So here is a creative way to differentiate a bandage from the competition: include a bone marrow registration kit with your product! Click the image below to see the ad:





After researching a bit, this ad is apparently both real and for a real company (Help Remedies). And while I don't believe this company has the same market presence as say, Tylenol or Advil, they appear to have a fairly extensive line of products: http://www.helpineedhelp.com/#products (a word of caution...if a product on their site appears to be a joke, it probably is...I don't think anyone has a remedy for always being wrong).

Even though this company has a product for many day-to-day healthcare needs, I've never heard of this company (no idea if I've been overlooking them on store shelves or not). In a market dominated by billion dollar brands, it makes sense that lesser-known brands would think outside the box in order to create market presence. There are at least three things this company is doing that any company looking to break into an established market should be:

  • They have created and are promoting a real product differentiator (with at least one of their products): an option to literally save lives (not just make your own better).
  • They have created an intuitive naming structure for their products (if I saw "Help I Have a Stuffy Nose" on the shelf, I would certainly be more trusting of that product's ability to help with my stuffy nose than say, Sinutab or Sudafed Congestion).
  • They are branding themselves as fun and creative in an effort to gain traction in their market (seriously, check out the product listings on their website).


These tactics all translate especially well to younger age groups. But do they risk alientating potential customers in older age groups? And if so, is it a good trade off?