From the Pre-Blog Archives
- CABBAGE PATCH KIDS PLAYHOUSE ($19.99) is a twist on the Roll N' Grow idea. It is 25 feet of seeded carpet that grows into eight-foot sunflowers. Plant them in a square, and you get an outdoor "playhouse" with sunflower walls. Could also be used as a privacy "fence" around a pool or patio. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This probably isn't a mass-market idea, since not everyone likes sunflowers or wants to take up a large portion of their yard (if they have a large enough yard) with these plants. It also doesn't solve a compelling problem. Their angle is 'get the kids outside,' but this further limits the market to parents.
- SMOOTH 'N 6 ($39.95) is a pen that rolls on a wrinkle serum, which is supposed to work in six seconds. It fills in lines and plumps skin. The offer is buy one, get one free. Then they double the offer to four, just pay S&H on the second set of two. The bonuses are a micro-exfoliating mitt and a light-up compact mirror. Comments: Great idea, terrible offer. Great idea: Bringing portability ("roll it on as easily as lipstick" is the tag line) and speed (six seconds) to a proven category. Bad offer: Four for $39.95. First, it's confusing to the consumer, who probably wants to try one for a lower price. Second, some quick math tells me they could have put a $19.99 price point on the screen. The odds of success decrease rapidly the higher above $20 you go.
- ZIP RIP ($16.95) is a tape measure attachment that holds a utility knife or pencil so you can cut/mark as you measure. The offer includes two Zip Rips, two pencils, a 25' tape measure and a utility knife. Comments: Prediction? Bomb. This item has several fatal flaws. The first flaw is a low perceived value. It looks like a cheap piece of plastic that should be a $1.99. Making it part of a "starter kit" is a nice attempt at getting past this obstacle, but the items are things that most people already have. The second flaw is that it doesn't solve a real problem. The third flaw is that its uses are limited. Cutting ceiling tiles is about the only good demo shown.
- PRESSA BELLA (2 pay, $39.95) is a dry steam iron that puts out tons of steam and won't scorch clothing. It is supposed to cut ironing time in half. The bonus is an upgrade to a 10-foot, tangle-free cord with a swivel connector. It also comes with a 90-day money-back guarantee. And they tease the mini Press Bella travel iron at 60 percent off. This is an Allstar product. The spot is five minutes, cut down from an infomercial.
Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This is a "better than" pitch for a product that's entering a crowded market where every type of claim has already been made and every problem already solved. As evidence of this, there is a spot on this same tape for Rowenta's Pressure Iron & Steamer. (The tag line? "It's all about the steam.") At $80 plus shipping, it is also an expensive product for DRTV buyers. I just don't think they'll see enough benefit for the buck. - SLIM & LIFT SUPREME (2 pay, $24.99) is another slimming body suit similar to the Shape & Style from February 2007. The offer is buy one in tan, get the black one free. The bonus is a shorter version for just the waist and stomach. This is a Thane product. Comments: Has potential. Out of the gate, they have competition from the other product, though. Both products are also expensive. And, again, the offer is confusing to the consumer -- although it may make sense from the marketer's perspective.
- SAFETY BEEP ($19.99) is a device that sticks to a car's rear lights and beeps to warn pedestrians when the car is backing up. The offer is buy one, get one free (just pay S&H). This is a Telebrands item. Comments: Unlikely to succeed. The old adage is that "prevention doesn't sell." This item goes one step further and requires that people care enough about preventing harm to OTHERS to create the impulse to buy. That's a major challenge. Parents with young children are the only group that I can think of that fit the bill. Perversely, the device also partially obscures your back-up lights, making it more difficult for others to see them.
- OXI-TRIM (Soft Offer) is yet another diet pill. The pitch is as follows: "OxiTrim is a new generation 'carsufat' blocker (carbohydrate + sugar = fat) that re-directs the body’s metabolic pathway in a process called meta-cellular migration causing body fat to be used as a primary source of fuel. This results in accelerated weight loss and a better body." Included diet and exercise guides. Comments: Prediction? Bomb. On top of this product being 548th to market, it lacks credibility. "Carsufat"? Really? They couldn't come up with a better name than taking the letters from "carbs," "sugar" and "fat" and blending them together?
