This blog is now in its 5th year, the 4th anniversary having passed quietly on June 15. To me, that means The SciMark Report is starting to become what I always hoped it would be: A public, searchable archive of DRTV history. It is now possible for me or anyone else to research the recent history of a solution or category, all in one place and in a matter of minutes. I am very proud of that achievement!
Still, as your new (de facto) DRTV historian, I am dissatisfied with what I have to offer. The complete history of short-form DRTV goes back to the 1980s, which means this resource is missing at least 20 years of information. Even if I relax the standard a bit, I have on file Top 50 charts going back to 1994, which means this resource is missing 13 years of information. That's a lot of history from which we all could learn and benefit.
Lacking the resources necessary to create a "Library of Congress" for DR, there isn't much I can do about this. But I have set a modest goal I think I can accomplish. Thanks to a recent donation by some friends in the industry (HT: Mike and Chris), and also utilizing my own email archives -- before this report was a blog, it was an internal mass email -- I think I can reconstruct the years since the turn of the century.
So, in the next few months and years, look for posts titled, "Blast from the Past." I will start with May 2007 and work backward from there. But first, a look at what was testing in the early part of June 2007 ...
Week of 6/11/2007
- GRILL DADDY ($19.95) is a BBQ grill cleaning tool. It has stainless steel bristles and release a stream of water that creates a steam-cleaning effect on hot grills. The bonus is a color-changing meat thermometer. This is a Steve Harkey commercial.
Original Comments: Adding a water gun to a generic grill cleaning brush isn't going to move people off the couch. [Good thing this wasn't public! Not only was I wrong, but Grill Daddy became a valued client in later years.] - READY BED (2 pay, $19.95) is a combined air mattress and sleeping bag for kids. There are four different themes: Dora the Explorer, Disney Princess, Spider Man and Thomas & Friends. The offer includes a "messenger bag" style carrying case and a battery-powered pump. The bonus is a travel neck pillow for kids.
Original Comments: I like it. The price is high for DRTV and the market/media is limited, but the product is a wow idea and a great solution for sleepovers. - MAGIC CARRY ($19.99) is a harness system for moving heavy objects. It consists of shoulder straps and clips that let you use evenly distribute the weight and leaves your hands free. Uses include: Lifting air conditioners, monitors, mattresses, etc. The offer includes a support pad for extra heavy things. The bonus is a set of four "Easy Sliders" (aka Moving Men). This is a Billy Mays commercial.
Original Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This is reminiscent of the Forearm Forklifts, and suffers from some of the same shortcomings. But while the Forearm Forklifts weren't a great value, this at least looks like it's worth $20. The problem is one of credibility. I don't think people (especially the older, more fragile DRTV buyer) will believe that a system of straps will allow them to lift two or three times what they can lift normally. - CLEAR-2-O ($12.95 S&H) is a water-purifying pitcher that is supposed to filter out five times more contaminants than similar products. Instead of running water into the top, you attach a hose to your spigot. The offer is try it free, just pay S&H. They also pitch their home delivery program for the filters.
Original Comments: Unlikely to succeed. This is a classic "better than" product. As a result, it faces the same challenge all products of this sort face -- the leading product is good enough. In the commercial, they use cloudy water to demonstrate the superiority of their filtration. But in real life, the tap water probably isn't cloudy and the leader's product (i.e. Brita) is producing crystal clear results. That means the consumer would need an education and a microscope to appreciate the benefits of this item, which means it's not an impulse buy.
Week of 6/4/2007
- LE SPA ($19.95) is a spinning shower brush integrated with a European-style shower head. It has an adjustable sprayer, an extendable handle, an internal reservoir for body wash and several different attachments. The offer includes a soft spiral brush, a spinning loofa, a massage head, and a full-body brush. The bonuses are a head with deep tissue massage fingers, a spinning pumice stone and a "power brush" for cleaning bathroom tiles. It's a 10-piece kit in all. They are also selling organic body washes on the back end.
Original Comments: A better version of Spin Spa, so it's a guaranteed hit, right? Wrong. The big problem with this item is the type of shower head required. Handheld shower heads are common in Europe, but much less common in the United States. That means the market for this product is limited. When installation is required, you've got problems. Spin Spa is battery powered, so it doesn't present that barrier to purchase. The other issue is all the things this item does. It's a lot to cram into two minutes and still have a clear communication. We were pushing it at five! - ROTO DUSTER ($19.99) is a knockoff of Go Duster, the spinning power duster. The bonuses are an extra-long head and a micro-dusting head.
Original Comments: Word is that Go Duster is a hit, so this should follow the normal course of a good knockoff (which it is) and capture a portion of the market. - SPIN N' SPARKLE ($19.95) is a cordless jewelry cleaning brush that comes with a spray-on cleaning solution. It's designed to restore the luster of rings, necklaces and bracelets. The offer includes a hands-free jewelry holder, a gem polishing cloth and a precious gems care guide. The bonuses are a designer carrying bag and a second brush head.
Original Comments: Winner! This item is mass market, and it solves a problem for women. What's not to like? [It wasn't a winner, and when I participated in an attempt to try again, it failed then, too. Oh well.] - NAILS AR NEW ($19.95) is a nail polish repair formula. It goes on like nail polish and fixes chipped, peeled or otherwise damaged nails. The offer includes a bottle of cuticle oil serum. The bonus is a second bottle of the repair formula, just pay shipping.
Original Comments: Another winner! It solves a real problem: Women pay big bucks to have their nails done, only to ruin them a day later. [I still think this is an opportunity, but it never went anywhere.] - XEN-TAN (Free Trial) is a sunless tanning cream in a tube. Features testimonials from models. The offer is a free trial, just pay S&H. The bonus is a free bottle of tan-extending lotion.
Original Comments: Prediction? Bomb. Yes, it's free. But this item is so common, I don't think people will even find it worth the trouble of picking up the phone and placing an order. Also, the product holds little appeal for older people, the majority of DRTV buyers. - CORE SCULPTOR (2 pay, $29.95) is an ab roller device. It resists you on the way out, and assists you on the way in. The offer includes a "Slim From Within" eating plan. The bonuses are four workout videos. This is a Sylmark product.
Original Comments: I don't see this on the long-form lists, but I'll assume it's in support of an infomercial at that price point. - PLATINUM HAND MAGIC ($29.95) is an anti-aging hand cream. The spot claims the cream will restore the youthful appearance of hands in just a few days. The bonus is an upgrade from a 30-day to a 60-day supply. Then they double the offer. This is a Chamonix product.
Original Comments: Interesting idea. Narrow focus. I have no idea how big the problem perception is for this, but they are certainly talking to the right audience. It's a bit pricey for DRTV, too, but the value is there. Might just work. [It didn't.] - CLEAR REVOLUTION (Free Trial) is an acne system. Its point of difference is that it claims "treats all five causes of acne," which they say are excessive oil production, improper cell exfoliation, bacteria growth, irritation and inflammation. The system includes four products: a pore-purifying cleaning foam, exfoliating acne treatment gel, oil-free skin renewal complex and anti-acne spot concentrate. The offer is a free trial, just pay S&H.
Original Comments: Unlikely to succeed. Proactiv is the 800-lb gorilla in this category. You need a stellar product and smart marketing to compete against it. This product may be stellar, but the marketing isn't smart. For one, they are trying to sell a more complex product in short-form when a long-form is clearly needed to get people to care about the "five causes of acne." - TOPSY TURVY ($14.99) is a hanging tomato planter that grows tomatoes upside-down. The pitch is that because the planter is upside down, "water and nutrients pour directly from the root to the fruit." Can also grow cucumbers, peppers, etc. The offer includes a recipe guide. The bonus is a device that holds a tomato while you slice it.
Original Comments: Cool item, but it's unlikely to succeed. Besides being seasonal, it's a niche item. People who love to grow their own tomatoes, like the older Italians from the tri-state area, may be interested -- if they don't have their own preferred techniques. Everyone else will yawn and change the channel. [Oops! Shows how little I knew then about this DRTV category.]
Week of 5/28/2007
- GRABIT ($19.95) is a two-sided drill bit that removes damaged screws and bolts. The offer includes four bits in different sizes.
Original Comments: Great item, tough sale on DRTV. For one, damaged screw removers are available at retail for lower prices. It's also hard to make four drill bits look like the kind of value necessary to get people off the couch. And then there's the problem this solves: It's painful when it happens, but how often does it happen for the everyday Joe? [This is another project that I ended up working on. As mentioned in one of the early episodes of Pitchman, I helped bring Billy Mays in for the second attempt on the project. The end result is here. It never took off, though.] - HEALTHY TAP ($4.95) is a small filter bag that improves the taste and quality of a gallon of tap water. According to the makers, "the ingredients in the filter bag immediately drive off the chlorine, improve the taste, and add trace minerals to the water." The offer includes two packages of 30 filters (60 filters total). The bonuses are a slim-line water jug for the refrigerator, a book on healthy water and a one-year newsletter subscription.
Original Comments: Prediction? Bomb. The commercial is terrible. The product has a major credibility problem. And no one cares enough about water to want a monthly newsletter on the topic!
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