November 16, 2011

Weekly Round-Up

I am making one change to this feature: I am going to start making predictions. My last True Top 50 update had far too many "did not review" items in the score-keeping section. Not making a call during these round-ups was one reason why.

  1. Easy Sheets. Pitch: "Making your bed has never been easier." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: Amateur hour. It fails almost all of my criteria. [a]
     
  2. Perfect Tweeze. Pitch: "Optimal lighting every time." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: Been there, done that. We called ours Luma Tweeze. The experience taught me that women are very loyal to that one brand of tweezer they love and won't replace it easily, even if presented with an added benefit like a light. [a]
     
  3. Plant Sorb. Pitch: "Never worry about water damage from your house plants or Christmas tree again." Prediction: Unlikely to succeed. Comments: This is sort of like a ShamWow! specifically for plants. Not a bad idea, in general, but way too narrow for DRTV. [a]
     
  4. Pouch Painter. Pitch: "The no-spill painting solution." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: It's very difficult to have a hit in this category. The solution has to solve a painful problem in a "wow" way. This product addresses a mild nuisance and does it in a generic way. [a]
     
  5. Tread Ahead. Pitch: "Never get stuck again." Prediction: Bomb. Comments: I'll say it again -- preparedness is the opposite of impulsiveness. Any pitch that boils down to -- 'You have to act now to be prepared for a possible future problem!' -- is doomed from the start. Plus, this solution is geographically limited and highly seasonal. [a]