Description: A car jumpstarter
Main Pitch: "The fastest, easiest way to charge a dead battery in any car"
Main Offer: $19.99 for one
Bonus: 2nd one (just pay a separate fee)
Starring: Anthony Sullivan
Marketer: Telebrands (2014's True Top Marketer)
Producer: Sullivan
Watch the spot
I have been pitched variations of this item at least a few dozen times over the years. My answer was always "no" for one simple reason: Prevention doesn't sell. Think about something as simple as jumper cables, which you can buy for less than $10 at Wal-Mart (or Pep Boys or AutoZone) and throw in your trunk for the next time your car battery dies. How many people have them in their trunk right now? I've been in the unenviable position of having to ask around the parking lot, and the answer from that unscientific poll is not many. If people won't spend $10 to be prepared for a dead battery, how likely is it they'll spend $20 plus shipping and handling and an extra fee?
S7 Analysis: Preparedness is the opposite impulsiveness. That's my way of saying the core behavior of the DRTV buyer is at odds with the behavior encouraged by products like these. Another way of looking at it: This product isn't truly needed until it's too late to capitalize on the desire to have it. (Caller: "I'm stuck in a parking lot and need a Pocket Jump right away!" Operator: "I'll put in the order right now ... Please allow 4-6 weeks for delivery.")
