Review: Aloe Glow

Description: A cosmetic click-pen that dispenses an aloe-based concealer and facial highlighter
Main Pitch: "Your skin will glow like never before" because it's "scientifically formulated with hydroponic aloe"
Main Offer: $20 for one
Bonus: Rose Shade Highlighter for an additional $10 and no additional shipping
Marketer: Unknown
Producer: Unknown
Website: www.AloeGlow.com
Product (D7) Score: 4 out of 7
Commercial Rating: OK

It's rare for me to reach this conclusion, but the biggest problem with this campaign may be the commercial and not the product. Although the product does face several challenges in the marketplace, there may be a way to make it sell. But this commercial is not that way.

First, the product. My main concerns are its uniqueness (is it different enough to stand out in a cluttered category dominated by big brands?) and the price ($20 seems awfully expensive for a single makeup pen, especially in this economy).

I also think the product may be inherently difficult to explain. To begin with, it's a click pen, and that requires attention. It's made from "hydroponic aloe," two words that also demand explanation. (Why is aloe beneficial in this context? What does "hydroponic" mean, and why is that method of growing plants better?) And it's positioned as both a concealer and a facial highlighter. That's a lot of stuff to fit into 1:30.

Some of these issues may be rooted in the advertising strategy, not the product itself. Just because an item can do 57 things doesn't mean you need to promote all 57 ... which leads me to the commercial. The only thing I love about it is the production value. It's beautifully shot and well edited. Otherwise, I think it needs work.

Specifically, while it utilizes quite a few of the proven DRTV selling techniques, it also misses quite a few. For example, the commercial doesn't start with a problem. Instead, it tries the "new breakthrough" approach, which really only works if: a) you're an established brand and/or b) your innovation is truly earth-shattering. Neither is the case here. I also didn't like the non-traditional presentation of the bonus. When it comes to bonuses, free is best. Free just pay separate shipping and handling is also fine. But $10 with no additional shipping doesn't make sense. The bonus becomes a forced additional sale rather than an extra benefit of ordering.

But the biggest problem with this commercial is that it tries to fit 10 pounds of messaging into a five-pound bag. The marketers in charge of this one need to cut copy relentlessly until they get to the core of the product -- a simple, clear set of selling points. The calls generated by this creative are bound to be long and full of questions, resulting in a low order conversion rate.

Third Quarter Media Preview

Dick Wechsler's last guest post was so well received, I've decided to ask him to weigh in more often on media matters. As we kick off third quarter, I thought it would be an appropriate time to ask Dick about the media outlook. Here's what he replied:

As we enter into the third quarter, the word on the street is that the Upfront Broadcast Market is down three to five percent over last year. That means that the cost per point advertisers are willing to pay for primetime network programming and the like is lower, year over year. While this is an unconfirmed figure, it is not good news for either the media or DRTV advertisers.

Here’s how the media market works: Each network, station, etc. projects its year based on an average cost per point. The greater the premium (to that average cost) the upfront market is able to secure, the more negotiating room there is at the bottom for the DRTV market. In simple terms, a lower top means a higher bottom. In the current market, the media seems more willing to sell inventory at a 20-30 percent discount to general advertisers than it is to sell that same inventory to the DRTV market at a 50-70 percent discount, as was previously the case. Ouch.

Furthermore, a weak upfront market usually means a strong scatter market. Scatter is the DRTV advertiser’s playground. Rather than committing their budgets in the upfronts, more general advertisers will be purchasing inventory on short notice in scatter. The result is likely to be uncertain inventory availability and volatile pricing.

The good news is that we should start seeing firm news about the upfronts in the next few weeks. Until we have clearer direction, don’t deviate from the pricing structure that makes sense for your campaign and buckle your seatbelts until the media market settles.

Goodbye, Billy. I'll miss you.

I'm still deeply shaken by the news, as I’m sure are most of you who knew him. Any statement at this moment seems like an understatement. Perhaps this will come close: After today, the industry will never quite be what it once was.

Much has been written and will be written about Billy Mays the pitchman, the businessman, the reality show star. To many, he was just a caricature of the DRTV style of advertising. But I knew Billy Mays the human being -- and what a great human being he was. On this blog I once wrote: “He is a genuinely nice, humble guy who has one of the smallest egos in the industry.” I meant it.

Although most of our interactions were over business, Billy had a way of making them feel personal and comfortable. It was like you were talking to an old buddy you just happened to be hiring for your project. On the phone, he was always sincere, asking with genuine concern and interest about your life and family. In person, he would greet you with warm recognition, that easy smile and a firm handshake. Despite the wealth and fame, he never lost that down-to-earth, regular guy from Pittsburgh part of himself.

There is more I could write, and yet somehow none of it seems adequate. So for now I'll just say: Goodbye, Billy. I'll miss you.

Out of respect, this blog will not be updated again for the remainder of week. Click here for comments.

TeleBrands Profiled in USA Today

The TeleBrands PR machine has scored another big hit. Today, it's the front page of USA Today's Money section.

The report comes with a video (below).

Review: CoverMate

Description: Reusable plastic food covers with built-in elastic
Main Pitch: "Stretches to perfectly fit and seal any size or shape dish, bowl, platter or container"
Main Offer: $9.95 for 12 medium and 10 large covers
Bonus: N/A
Marketer: Unknown
Producer: Blue Moon Studios
Website: www.CoverMateFoodCovers.com
Product (D7) Score: 5 out of 7
Commercial Rating: Good/Excellent

Two serious flaws with this product: The idea isn't totally unique, and the similar items on the market are from big brands. (Not to mention it looks like a shower cap or one of those hair covers cafeteria workers wear -- not the best association to make when thinking about food).

Big-brand competition is the big problem this product will face. Although the marketer did an excellent job making the packaging look like something Glad would put out, that's a double-edged sword. When people go to their local supermarket, they will find Glad Press'n Seal, not this product, and buy that instead. Or they will buy the same old Glad or Saran Wrap product they've bought countless times before. After all, it's very difficult to change consumer habits and preferences with advertising. And as I've written before, DRTV marketers don't have nearly the budget or time to do it. Plus, this is ultimately a "better than" product, which means it also faces what Harvard professor and author Clayton Christensen described as the "good enough" problem. That is, current products are "good enough" to meet most people's needs.

As you may be able to tell, I don't like this product for DRTV. But as for the DRTV commercial, it's excellent. Readers of this blog will probably have grown tired of my praise for certain production companies, and Blue Moon is certainly one of them. They are especially good at DRTV/branding hybrids (Sullivan Productions is another), as evidenced by all the great work they are doing for Church & Dwight, P&G and others.

I'll close by noting one of those signature lines of which I promised I would start keeping track. Scriptwriters are trying a little too hard to come up with them these days (to comic effect), but Fred Vanore nailed one with this variation on a classic:

"Round or square, big or small, CoverMate fits them all!"