ACCO Innovation Solution

Why does ACCO Brands pass on an idea?

When you submit your idea, and it does not get accepted, we realize you are probably looking for reasons why. Unfortunately, we cannot elaborate on our reasons for declining an idea. But we can say, generally, that your idea is judged on these criteria:

How unique is it and how likely will it be patented (if not already patented)?
How marketable is the product and how big is the market?
How well was the analysis done for the design and development ?
How much will it cost to produce?
How viable is it in the marketplace and how likely is it to make money?
How will the product be positioned in the general field of similar products?

We are happy to receive new ideas, but they will not all be developed into products. The top reasons ACCO Brands passes on submitted ideas are:

IT ALREADY EXISTS IN A SIMILAR FORM.

— We have seen a product such as this already on store shelves.
— We know of a product out there already that solves the problem in a better way.
— The idea is great, but there is already a published patent or public disclosure of the idea.
— ACCO Brands is already developing a product to solve the same problem.
— It’s not unique enough to compete in a market with so many other great ideas.
— It combines features that already exist into a new combination that has no real benefit.

IT DOESN'T SOLVE A REAL PROBLEM.

Your idea may not be truly compelling as a solution to a problem and so it’s not worth ACCO Brands making the investment of thousands of dollars to bring it to fruition. It may be too complicated or maybe it combines existing products or features together without a clear benefit.

THE MARKET FOR THE IDEA IS TOO SPECIFIC.

Your idea may be so limited that only a small subset of the population would be interested in it. While new things are great, some ideas target markets that are just too niche. Those ideas may be best for a company that focuses on just one commodity, whereas ACCO Brands has a large range of school and office products.

TECHNOLOGY IS NOT YET THERE TO MANUFACTURE IT.

You have submitted an idea that is ahead of its time, in our estimation. Show we are wrong if you know of cutting-edge technology that proves your idea is feasible. If not, do a little more research to find existing technology that can be used to create your idea.

IT IS OUTSIDE OF OUR CURRENT PRODUCT LINES.

Although we are always looking for ways to be original, ideas still have to match our current business units so we can efficiently produce and distribute it.