In 1943 the Slinky was developed by mechanical engineer Richard James. Its intended purpose was to keep fragile equipment safe on ships. By pure accident, James knocked one of these springs from a shelf, and watched in total amazement as it “walked” down from its spot, instead of just falling to the ground.
After his wife Betty coined the name “Slinky”, James started to produce these 80 ft. long and 2-inch wide metal spirals. With little initial interest, he eventually got his break in December 1945 at the Gimbels Department store in Philadelphia. That public demonstration netted an immediate 400 sales.
Today, 69 years and more than 250 million sales later, the Slinky is still a marvelous toy, bringing joy and amazement to all.
There is a saying that claims if you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.
We tend to feel very safe in the comfort zones we create for ourselves, and we don’t always realize that doing things differently could possibly lead to something even more rewarding.
Why don’t you change the way you look at your business and its marketing? You may be surprised by what you see from a different point of view. Let’s Try Something New.