The GPad Life – How to launch a Company from Concept to National Campaign in In Under 6 Weeks

by John Cataldi | Nov 10, 2010 | Apple, Brand Strategy, Consumer Electronics, gPad, tablet computing, Technology Innovations

Hey Here’s an Idea, Let’s Create a New Brand, the GPAD Tablet to Compete against Apple’s iPad and Samsungs Galaxy for the Christmas Season, with little budget, resources, and time, just because some guy bet you a dollar you could not do it! I should have walked away, but he double dog dared me!

John Says, "for the GPad Life marketing strategy, we had to just reinvent all the rules of consumer electronics marketing, because they just did not fit into our timeline".

Have you ever looked in the mirror and said, what in the hell was I thinking? It all started when I had the pleasure of having a front row seat to a private session of Google, Apple, RIM, and a few other heavy weights talk about the future of developing applications (APPS) for smart phones at an Emory’s Wireless Forum event. In sitting on the first row I noticed a lot of iPads, so I had to ask Google, "I understand this session is about app development, but we should also have a question about supporting devices. So my question is Mr. Google (I rather not call him the Director of App Development for all Things Android or you’ll know who he is) when are you going to get man up to Apple and start developing a tablet friendly OS, before Apple gains any more market share. This is where I get into trouble without an entourage, because I am too encouraged to speak my mind without filters. Google looked at Apple, Apple Looked at Google, and Mr. Google answered it’s something we are discussing, and we have partners launching with our 2.1 and 2.2 OS. Another panel member stated that there is only one other competitor the Samsung Galaxy 7’ table hitting shelves Christmas. So I did a little research as well, and found one other minor player, which is a no name Chinese brand in Kmart which if anyone buys me one, please leave the gift receipt. 

Anyway, to make a short blog post longer, I saw first the opportunity, as a Media ROI Evangelist, to help bridge the market between East and West, but when I talked to several Chinese manufactures they really only wanted to sell product, not build a brand. I felt their strategy a little shortsighted, since I see electronics as more of a commodity, especially in China.Then the ahha moment hit, I have launch dozens of brands into the marketplace, for a lot less than big brands spend. Plus, I have a fairly good rolodex of rainmakers that could compensate in areas which I was weak. To seal the deal, comes my long time friend, Bob who said, wow, very complex; you need at least $20-50+ million to launch out a brand to compete against those guys. I said naaaa, blah, blah, 3 minutes later we just bet a dollar that I could not create a competing national brand in 6 weeks. 

Then it happened, I drank the Kool-aid, and became the first Gpad Life Evangelist. The more I researched the marketplace, the more a really saw a need for the market to change. If you LISTEN to what your consumers are telling you their needs, it is easy to meet their demands by… well I don't know, building the product they want, at the cost everyone can afford. Rumor has it that the first release of the GPad may even have a camera and 2x the memory than the iPad, and is bigger than the Samsung Galaxy, but these are only unsubstantiated rumors. 🙂

Anyway Bob… you will owe me a dollar this week, and for all of you buying a GPad Life this Christmas and beyond, be vocal, tell us what you want, tell your friends, rant, rave, or make fun of us. At the end of the day, all reviews are good reviews, because your helping us build a better product. 

If anyone would like to know the details of what we have actually done (including very little sleep) for Project GPad aka GPad Life.. heres our first 5 weeks…..

1)      Did all of the legal corporate crap… Corporate filings, CPA, Bank acct, etc

2)      Used digital listing and influencer interviews concerning the iPad and people potentially looking for a second trusted source

3)      Found several factories producing a better product than Apple (practiced my Chinese)

4)      Created the brand GPAD, which I actually did previously for a prospective client, but he never paid me, good news is that I own the trademark.

5)      Build a website, ecommerce store (launching in T-96 h)

6)      Integrated the ecommerce engine into  a fulfillment house

7)      Established Logistics and reverse logistics protocols

8)      Got cap less merchant account a great rate

9)      Created Branding materials

10)  Created a media partnerships launching on Radio, TV, Print, & more

11)  Established call order center

12)  Established customer service center (offshore) – I know but to expensive onshore

13)  Tomorrow I am pulling in some a few hundred thousand to increase project staff, ad budgets, and overall project revenues.

All this done for A LOT less than most think, we should to make the project profitable for under $250,000 and 4 bodies. By the way, we also have other clients that we managed as well. The secret is let your vendors do the heavy lifting, and pay them on performance, not time. In the end, stuff gets done faster, and it saves you lots of money.

But what happens next? I have no idea. Let’s see if any of these GPAD balls come crashing down around my ears. For the time being, we may actually sell a few thousand pads, and change the way people perceive retail electronics marketing, and potentially creating new competitor to the tablet market by pulling in rapid consumer support and product adoption.

So tune in for the rest of the story as it unfolds. Good news is if we do well, feel free to buy GPad Life for 1 gazillion dollars, or you could always hire my firm Adreka for your next marketing launch 🙂