OXO Blogger Outreach

OXO’s Ready For Summer…Are You?

OXO — Sun, 21 Apr 2013 18:50:17 +0000

OXOnians love summer for many reasons – longer days, summer vacations, and … fruit. All you have to do is take a quick gander at our Fruit Tools to know we’re slightly obsessed with pitting, splitting, hulling, scooping, coring and dividing to make the most of a deliciously ripe piece of fruit.

We’re pleased to offer a limited number of bloggers the chance to receive a set of five of our favorite fruit tools (worth over $50), each detailed below. ~~If you are interested in being considered, please fill out this form by Monday, April 29, 2013 at 5pm ET.~~ Thank you so much for your interest! We had an overwhelming response and will be in touch shortly with those bloggers that were selected.

As always, please familiarize yourselves with our guidelines on the left hand side of our Blogger Outreach Page. You can always reach out to us at marketing@oxo.com with any questions.

Strawberry Huller

Strawberry fans, rejoice! Our adorable Strawberry Huller makes it easy to enjoy this delicious fruit for dessert or snacking. A quick pierce of the fruit removes the leaves and tart hull in one easy step. A little button on top releases the waste, making for easy cleanup. Though one can use a paring knife for the task (we know, we know…), this tool is particularly great because it is safe for use with kids and reduces waste, so you have more of that sweet fruit to enjoy. Strawberries are grown in the United States from January through November, but they are at their peak from April through June. Learn more about OXO’s Strawberry Huller here.

Mango Splitter

Our Mango Splitter is a favorite among OXOnians – not just because it makes it so much easier to prepare this delicious fruit, best enjoyed in June, but because of how it came to be: a number of years ago, Pastor Kevin Walzac came to us with a “Frankenstein” prototype of a tool that splits and pits mangoes in one easy step. He fell in love with Mangoes while on a mission in Africa and figured many Americans didn’t enjoy this delicious fruit because of how cumbersome they are to prepare. We were floored, and not just by what a genuinely nice person he is. Learn more here.

Cherry Pitter

Would you believe we spent nearly two years developing the OXO Cherry & Olive Pitter We worked tirelessly to create a tool that is comfortable to use, works with a variety of cherry sizes (including Bing and Rainier), and helps control the spray of cherry juice and pits! With such a helpful tool, it’s great to know Cherry Season is so long - Northwest Cherries are at their peak between June and August.We had such great success with our Cherry Pitter program last summer, we decided to add it to the mix again this year – and in a new color! Learn more about this amazing tool here.

Pineapple Slicer

At OXO, pineapples were always something we loved to eat, but the preparation was something left to be desired. With the help of our handy Ratcheting Pineapple Slicer, we’ve been indulging in this prickly skinned fruit more often – thank goodness its season they’re pretty much available all year long, though the peak season for Caribbean Pineapples is August through September. What makes our Pineapple Slicer so special is its handle. Always focused on the tiniest detail, our engineers recommended a handle that worked like a ratchet – that is, one where you don’t have to remove and replace your hand with each twist. Learn more about this amazing fruit tool here.

2-Piece Fruit Scoops

Aah, our Fruit Scoops. Is there anything that these babies couldn’t tackle? Kiwi? Check. Mango? Check. Watermelon? Check. Cantaloupe? Check. Beyond just fruit, these tools are great for avocado, butternut squash, pumpkins… You’ll find yourself turning to them throughout the year. The Scoops were designed specifically to get right between the skin and fruit, minimizing waste. The edges are sharp enough to extract fruit, but safe for use with children (so it’s actually great for Pumpkin Carving time). A soft, non-slip handle is perfect for repetitive tasks – like when you’re making that Watermelon boat! Learn more here.

Get Ready for our EGGstravaganza!

OXO — Sun, 03 Mar 2013 05:43:54 +0000

With Easter and Passover upon us later this month, we imagine many of you foodies might have a few leftover eggs in your refrigerator in a few weeks. What better time to enlist your EGGcellent creativity with this Blogger Outreach opportunity?

We’re pleased to offer a limited number of bloggers the chance to receive three of our favorite tools (two of them brand new to the OXO family), each detailed below. If you are interested in being considered, please fill out this form by Monday, March 11 at 5pm ET. Thanks to those who have expressed interest! The form is now closed. We will be in touch shortly if you were selected to participate.

Wow us with what you can do with eggs – we’re EGGcited to see the results!

3-in-1 Egg Separator

New to our “toolkit” is this amazing Egg Separator. Its working name was “Egg Cracker/Drip Catcher,” but it didn’t exactly stick. Once you use it, it will be a go-to gadget for breakfasts and baking. Simply hook the Egg Separator onto the side of a bowl and instantly have a perfect edge for cracking eggs – two different ridges fit easily and securely on thin- or thick-rimmed bowls, making it easy for toddlers to get involved. The base of the Separator catches runaway pieces of shell and prevents drips from running down the outside of the bowl onto your counter or table (a pet peeve of many in our office). This neat tool can also separate egg whites from yolks in one easy step. Learn more here.

Egg Beater

A favorite among foodies, our Egg Beater whips eggs, light batters whipped cream and more with such ease, the next generation will want to “take a turn.” In true OXO fashion, we set out to redesign this age-old (and, frankly, outdated tool) and bring it into the 21st century. Its smoothly rotating gears were inspired by a fishing reel (our fearless leader, Alex Lee, is an avid fisherman) to reduce hand stress and the large upright handle is comfortable to hold. A “bridge” along the bottom elevates the beaters, keeping them from interfering with the bottom of the bowl. The gears are all enclosed, making this a safe tool to use with little ones. Learn more here.

Flip & Fold Omelet Turner

Who among us hasn’t flipped out (at least a little bit) over making omelets? Let’s face it, the task of turning an omelet is a bit intimidating, even if your name is Julia Child. Our new Flip & Fold Omelet Turner was designed to be the ideal shape and size for making the perfect omelet (the breakfasts made while developing this product were pretty amazing). The nylon inner spatula provides structure, while the outer silicone (heat resistant to 600°F) flexes to conform to the shape of your pan. They work in tandem to glide under omelets perfectly, allowing you to flip them (or fold them) while keeping them intact. Learn more here, otherwise use Julia’s approach.

Egg-stra, Egg-stra!

We love to share your content with our fans, users and retailers. Tell us about your post by tweeting, pinning or writing on our wall. Most importantly, you can also let us know by clicking on this link and providing us the URL of your blog post.

OXO Spot

Guidelines

If you are new to OXO’s Blogger Outreach program, please make sure you familiarize yourself with our guidelines on the left hand side of our Blogger Outreach page. And as always, you can reach us at marketing@oxo.com with any questions.

Happy Blogging!

An Open Letter to Our Bloggers

OXO — Sat, 26 Jan 2013 22:08:37 +0000

Earlier this week a consumer products company located two blocks from OXO started a very public campaign accusing us of stealing a product idea. After thoughtful consideration, we decided that we needed to clarify the situation. It is not our practice to defend ourselves publicly. In fact, this is the first time in the history of our company we have ever taken a public stand like this. But sometimes, you just need to set the record straight.

Below is our full response.

OXO, Crooks and Robbers…?

On January 21, consumer products company Quirky accused OXO and our design partner, Smart Design, of appropriating a feature from a product called the Broom Groomer, which was submitted to their community in 2009 by an independent inventor and launched in 2010. Their product includes “rubber ‘teeth’ on the back of the dustpan [that] … quickly and easily comb out dust bunnies. ”

While we’re a good-natured group, we have serious respect for designers and innovators alike, and we want to make sure the design community — including everyone involved with Quirky — has all of the information needed to understand what’s going on.

Let’s start at the very beginning

For a little background, all of this started on Monday with a billboard on 28th Street in Chelsea, just two blocks from OXO’s office. Quirky claimed the OXO Upright Dust Pan “ripped off” their design. An image of the billboard was shared with Quirky’s nearly 30,000 Facebook fans.

On Tuesday, this escalated to a picket line outside of our office building during the busy morning hours, led by Quirky CEO Ben Kaufman. You can find photos and a video of the event on Quirky’s blog and Facebook page. Images were also shared on Twitter and Instagram. If you want more details of what transpired, visit the Quirky blog here.

In the video, Mr. Kaufman says, “At Quirky, we believe in one thing and one thing that’s very special, which is human protection. We believe that humans are innately good people and that if a problem arises that they will do the right thing. It’s our job today to show a very big company what that right thing is.”

We were surprised that Quirky didn’t first address their issue with us before taking it public. Our companies are two blocks apart. We have about the same number of employees. We know the people that work there and they know us. Our leaders have spoken. Isn’t it a little strange that they didn’t think to pick up the phone and call first? Wouldn’t that have been the right thing to do?

Justice for Addison F. Kelley

Unfortunately, the designer of Quirky’s Broom Groomer wasn’t the first person to come up with the idea of teeth on a dustpan. The idea was actually invented almost 100 years ago. On September 9, 1919, the patent for this idea was issued to Addison F. Kelley from Freeland Park, IN. Information about this patent (No. US1,315,310) is available here.

In a nutshell, Addison F. Kelley’s patent specifies a:“provision for combing the brush used in connection with the pan… It will be apparent … that a broom or brush may be readily cleaned and particles of hair and the like removed therefrom by inserting the teeth into the body of the brush and then pulling thereon until the teeth are free of the outer ends of the bristles of the brush or broom, at which time the dirt removed will fall into the dust pan.”

Why is this description important? Ever since Mr. Kelley’s patent expired in 1936, any dustpan that includes teeth to effectively clean debris from broom or brush bristles will likely resemble each other, because each relies on the same, formerly patented, feature.

In fact, every single one of the features in our product is covered by the 1919 patent. Not one of the features has anything to do with the assertions made by Quirky. Plus, our version of this bristle-cleaning concept is featured on a Sweep Set and Long-Handled Dustpan, not a hand-held dustpan like Quirky’s. And our teeth are higher off the ground so it’s easier to clean the full bristle head of a Sweeper or a Broom. Not only that, our teeth are made of rigid plastic, not rubber, to provide strength when combing through the bristles and a surface that will not retain dust and hair.

Ideas are limitless and patents expire for a reason: to encourage competition, innovation and the evolution of new ideas that ultimately benefit the end user. If patents never expired, we would have only one car company, and the cars they develop would likely not be readily available and affordable to so many people all over the world. Imagine that.

At OXO, we either invent or improve. In this instance, we improved upon Mr. Kelley’s patent. Many other innovators do this as well. Apple did not invent the Walkman. They did not invent the cell phone. They did not invent the tablet computer. Their designers improved each and now millions of people enjoy the fruits of their improvements.

Some important lessons

We recognize that Quirky is relatively new and there are a few things they are still figuring out. In the spirit of collaboration, we’d like to share some pointers as Quirky continues to iterate on its business model:

Just because an idea was submitted does not mean that idea is original.
Just because a product has launched does not mean it’s new. In fact, a similar product could have already been launched and discontinued.
Just because a patent application was submitted doesn’t mean it has been reviewed or approved. It also doesn’t mean a patent will be issued.

Imitation is the sincerest form of flattery

With over 800 OXO tools, we also come across products that look strikingly similar to our own. At this point, many consumers don’t realize that prior to OXO, there were no soft, comfortable non-slip grips on kitchen tools or other consumer products. We appreciate the competition’s right to incorporate this feature to the point where it is now commonplace. In the end, the consumer won.

While we’d never go so far as to hold a public protest, we thought we’d take this chance to share a few examples of Quirky products that have a strangely familiar “OXO” touch.

To be fair

We feel that inspiration can come from anywhere and Quirky knows this as well as the next guy. Here’s an example, The Pluck Egg Yolk Separator.

This product bears resemblance to a YouTube video that has received close to 16 Million views. The video was published on July 30th, 2012, and was not the first to describe this idea. Three weeks later, a product with the same idea (Pluck) was introduced to Quirky’s community. Now, we give the inventor the full benefit of the doubt – there is no way of knowing whether he saw the video prior to his invention. Still, should the consumers who posted the videos cry foul? When similar products, inspired by these creative videos, are introduced by other manufacturers, will Quirky come after them, as well?

A note to the inventor community

In 2012, OXO President Alex Lee met with Quirky CEO Ben Kaufman at their office to discuss product design and innovation. At one point, Alex asked what steps Quirky took to protect the Intellectual Property (IP) of this broad community when inventors submit their idea in an open and public forum. Ben responded, “Nothing. Speed to market is our best protection.”

At OXO we believe wholeheartedly in our design partners and inventors. Every year, we pay millions of dollars in royalties to both to protect their integrity and reward them for their talents. Needless to say, we take IP very, very seriously at OXO.

Understanding Quirky’s take on IP, we think the inventor community should understand a few things before they submit ideas online. The most important one is this: Once you disclose an unprotected idea publicly, without a confidentiality agreement, you have lost the right to file a patent in some countries (including Taiwan) and the clock starts ticking for the rest of the world. From that point, you have 12 months within which to file a patent application. It’s not enough to sign a non-disclosure agreement with Quirky. You must be protected from ALL parties privy to your idea – that includes the entire Quirky community of 336,000 inventors.

Even if Quirky eventually takes steps to apply for a patent to protect your idea, they also have to do so within the 12-month window. But if Quirky decides not to pursue the ideas you submitted publicly, it is then your own responsibility to file against that ticking clock. Please understand your risks before publicly submitting your ideas.

Sadly for the inventor of the Broom Groomer the facts are a little blurry. This week, Quirky’s billboard said the Broom Groomer was invented in 2009. However, Quirky.com states the idea was publicly displayed beginning March 2, 2010. The application with the US Patent Office was not filed until April 18, 2011 – in either case, it was past the 12 month window.

What does this mean? This means whatever additional features Quirky sought to protect for the Broom Groomer beyond those in the original 1919 Kelley patent will likely be ruled invalid by the US Patent Office for not adhering to the 12-month window. The inventor might want to consider following up with Quirky about this.

How Can OXO Help?

Business aside, we’re huge supporters of creativity and education in the design community. And as designers and inventors ourselves, we believe it’s our responsibility to understand the legal boundaries of our work.

To this point, one of OXO’s Senior Product Engineers, Rich, has offered to give a “Patent Process Primer” for the inventor community, one based on the experiences, frustrations and strategies around protecting IP that we have learned over the years. Naturally, all Quirky inventors and employees are welcome too.

Please tweet us (@OXO) or post on our Facebook wall (facebook.com/oxo) if you’re interested in attending or learning more.

Time to call a truce

We push ourselves to make every product and every task an experience that’s significantly better, so we can help make everyday living easier. This has been our mission since 1990 and we do so with high regard and respect for all those who have innovated before us. We believe the spirit of fair competition challenges others to find a better solution and in the end, the consumer wins.

Now, let’s put this all behind us and get back to designing great products.

Great Things Come in Small Packages!

OXO — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:35:43 +0000

To help you Bake a Difference this holiday season, we’d like to share one of our newest Baking Tools with you!

Small measurements don’t need to be a big mess! The OXO Mini Measuring Beakers were specifically designed for measuring and pouring smaller amounts of ingredients like food coloring, extracts, lemon juice, and more. They’re not only great for baking, they’re also adorable stocking stuffers!

We’re excited to offer a limited number of bloggers the opportunity to receive a set of Beakers for all of your holiday baking! If you are interested in being considered, please fill out this form with your information by ~~Thursday, November 1st at 5pm ET~~. We’ve extended the deadline due to the Hurricane Sandy, you have until Thursday, November 8th at 5pm ET. Please let us know if you have any questions.

Bake a Difference with OXO this Holiday Season!

OXO — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:29:40 +0000

Join the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap!

OXO — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 17:10:20 +0000

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap brings together food bloggers from around the world in celebration of all things scrumptious. Conceived and organized by the wonderful Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay of Love & Olive Oil, this is not to be missed holiday event! The premise is this: sign up. Receive the addresses of three other food bloggers. Send each of them one dozen delicious homemade cookies. Receive three different boxes of scrumptious cookies from other bloggers. Eat them all yourself (or, you know, share. If you want. No judgement either way.) Post your cookie recipe on your blog. See everyone else’s cookie recipes. Salivate. Get lots of great ideas for next year’s cookie swap. Rinse and repeat.

Best of all, this year, all proceeds from the Cookie Swap will go to Cookies for Kids’ Cancer! Plus, as an added bonus, OXO will send every blogger who signs up in the United States, a “Good Cookie” Spatula! To sign up and find out more head on over to the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap website! Tweeting, pinning, or instagraming? Use the hashtag #fbcookieswap.

You have until Nov. 5th to sign up for this wonderfully delicious holiday event!

OXO at TechMunch Philadelphia!

OXO — Fri, 26 Oct 2012 16:36:31 +0000

On Saturday Oct. 27th OXO will be at TechMunch in Philadelphia! If you’re in the area, please stop by to chat with us. There is a great line-up of speakers and it should be an excellent day. Arianna will be there to talk about our Blogger Outreach Program and she’s very excited to meet everyone!

Find out more about the conference here: http://techmunchpa.com/

Don’t forget to join our Blogger Outreach Database so that you can find out about new opportunities to work together. You can join it by going to www.oxo.com/bloggeroutreach/join.

With a #SideofOXO

OXO — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:53:17 +0000

At OXO, we are always looking for creative ways to highlight our tools and the people who use them. Now we have the chance to do so through our partnership with The Food Network! From October 15 – 22, we’ll be promoting our Sensational Sides Pinterest board with 20 Food Network television spots airing during prime time. We’ll pin our favorite blog posts that feature creative and delicious side dish recipes to the board and will highlight the bloggers behind them.

Would you like to have your Sensational Side featured on our board? Please pin your recipe AND tweet about it. In both the pin and the tweet include the hashtag #SideofOXO and tag @OXO. Please make sure to do this for pins you have already shared on Pinterest!

As always, we love seeing our tools in action. Be sure to snap a photo of any OXO tools you use to make your scrumptious side dish.Please pin your post by Wednesday, October 10^th!

OXO at IFBC – Join the OXO Blogger Outreach Program

OXO — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:44:58 +0000

This weekend we’re excited to be in Portland, OR for the International Food Blogger Conference (IFBC)! If you’re there, make sure to stop and chat with Arianna, from OXO, about our Blogger Outreach Program. She’s looking forward to meeting everyone!

Don’t forget to join our Blogger Outreach Database so that you can find out about new opportunities to work together. You can join it by going to www.oxo.com/bloggeroutreach/join.

The Winners of the OXO Cherry Recipe Contest!

OXO — Wed, 10 Oct 2012 16:44:04 +0000

The OXO Cherry Recipe Contest was a hit! We received so many incredible recipes that the judges were tied and we had to hold an office-wide taste test to help break the tie. Ultimately, we selected four winners instead of three. Thank you to everyone who participated and please make sure to stop by our With a Cherry On Top Pinterest board to see some of the great recipes we received (as well as some of our favorite cherry recipes from around the web).

Tied in third place we have a Chocolate Cherry Cake from Tutti Dolci and a Roasted Cherry and Brie Pizza from From the Little Yellow Kitchen.

The Chocolate Cherry Cake is a wonderful example of how something simple and uncomplicated can be incredibly flavorful and beautiful. Tutti Dolci explains the cake best when she says: “Chocolate and cherry work in unison, neither one overpowering the other. Cinnamon adds an unexpected warmth that is most welcome against the pillowy chocolate cake dotted with fresh cherries. I find a wedge makes a lovely afternoon pick-me-up, though I also enjoy a sliver topped with a scoop of vanilla bean ice cream.” We couldn’t have said it better.

From the Little Yellow Kitchen impressed us with a Roasted Cherry and Brie Pizza with rosemary, caramelized onions and a balsamic reduction. This pizza not only looks beautiful with the deep reds and purples of the cherries intermixed with the green sprigs of rosemary, it also tastes incredible. Brie, cherries and rosemary would already have been delicious on their own but adding the balsamic reduction made for a perfect combination of sweet and tart.

Our second place winner is a recipe for absolutely stunning cupcakes. The Chocolate Amaretto Cupcakes from Maede. For. You. blew the judges away with their beauty and flavor. The amaretto soaked cherries dipped in white chocolate added a delicate touch of elegance to a moist and flavorful cupcake topped with rich and smooth amaretto buttercream frosting. The judges were pleasantly surprised by the accessibility of the recipe as well – Maede. For. You.’s instructions allowed us to recreate her robust recipe without any trouble. We will definitely be making these impressive cupcakes again soon!

In first place we have a very creative recipe that truly surprised the judges. BakeaholicMama’s Fried Cherry Cheesecake Bites were fun to make and were slightly addicting. Some of the judges had their doubts at first but everyone was thoroughly convinced after popping the first Cheesecake Bite into their mouths. Overall, this was a wonderful recipe that surprised everyone who tasted it. We definitely recommend trying it out!

Congratulations again to the four winners and thank you to everyone else who participated. If you’ve won, we’ll be in touch soon with more information about how to claim your prizes.