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Opportunity LOL's Spotlight Interview: Drew Oliver of GIANTmicrobes ®
Published: July 22nd, 2011
GIANTmicrobes ® germs and virus plush have been featured here quite a bit on Opportunity LOL. Something about cute microbes in fuzzy form is enduring yet sometimes hilarious when it's something like Bad Breath. Expanding at a fast pace, the company now makes everything from vinyl figures to ties to thermometers. Opp LOL is proud to now offer insight into the mind of the man behind the microbes. Former Harvard Lampoon editor and current family man, Drew Oliver is the founder and President of GIANTmicrobes ®. Subjects covered during this interview include how the popular brand came to be profitable and how Oliver views social media and blogs. As an added bonus for the art and toy community there's even talk about a custom vinyl show. Read on for all the details! Most Opportunity LOL readers know about GIANTmicrobes ® from our reviews but what should they know about Drew Oliver? Could you also describe an average day in your life? Drew Oliver: "My life is great. I have a lot fun designing new products. But mostly, I spend my time thinking about how to develop our characters into personalities that will get to have a life of their own. In that sense, I want to be the Geppetto (Pinocchio's father) to my little characters, and to bring them to life." You recently introduced GIANTmicrobes ® Vinyl Figures - a set of 9 different characters. Have you considered sending them out to custom toy artists - get someone to curate a gallery show? Drew Oliver: "Absolutely. We're in the process of trying to move this forward. Keep an eye on our site for further details." How long did it take you to turn GIANTmicrobes profitable? How many hours were you working per week during that time? How many hours per week do you spend on GIANTmicrobes ® today? Drew Oliver: "The company was profitable almost immediately. We kept expenses very low in the beginning, and were fortunate enough to get a large order from McGraw Hill early own which helped fund the company's growth. I ran the company for about 2 years part time before it grew large enough to require my full-time attention. I now spend some of all of my time working on the company -- I'll get ideas in the middle of the night and have to get out of bed to write them down before they disappear." Could you talk about the relationships you've cultivated with bloggers? I was really proud to see Opportunity LOL linked in your Press Information page. Drew Oliver: "We really appreciate the work that bloggers do to promote our products and our company. We do not spend heavily on advertising, so viral marketing (as it were...) helps introduce a lot of people to the GIANTmicrobes ®." How do you decide what blogs to work with? Drew Oliver: "We correspond with bloggers and have a look at the material on the blogs to determine if they're a good fit. Our brand is light-hearted and fun, and we want to make sure that we work with people who share our ideas." What is your attitude towards social media? Do you spend much time on Twitter and Facebook? How valuable do you think they are to your company? Drew Oliver: "We do spend time on social media -- it's another great way to connect with people, and to spread the word about our products. We've also been very pleased to see the number of people who spontaneously promote GIANTmicrobes (R)." Do you collect toys and/or art? Drew Oliver: "I have four children -- and they have a vast collection of toys! As for art, I do have a few things, but mostly for sentimental or nostalgic reasons. By and large, I prefer creating things myself." As a former Harvard Lampoon editor I assume you have a strong love for comedy. Who are your favorite comedians? Drew Oliver: "I've always liked comedy, and particularly when it's upbeat and light-hearted. I used to watch Johnny Carson growing up -- he had a wonderful, positive mood. I also particularly like comedic wordplay, which the British tend to do well -- Flanders & Swann are a good example of this. I think Steven Wright is very clever, though a bit darker. For just plain silly, Leslie Nielsen was terrific fun, as was Peter Sellers. Billy Crystal is upbeat, as are Chevy Chase, Steve Martin, and a number of the Saturday Night Live crew -- though a little more sassiness starts to creep into some of their work. The only thing I don't like is crass ironic humor, and you do see quite a bit of that around these days." What podcasts do you listen to? Drew Oliver: "I'm afraid that podcasts haven't made it into my schedule yet. When I'm in the car, I do listen to books on tape -- it's amazing what you can get through just driving around town." If someone wanted to get into the toy industry with an original design - what advice would you give them? Should they approach companies or try to create something on their own? Drew Oliver: "More than ever, you can do what you want on your own. The internet is such an incredibly powerful leveling tool. You can source manufacturing, arrange marketing, sell and collect payment, work with 3rd party professionals, all from the comfort of your own garage. But it is a lot of work too, so it depends a lot on your personality. You have to be not just creative, but also want to take on the responsibilities of running a business." There's a new GIANTmicrobes ® released roughly every 6 weeks. What can Opportunity LOL readers look forward to in 2011? Drew Oliver: "We've got a whole bunch of new designs in the works -- some health-related, some scientific, some just pure fun. Keep your eyes on our site, or sign up for our newsletter, and you'll get an early peek at them." Great! Thank you so much to Drew for doing this with us!
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