Description: Reusable rug grippers
Main Pitch: "Keep rugs and mats in place ... to prevent slips and trips"
Main Offer: $10 for eight
Bonus: Eight more (just pay P&H)
Marketer: Allstar/Lenfest
Producer: Opfer
Website: www.BuyRuggies.com
Prediction: On the fence
Marketing expert and Jack Trout co-author Steve Rivkin says that one way to innovate is to look at an existing product and ask, "What else could it be?" The famous example of this is John Osher's SpinPop, which became Dr. John's SpinBrush and then P&G's Crest SpinBrush, earning Osher and his partners $475 million.
While this item is likely to earn its inventors much less than that amount, it is an example of the same principle at work. Someone looked at the material used to make Vince Offer's Schticky and Telebrands' Sticky Buddy and asked, "What else could it be?" (The team was no doubt also inspired by the bonus item for their earlier hit, GoJo Hands Free.)
Whatever the case, I like the product and the focus. The product solves a common problem, and the focus is narrow (on rugs), which is usually a good thing in DR.
On the other hand, good DR commercials usually start narrow and then expand with other uses for the product that broaden its appeal. In this case, however, there are no other uses -- and that might limit the appeal.
