Staples Becomes Latest Brand Featured on The Apprentice
Staples is the latest brand to appear in a product placement deal on NBC’s smash reality show The Apprentice.
The episode, which airs tonight at 9, tasks Apprentice candidates with inventing a new office product for Staples that will help make desk organization easy. As part of the task, each team will work with designers and manufacturers before presenting their final product to Staples executives and a focus group of office managers.
The winning team will spend time with George Ross and Carolyn Kepcher, assistants to the show’s co-producer Donald Trump, during a power breakfast at The Rainbow Room.
Staples joins a growing list of brands to be featured on The Apprentice to extend its brand to consumers.
“The show provided an opportunity for Staples to showcase our commitment to ‘easy,'” said Karen O’Neil, Staples public relations manager for retail. “We are always focused on serving the needs of small business owners and home office users. We wanted to convey our focus on bringing innovative, quality products to our customers.”
The Apprentice task is similar to Staples Invention Quest, a nationwide contest that seeks consumers’ office product ideas and offers a cash prize for the top submission. The contest, which launched Tuesday, invites consumers 18 and older to submit original product ideas to make work life easier.
Submission may be made in store or online at Staples.com/IQ.
The contest offers a grand-prize of $25,000 and royalties should Staples develop and sell the product. Nine runners-up will receive $5,000 and the chance to have their creation manufactured and sold by Staples. Ten finalists will receive a three-day trip to New York City to attend the finalist judging event. Thirty semi-finalists will attend a three-day trip to Framingham, MA, to attend the semi-finalist judging and receive a $100 Staples gift card.
Judging will be based on the product’s market potential and shelf life, the ability to addresses customer frustration or unmet needs, uniqueness/originality, its ease to assemble, its fit with Staples business and the product’s function and benefits.
Last year, Staples received 8,300 entries as part of the contest, four of which are slated to hit Staples stores. The contest runs through June 1. The winner will be announced in the fall. Internet materials support.
