It’s one thing to have a clever idea, but the world probably won’t notice unless it’s at the right place at the right time. The ultimate cleverness is being there where and when wanted. One example is the umbrella street vendors in Manhattan who appear only when it’s raining.

I spied this display of car deodorizers was only 10% of the variants on this clever idea in the waiting lobby of the Riverhead car wash. Every car owner has to wait there while the car is vacuumed, hooked up to go through the line where spraying, soaping, and polishing occur.

The people who spend the $25+ for a car wash are self-selected to be people who have pride in keeping a car clean and have a car where that’s worthwhile. They are the ones most likely to also want a sweet-smelling interior. So whether you want vanilla, springtime freshness, or just simple deodorizing, it’s there when you also have your wallet out.

by Dr Sabra Brock, co-founder of Idea Spies