February 01, 2012

Review: Nail Doodle

Description: A nail-decorating kit
Main Pitch: "Design your own salon-quality nail styles"
Main Offer: $19.99 for 4 doodles/8 colors plus the Doodle Design Guide
Bonus: Evening Collection with 8 more colors (just pay a separate fee)
Marketer: Telebrands
Producer: Monte-Brooks
Website: www.NailDoodle.com
Prediction: On the fence

Now that Salon Express is known to be a bona-fide hit (it was No. 41 on my True Top 50 for the fall of 2011), everyone is predictably jumping on the bandwagon. In the last few months alone, I've tracked at least two more attempts in the category: Nailtastic and French Tip Dip. And I'm sure there are many more to follow.

While it's possible there is an unrealized opportunity here and nails will become the next great DRTV category, it's also possible this will be another negative case study in support of my one is an outlier; three is a category rule. The market for these products is younger women, which is not the sweet spot for DRTV, so this could very well be another 1-in-50 category.

However, I must admit the size and scope of the Salon Express success surprised me. So why not be cautiously optimistic?