the luckiest guy alive:
Robert J. Croak, the founder of Silly Bandz. Not only is he the luckiest guy alive right now, he may be the most overly optimistic.
A few years ago, Croak spotted some animal shaped rubberbands at a tradeshow in Japan. He thought, if they were a little thicker, they could make a great fashion accessory. So he went to work and created what he now calls “the hottest toy, the hottest fashion product on earth.” They started selling online and apparently gained popularity in Alabama, then spread to the east coast.
This guy sounds like a trip, and a bit overly enthustiastic, I would say. “I’m the luckiest guy alive right now. I don’t think you’re going to find anyone who has a reason to be happier than I am. Everyone asks who my publicist is. I don’t have one. We don’t advertise. All we do is viral marketing. This is happening on its own.”
Regarding product creation, he says, “You know the Dyson vacuum guy who says in his commercial that he had 180 prototypes before he got it right? With Silly Bandz, we got it right the first time.” Um, maybe that’s because Croak’s is a silicone rubberband, not a functioning vacuum.
Granted, he has all the reason to be enthusiastic — he become a millionaire from some silly bands. His company, which two year ago made $10,000 in annual sales, has made over $100 million in annual sales according to the WSJ. Per USA Today, “one year ago, the company had eight phone lines. Today, it has 48. One year ago, the company had 20 U.S. employees. Today, it has 400 in the USA and 3,000 in China, where Silly Bandz are made. One year ago, it was selling 100 packs of Silly Bandz a week. Today, it’s selling 1 million.”
And Croak doesn’t think that’s it. Rather than a fad, he thinks this is a trend that has a solid five years to go. It hasn’t hit much of the West Coast, let alone the rest of the world.. “It will,” he says. He says, ”we’ve been planning some new products that will make Silly Bandz a household name for the next 5 to 10 years.” Doubtful, but I suppose we shall see.
Oh and I’m currently wearing four bandz. And I can’t really tell you why.
