Inventors Have a New Opportunity to Showcase Their Product on National TV The immensely popular Today show has segment for new products but getting selected is about as challenging as creating that gadget you're selling.
By Kedma Ough Edited by Dan Bova
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For a majority of hopeful inventors the pursuit of national platforms to showcase their products is often challenged by the high barrier to entry. The exorbitant cost of television advertising can cost companies hundreds-0of-thousands of dollars, making it prohibitively expensive to place your product in front of millions of viewers.
One product scout is changing the game for independent inventors seeking a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to showcase their products on a national network. Steve Greenberg, author of Gadget Nation, is bringing national exposure to cool gadgets that he scouts through leads from trade shows, Twitter, and Facebook. Greenberg showcases the latest gadgets and gizmos, from a clever closet organizer to a high tech intercom, each month on the NBC's Today Show with Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb.
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The fourth hour of Today hosted by Kathie Lee Gifford and Hoda Kotb, has been hailed as "appointment television" by Entertainment Weekly, "uproarious and irresistible" by People magazine, and "Today's happy hour" by USA Today. The show has currently posted the most year-to-year growth of any morning or daytime program, up 8 percent in total viewers and 14 percent in the key demographic of adults 25 to 54.
Here are the three tips to getting your product on NBC's Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda:
The product must be available for purchase
Any product that is chosen for a television segment of the show must be available for viewers to purchase, either on a website or in a national store chain. There is no minimum required but inventory should be sufficient to meet demand created from the show. Pay careful attention to the need to file any necessary patents, since the product will be showcased on national television.
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Relevant to the monthly theme
Steve posts the next month's segment theme on Facebook, Twitter and his website. The themes could be "Halloween Gadgets Under $50" or "Gadgets to Help You Cope with the Holidays" or maybe "Gadgets to Help You Keep Your New Years Resolutions." If your product fits the theme then reach out to Steve as he wants to hear from inventors. He makes the point, "please make sure your product is a strong fit for the current theme as if it's a stretch to fit then don't contact me that month." This month Steve is looking for fun, easy-to-demo gadgets that will help viewers keep their New Years Resolutions including losing weight, getting fit, saving money, drinking less, eating out less, reading more, etc.
Do your homework before you pitch Steve
Since there is no advertising charge for products that are chosen for the Today Show with Kathie Lee and Hoda segments it is important to do your homework so you have a chance to have your product selected. When you reach out to Steve send him a few lines about your product, the price, how it fits the segment's theme, a link to the product's website or where it's being sold, and that you found out about this opportunity through this cool article.
Check out some of the past gadgets that have already aired on the show so you can get a sense of the type of products that have already been chosen. Keep in mind Steve gets many submissions monthly and submits the ones he likes to the show's producers whom ultimately pick the final list of which products will appear in Steve's segments. There are no guarantees but by reaching out to Steve there is the potential to get your product on national television where it could be seen by millions of viewers. Make sure you watch Steve in action promoting products and if you win a spot, then pay it forward by sharing this opportunity with your fellow inventors. Good Luck!
