Description:

Field of the Invention

[0001]Customized Perfume sampler paper strips by printing user generated messages on the perfume sampler paper strips, such that the contents hence printed enables perfume sampler paper strip to act not only as perfume tester but also act as a medium for user community to disseminate or spread user generated messages thereby making these perfume sampler paper strips act as message carriers for social media generated messages.

[0002]Various approaches have been used for introducing the general public to perfume fragrances, one of the oldest being direct application by spraying a small sample onto the wrist or arm at a store counter. Another method is spraying of a fragrance on a perfume sampler paper strip or a model card or tissue and allowing the customers to take the card with them is employed extensively. A serious weakness of this method of promoting perfumes or fragrances is that the customer may try several fragrances at once and place many "perfume sampler paper strips" in a bag, where they tend to blend, causing a confusing and negative experience. Also, the sprayed-on perfume after a relatively short period of time loses its volatile top notes and even some middle notes, resulting in an aroma that is substantially different from when first sampled.

[0003]lt is observed that typically at the point of sales, a consumer will pick up a perfume sampler paper strip and after spraying the consumer typically throws away the perfume sample paper strip or leaves it at the store or hands it back to the sales person in store.

[0004]Conventional perfume sampler paper strips are not hugely innovative and effective methods of using them as a channel for brand promotion or advertising lack charm with consumers; effectively due to this lack of innovation, typically customers do not carry the "perfume sampler paper strip" with them while leaving the store. Therefore it is unambiguously clear to those skilled in art that it is beyond doubt established that customers usually do not carry the "perfume sampler paper strip" with them while leaving store. Therefore, there is a need to create innovative perfume sampler paper strips.

[0005]One such method to create innovative perfume sampler strips could be by printing user- generated messages of a user community. The act of printing the message on the perfume sampler paper strips will create a product which bears a user generated message. In such a way even though the consumer may or may not like the fragrance however the consumer and if the consumer so desires, will retain the perfume sampler paper strip not for fragrance or perfume but for an alternate usage such as using the perfume sampler paper strip for the message it carries.

[0006]Such perfume sampler paper strips with a user generated message printed on them will reach large numbers of people, friends & family many of whom may not have the opportunity to sample fragrances while shopping. General public might receive these perfume sampler paper strips not for the purpose of sampling perfume but instead uses these perfume sampler paper strips for reading user generated messages printed on them.

[0007]This would allow the innovative perfume sampler paper strips to be used over a prolonged period without being thrown away just after the perfume testing at the point of sales In addition to providing a faint release of the perfume soaked on such samplers the printed matter that would act as a constant reminder or act as an indirect source of advertisement also serving as an effective medium to for enhancing brand recall.

[0008]No such previous attempts have been made to consciously customize the perfume sampler paper strips with user-generated messages printed.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0009]The present invention is directed at making customized Perfume sampler paper strips by printing user generated messages on the perfume sampler paper strips, such that the contents hence printed enables perfume sampler paper strip to act not only as perfume tester but also act as a medium for user community to disseminate or spread user generated messages thereby making these perfume sampler paper strips act as message carriers.

[0010]ln recent years there has been a strong emergence of social networking websites such as facebdok, twitter, orkut, fragrantmemories.co etc. Large online communities of users are connected with each other. Most often it is commonly seen the users will post comments on various web pages, home pages, profile page etc, such as those commonly seen on the profile pages of users on facebook or messages posted at fragrantmemories.co. Twitter is another famous micro-blogging website that allows its users to post their messages of finite length to a community of followers.

[0011]Many a time it is noticed that message from a typical user triggers a response from another user and so on. Such back and forth of messages within a group or with larger public audiences at large creates a chain of messages, which are disseminated to everyone.

[0012]At this moment the medium of dissemination of such short messages or user-generated messages generated in the online medium mainly remain within the electronic media or format. Though at times it is possible to print all these messages on paper or print them in the form a book for reading in a nonelectronic format. However, typically the messages of users invariably are available only on electronic medium.

[0013]On the other hand large online communities and user groups have become powerful mediums and gaining attraction for companies to tap into. Companies are employing means of engaging these online user communities in order to influence buying behavior. [0014]Companies are also trying to build and leverage such company & online community relationships for the purpose of disseminating messages, such as social, marketing, advertising, branding, marketing, promotional, etc.

[0015]lt is challenging for companies to maintain a continued interest of such social networking group or a community for the purpose of leveraging for commercial interests. One possible way for continued engagement and participation of online user community is by providing online user community a medium that forges a bond between their bricks and mortar world and online world.

[0016]One such bricks and mortar medium to engage the online user community to spread messages could be perfume sample paper strips. An online community of users could be prompted or engaged to create a pool of messages or a message chain. Such user-generated messages could be further classified into various categories such as messages in a particular language, for a particular event, particular interest or any other creative category such as the longest chain of messages or a chain of messages with the most likes.

[0017]These user-generated messages thus created could be collected and printed on perfume sampler paper strips. The size of a typical perfume sampler paper strip will be just enough to print a single user generated message. In doing so an online user or a community of online users could be engaged to disseminate messages online and also offered a medium to disseminate the same messages in bricks and mortar world through the perfume sampler paper strips.

[0018]By providing the perfume sampler paper strip as a medium to carry the messages of user community the perfume sampler paper strip acts also as unique way of spreading messages in the bricks and mortar world. For example; a boy may say some very emotional message to his girl friend on his fragrantmemories or facebook or twitter account and many people might like that message. It would be a nice surprise for his girl friend to find that message from her boy friend printed on a perfume sampler paper strip at some point of sale.

[0019]Such printing of user generated messages will enable the perfume sampler paper strips to act as a bricks and mortar medium for spreading the messages generated and collected from online social networking medium. At the point of sale the user might retain perfume sampler paper strips and carry it with them not only as a perfume tester but for an alternate use of them as gifts or bookmarks or memorabilia, the association of a particular brand with such activity will lead to an enhanced brand recall.

[0020]Customized perfume sampler paper strips with user generated messages printed created by printing claim 1, user generated messages as described in claims 2 through 14, is shown through use of examples of such few messages as demonstrated through Fig.3 and Fig.4 and detail descriptions below.

[0021]The list of such messages as shown in Fig.3 and Fig.4 are only for illustrative purposes. The examples show messages only in English language however, any one skilled in art can observe that it is possible to write such messages in every other language or be depicted pictorially.

[0022]Other features and advantages of the invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art upon review of the following detailed description, drawings, and claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE SEVERAL VIEWS OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a perfume sampler paper strip of the present invention prior to bearing the written message;

FIG. 2 is a side view of a perfume sampler paper strip of the present invention;

FIG. 3 is a perspective view of a perfume sampler paper strip of the present invention bearing the written message as one example;

FIG. 4 is a perspective view of a perfume sampler paper strip of the present invention bearing the written message as another example;

Corresponding reference numerals will be used throughout the several figures of the drawings. DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT The invention is illustrated by the following examples.

[0023]The present invention will hereinafter be described according to a preferred embodiment thereof, given by way of example and not for limitative purposes with reference to the annexed drawings, wherein:

[0024] FIG.l is a perspective view of a fragrance sampler 100 of the present invention prior to bearing the written message; having a surface area 102, a place 104 to put the name of perfume or the perfume maker such as the brand name, and a side cross-section 106.

[0025]FIG.2 as shown in 200 is a side view 206 of the perfume sampler paper strip, which can correspond to side cross-section 106 in FIG.l;

[0026JFIG.3 is an exemplary work of art showing a perspective view of a fragrance sampler 300 according to one embodiment of the invention. The surface area 302 which can correspond to 102 showing a user message 308 "Missed you at Chicago" thus printed on a part of the surface area 302 and some part of the remaining surface area 302 is shown bearing a name 304 Perfume that can be the brand name of either the perfume or the company.

[0027]FIG.4 is yet another exemplary work of art showing a perspective view of a fragrance sampler 400 according to one embodiment of the invention. The surface area 402 which can correspond to 102 showing a user message 408 "I remembered our first meeting" thus printed on a part of the surface area 402 and some part of the remaining surface area 402 is shown bearing a name 404 Perfume that can be the brand name of either the perfume or the company.

[0028] Moreover, as shown in these illustrative figures the shape of the perfume sampler paper strips is not limited to a rectangular strip as it is possible to create a perfume sample paper strip in various other shapes, colors and designs and use such perfume sampler paper strip for printing a user generated message to create customized perfume sampler paper strips with user generated messages printed. For example, the perfume sampler paper strips may have the shape and the design of a fruit like an apple, or of a flower, or any other design.

[00029]Obviously, an association of the online systems and various other methods for collection of user- generated messages that can be employed may be provided in detail. One aspect of collecting such user generated messages from the online medium could be through the use of an online application developed such as http://fragrantmemories.co/ which can engage users of social networking sites to submit the messages for printing on perfume sampler paper strips.

[0030]Among the possible variants of the above-disclosed embodiment, the one related to a paper sampler strip is relevant.

[0031]Besides the above mentioned advantages, the above described paper sampler strip is substantially made of two parts, paper and printed message, which may easily be assembled by automatic processing in the paper industry field, using suitable printing application devices.

[0032]To the above described perfume sampler paper strip with a user generated message printed on it, those skilled in the art, in order to satisfy further and contingent needs, may introduce several further modifications and variants, all however falling within the protective scope of the present invention, as defined by the appended claims.