- Pocket Hose Top Brass. Starring: Paul James, "The Gardener Guy." Marketer: Telebrands. Pitch: The "#1 bestselling expandable hose is now 3X stronger." Comments: This is the third Pocket Hose to hit the market in a 'pro strategy' par excellence. The second was Pocket Hose Ultra in late 2013. Interesting that Richard Karn has been replaced by the lesser-known Paul James of HGTV fame. More interesting that the brand survives despite the less-than-stellar customer ratings of the original (just 2 out of 5 stars on Amazon). Examples like that lend credence to my assertion that customer satisfaction has very little impact on DR success. [ss]
- Dr. Hart's Power Floss. Marketer: On Demand. Producer: Hutton-Miller. Pitch: "The fast, easy, pain-free way to floss every day." Comments: Anything that makes flossing less of a chore seems like a good idea to me. Water flossers aren't new, but the average price at major retailers is about $50, so the value proposition is compelling. [ss]
- Scoopette. Marketer: Will It Launch? Pitch: "The dog walker's utility tool." Comments: No, it won't launch, and it's a rookie move to try. Anyone with DRTV experience knows pooper scoopers don't work. In fact, if I had to pick one type of product that I would recommend my clients never, ever try on DRTV, that would be the one. [ss]
That's all the DR items for this week, but here's an additional item from the catalog business I couldn't help but share (HT: Scott B.) It's the most extreme example of The Delusion of Single Explanations I've seen!
(First one to explain what I mean in the comments section wins a free subscription. First one to provide a rational explanation for the name choice wins my eternal admiration!)
