Greetings from the Pick-Smith helm!
There are several developments that bear mentioning, as well as a resulting tack in way of launch strategy.
I was in Tucson last weekend for a new build and ad copy intensive with Lisa and John Krikawa. The latest FLiP! design features torsion springs in the ring instead of leaf springs, and we are thrilled with the improved functionality and ease of assembly. Lisa added six black diamonds for kicks. The picture does not do it justice! The FLiP! 'development' is complete. Woot woot!
In our spare time Lisa worked on the ad copy proof, John worked on a 'true' Jam Kat model/rendering and I worked on a tooling modification (I'll return to that). Lisa has since led our campaign, contacting and contracting the prominent magazines and insuring our placement for the NAMM issues. Concurrent with our 1/2 page ads, Guitar World and Music Trade will include a full media product launch program inclu
ding product spotlights, reviews, etc. Guitar World alone reaches one million guitarists per month, more than all other mags combined, and they guarantee that Pick-Smith and Jam Kat will be household names in the industry by Labor Day (thank you Lisa and John, muah!).Back at the ranch, we are sitting on first-run quantities of package inserts, Jam Kat stickers and custom picks; unfortunately, we discovered a flaw in the original harness tool design that set us back several weeks (thanks to Robin Blench of R-5 for his unwavering perseverance and fabulous attitude in the face of such a challenging project!).
Furthermore, our distribution guru Douglas Mason has infiltrated the retail/distributor dynamic in our industry and discovered that we are facing a catch-22 scenario... the independent resellers rely on the payment programs offered by the distributors, and the distributors only carry items that are in demand. Similarly, Guitar Center responds to public demand (thanks Doug!).
To that end, our strategy of product placement and short-sales to fund ad copy and the NAMM show requires re-tooling as well. Our tooling delays and marketing head-ways coincide conspicuously with the upcoming NAMM show (Nashville, July 17-19) and the pending launch of our e-commerce website (thanks Tasja, you rock!). We have an 800 number (1-888-4 Jam Kat) and all indicators point to Pick-Smith hitting the music industry like a meteor strike. Brilliant? Yeah, well...
Another HUGE development is in the ongoing effort to land prominent endorsements. Our 'inside networker' Janelle Curry has developed a working relationship with Carlos Santana's tour manager Skip. Perhaps you saw Carlos holding his pick between his first and second fingers while he played finger-style on American Idol? No word as yet, but Carlos is playing in Las Vegas and has both a metal FLiP! and production packaged Jam Kat to ponder.
Furthermore, Skip is of the opinion that we should be getting our product in the hands of the guitar techs of the most prominent and influential guitarists in the world. He happens to know some of them, including Edge of U2 and John Mayer. Yup, John Mayer (thanks Janelle!). We also have a separate thread to Jeff Beck. If you've seen Jeff play, you know he is a perfect candidate for our product...
So much for brevity. I really need to write shorter blogs more often.
As far as finances, thanks to everyone!!! We've come a long way in a short time, at a fraction of the cost of typical start-ups, funded by the Hearth Program and enthusiastic, talented team-members. We are now in a leveraged position to aquire alternative funding to cover the marketing and NAMM programs we planned on bankrolling with revenue. It is what it is, all good, yadayada... The big picture looks brighter than ever, and we will look back fondly on this time- the vitality, the enthusiasm, the team soul, and the balls it took to pull this off.
Pura Vida!
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