend, now business partner Stephen about Noun Nation! he recommended Innovate.”
Working with Innovate
After submitting her idea to Innovate, we invited Ayo in to discuss more with our Digital and Print Design team. “The direct feedback we received was really positive. The meeting was professional but relaxed. It was really helpful because we left the office feeling very positive and confident that we had a great team working with us.” We then went on to work with Ayo to design a prototype of the game. “I was included at every stage. I was given the opportunity to decide on the look, colours, captions, sketches, writing…everything.” Innovate designed all aspects of the board game for Ayo to then choose a manufacturer to go forward with. It was important that we kept Ayo’s vision in the centre, as well as applying our professional view. “The final package was so exciting to see. I was presented with a marketable product and a USB that contained very useful documents plus tips and advice on what to do next.”
What next?
“I followed the advice Innovate gave me, pressed on with the trademark application, I secured some Noun Nation! game samples and sent them out to people to trial it. I received a lot of positive and constructive feedback.” Ayo decided to go down the self-manufacture route and is now selling on Amazon. “I’d heard businesses were thriving on Amazon. I also wanted to try and make a name for myself first. Then, if licensing was the eventual road to take, I’d be able to go into negotiating deals with retailers armed with a proven track record of sales – hopefully!” Ayo researched the manufacturers and found one perfect for her; at first ordered samples and then placed a larger order.
Looking back
Ayo shared that one of the main challenges she faced was simply dedicating her time to it to start with. “I had these ideas in my head. At first, I would just shoo them away because they interfered with work or I just didn’t believe anything could come of them. But once I actually decided to knuckle down and pay attention, it all started to fall into place.” Ayo has some tips for anyone else in this position: Jot down your ideas; make yourself a plan; find people that can help you, be that family, friends or professionals. Ayo is a prime example of using what’s around you to drive forward “Innovate as professionals helped design my product. I’m an Accountant so I applied my knowledge to managing costs. My business partner is a web Technology Strategist. He created the website and social media platforms.” It’s that simple. “The journey has been well worth it. I truly believe in my product.”
Looking forward
Ayo hopes to secure distribution deals in major shopping outlets, but for now she is over the moon to be listed on Amazon, the biggest online sales platform in the world just in time for Christmas 2020. If, like Ayo, you have an idea and wonder how to move forward, send your idea in today for a free review.
