OHSO, based in Austin, Texas, is a travel accessory manufacturer catering to the aesthetic and functional demands of a modern lifestyle. Richard Trocino founded the company in 2005 when he could not find a toothbrush that met the needs of his on the go lifestyle. Partnering with Design Edge, a leading design and engineering firm, they developed a patented, design forward, self-dispensing, refillable travel toothbrush. OHSO’s success can be credited to three critical elements:
Viral Buzz:
Rather than follow the traditional path of standard marketing techniques, Trocino took the product directly to the people using the Internet. No phones, faxes, or printed paper junk mail—nothing but net.
A few influential bloggers got wind of OHSO, and the buzz began. Comments from the blogosphere include: “OHSO gets my nod for the most stylish and futuristic toothbrush/toothpaste contraption on the market today,” “the coolest toothbrush ever”, and “world’s sexiest travel toothbrush.” The bloggers became OHSO’s first brand ambassadors, and as they sung the praises to the online world, the offline publications took notice. The OHSO Travel Toothbrush has since been featured on HGTV and dozens of magazines including Inc., AARP, and Real Simple.
By enabling consumer generated content to drive his marketing initiatives, Trocino was able to achieve the most elusive of endorsements—free, credible, and authentic content with viral appeal.
Leading Edge Design:
The OHSO Travel Toothbrush is a utilitarian product packaged in a futuristic and elegant design, making it equally at home in a carry-on or on display at a museum. To achieve this marriage of form and functionality, Trocino teamed up with Design Edge, a leading design firm in Austin, Texas. “When Richard came to us with his initial toothbrush designed I was intrigued. I knew we could design something that would appeal to upscale buyers" proclaimed Kit Morris, President of Design Edge. OHSO’s design not only endears it to a modern audience, it also generates marketing in its own right. OHSO was recently featured at the Austin Museum of Modern Art. Recent Museum advertisements spotlighted the OHSO Travel Toothbrush, providing OHSO with another unique form of free advertising.
Even OHSO’s packaging design has generated buzz for the company. Trocino worked closely with the United States Postal Service to come up with packaging for the OHSO Travel Toothbrush that is efficient, cost effective, and consistent with the brand’s design aesthetic. The United States Postal Service liked the packaging so much it spotlighted OHSO in their first-ever infomercial. OHSO can now be seen on History and Discovery Channels, and dozens of other stations.
Innovative Distribution Channels:
Without the benefits of an established proven brand in the marketplace, and the big marketing budget to back it up, Trocino was locked out of normal channels of dental hygiene retailing. He could have focused his energies on getting an established brand to license his design so that the Travel Toothbrush could be placed among the hundreds of dental products already on crowded store shelves. “You can almost see the curvature of the earth down the oral care aisle. I knew we didn’t want to get caught up in that marketplace, so we positioned OHSO as a travel accessory.”
Instead, Trocino leveraged OHSO’s patented functionality and breakthrough design to open new doors. By positioning the product as a travel accessory for a modern, on the go lifestyle, Trocino first drew the interest of Flight 001, a chain of upscale travel shops with locations in Greenwich Village, North Hollywood, Berkeley, and other jet set places. Then followed Travelsmith, Amazon, Norm Thompson, Brookstone, and Restoration Hardware. While half of OHSO’s revenue is derived from Internet sales on GoOHSO.com, the other half comes from these higher-margin specialty shops and catalogs. According to Cory DePiero, Chief Buyer at Flight 001, “I saw OHSO on one of the design blogs. I knew immediately that our customers would love it. OHSO has been a top seller for us.”
As OHSO expands its product line, these specialty retailers provide unique opportunities to reach an audience willing to pay a little extra for for well designed, quality products.
Looking Ahead
OHSO has two new models in the pipeline and an ever growing user-base. “OHSO is also very popular in Europe and we are developing partnerships with European importers” says Trocino. “Thanks to the Internet, the word is out about OHSO and we can easily reach markets all over the world.”
More
Click here to see a visual history of OHSO: Here
Click here to see the US Postal Service Infomercial segment featuring OHSO: Here
4 comments:
OHSO...oh such a hot new company with definite viral buzz. Who knew a toothbrush could be an accessory to so many promising things? Mine is stashed in my bag and ready to go!
I just love this toothbrush! It's so handy and small enough to keep in my handbag. I'm able to practice good habits and look pretty damned cool doing it! It's actually a great conversation starter, too!
I must say, I've never been so enthusiastic about a toothbrush before in my life! I've just got my OHSO Marko in the mail last week, and I just couldn't wait for Spring Break to start using it. I've been carrying it wherever I go and using it as often as possible! Thanks for coming out with such an awesome product! :-)
I have one and I got to say that it's a really neat little gizmo of a toothbrush!
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