November 17, 2011

Weekly Round-Up (2)

Yes, another one. I am a little behind, so expect quite a few new posts over the next week or so.

  1. Arch Pumps. Starring: Lee Majors Pitch: "Instant custom arch support." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: Not even the Bionic Man can make an insole work on DRTV. Sorry, Lee. Still a big fan! [a]
     
  2. Bubby My Buddy. Pitch: "Air-inflated plush toys ... from 2 feet high up to 7-foot tall giraffe." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: This one is kinda the opposite of a small, huggable pillow you can sleep with. Otherwise, I like the visual appeal but think the timing is off. Everyone and their mother (almost literally) is out with a plush these days. [a]
     
  3. Get Me Out Pillow. Pitch: "Not just a pillow but a cozy friend awaits you who is saying 'Get Me Out.'" Prediction: Bomb. Comments: Speaking of plush overload ... and this one is third to market with a me-too product. [a]
     
  4. Gourme Mist. Pitch: "The five-calorie flavor and cooking spray." Comments: So wrong for DRTV, I don't know where to begin. [a]
     
  5. Pushy Pops. Pitch: "The amazing new push-up snack pop." Prediction: On the fence. Comments: We are also approaching 'baking overload' in DR right now. But I haven't seen enough consistent success to justify the activity. If there is a category here, it's clear no one understands it yet because these items are all over the place in terms of USP, and most are short on a solid problem/solution. [a]
     
  6. ShockWave. Brand: Gold's Gym. Pitch: "Bigger, heavier and stronger for amplifying muscle contractions." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: "Late" isn't the word for what this me-too product is to market. We'd have to go back in time for this to have a shot against Shake Weight. [a]
     
  7. Stay Gate. Marketer: IHS. Pitch: "Keep your pet safe and sound." Prediction: On the fence. Comments: I like the product and the commercial is professionally done, but I don't know enough about newcomer IHS to understand what they are trying to accomplish. If it's truly an online mall model, as the site indicates, color me dubious. [a]
     
  8. Ultra Sorter. Pitch: "Accurate rolls every time." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: If only we had that time machine I mentioned earlier ... [a]