LISA LLOYD’S FRENCH TWISTER SAGA

by Chuck Umeda 9809 

Lisa Lloyd, co-founder of the IAA, told her experiences in getting the “French Twister” from concept to market.  It all began in1993 when she had short hair, which prompted an idea for a barrette.  A single parent at that time, everything was short, including financing.  But there was nothing comparable on the market and the idea was patented.

To get from the idea to an actual product required a lot of experimenting.   Lisa tried numerous kinds of plastics to find one that had the right feel.  Then, many refinements in the design got a model that worked well.  Finally, she knew what it should look like. 

Now, how to get some made?  A local plastics molding shop was located through a library search.  This was vital, because the shop owner knew how the mold should be made and the mold was expensive.  After 500 units were produced, Lisa went to salons.  The product proved to be a hit with those clients.  Packaging was designed.  The next challenge was to get the word out to wider audience.  TV ads were too costly for small volume of sales.  TV appearances were opportunities to show and tell about the barrette.  Newspaper articles, which also provided publicity, were clipped and saved into scrapbooks.  Sales and price information also were documented and saved.  

It soon was apparent that the French Twister was a viable product.  If a company already in that market could be reached and persuaded, a licensing deal could result.  The search for such companies began by going to the stores and looking at the names on the packages of barrettes.  That’s how Scunci was found, address and telephone number right on the package.  Susan Moore, Lisa’s mother and partner in this venture, decided to call.  It was just before Christmas.  Scunci was actually closed, but someone picked up the phone.  People who answer phones at odd times are either custodians or in this case, the owner, who was there to work in peace and quiet.  The owner, hearing Susan’s story, wanted more information and details.  This opened the door for Lisa.  Armed with the scrapbook of newspaper articles, evidence of good PR, she convinced Scunci that the French Twister is a viable product.

Some advice.  Find out what a company’s procedure is for submitting products for their review. Most companies won’t do business without “patent pending.”  And more recently, companies are seeking an issued patent before initiating discussions with the inventor.  Be informed about what it costs to make your product, what it costs to sell it and what will people pay for it, Lisa advises.

The long effort and persistence by Lisa and Susan Moore have been rewarded with great acceptance by the public.  In two years, some 1.2 million units have been sold!  Lisa also touched on self-evaluation to understand yourself better.