Description: A power pedicure tool
Main Pitch: "Easily buffs away callouses, dead skin or dry and rough skin"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: Heel Tastic (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Website: www.PedEgg.com
Prediction: Unlikely to succeed
This product has too little in common with its predecessor to raise the concerns I have with Pedi Paws Pro -- and that isn't a good thing. The original Ped Egg was a monster hit. Surprisingly, it only hit No. 59 on the 2007 Jordan Whitney Annual. But at retail its sales volume was unparalleled. It is said to have even sold better than Snickers bars at one point in time. As for the final tally, the Web site for this product places it at 40 million sold, which makes it one of the best-selling DRTV products of all time.
This new product is similar to that 'Old Platinum' hit in name only. Besides the obvious lack of an egg shape or 'cheese grater' type file, it doesn't even catch the dead skin, which was a key point of difference separating Ped Egg from all other foot files. In fact, this product is actually much closer in appearance and function to Emjoi's Micro-Pedi, which tested and flopped in 2012 at $30 (see No. 5 in this Weekly Round-Up). It's possible the same idea at a DR price could make this time the charm, but too many other foot-buffing products have failed for that to be likely.
As for a 'new and improved' strategy for Ped Egg, someone did figure it out and the item was a (modest) success. The timing was also perfect as it came out right as the original was starting to wind down. The problem, and what ultimately limited its success: It wasn't done by Telebrands, and it didn't have the Ped Egg name.
Can you name the product and the marketer? First one to do so in the comments section gets bragging rights!
