Fashion and Beauty Invention Success – Bang or Bust!
Article by Joan Lefkowitz
From the overwhelming success of TOPSYTAIL to SNUGGIE’s initially slow start, transforming into a success story, the market sees thousands of new products every year; but only few rise to iconic status. Accessory Brainstorms explores some of the winners and losers of the past decades and recognizes key elements they share or lack.Bang! From Unknown to Renowned:TOPSYTAIL – early 1990’s, was the first fashion/hair accessory tool to appear on a TV infomercial. Huge demographic: The tool magically transformed a ponytail into numerous innovative hairstyles. The commercial caught on and was broadcast globally. Supported by sales, top notch public relations, demonstrations and videos in department stores, TOPSYTAIL sold at mass retailers for and included an instructional video. It went on to become a 0 million success story.Side note: TOPSYTAIL started out with sales to small boutiques and did not make headway until it was repositioned into department stores. The first product-run contained flaws that made the tool vulnerable to cracking. The inventor quickly removed the stock, reworked the manufacturing and oversaw quality control. She also successfully defended her patent against knock-offs, which appeared once the TV commercial aired.AVON SKIN SO SOFT – still going strong after more than 20 years. Originally marketed as a skin softener, women found it to be a standout product for healing cracked skin and preventing stretch marks. Marketed exclusively through Avon’s army of personal sales representatives and through home parties, the company already had a big hit when it was accidentally discovered that AVON SKIN SO SOFT has attributes of a Bug Repellent. The market has grown exponentially into a diverse and large demographic, which includes use in the military, with gardeners, construction workers, athletes and sports fans, and for use on pets. Skin So Soft, which sells for and under, has sold multi-millions of units and has been found to be useful in 100 different ways from grease and gum removal to cleaning and softening leather.Busts! Remain Unknown:Polaroller – mid 1990’s, well-designed, ergonomic handheld rolling icepack. Its cardboard box was bulky and didn’t clearly reveal the use of the product. Polaroller sold in mail order catalogs and through TV shopping programs with explanation and demonstration, but failed at retail, most likely because consumers saw the box, but couldn’t see the product. Already in production and stocked with the boxes printed, the inventor was denied rights to use of the name due to a pre-existing trademark. The rights to manufacture the product were subsequently purchased by a foreign company and it’s not commonly known to be available in the US.Side note: The trademark should have been researched and cleared prior to use. Clear, possibly clamshell packaging designed to show the product and its features, would have clarified the use of product upon viewing. Retail shelves are overcrowded with products that compete for attention. According to industry experts, a product has only 6 seconds to lure a consumer in. When choosing packaging or display options, consider incorporating eye-popping colors that draw attention. Packaging must suit the product and speak directly to its target market, communicating the idea and personality of the product. Franties – 1996, the first panties with built-in fragrance. Franties came in three styles with time-released scents that lasted up to a year of laundering. The scents were keyed to the color of the panties; the rose tone reflected the scent of wild rose. Franties were offered in a large size range and were hypoallergenic. Franties launched at J.C. Penney and Marshall Field’s. The attractive packages were stacked in the intimate apparel department. Without publicity or advertising by the retailer, there was no draw for consumers. Lost in a sea of big name brand products, sales went flat. Although the product received mostly favorable reviews in newspapers, some found the scent to be too strong, before multiple washings. There was also some criticism of the placement of the fragrance patch in the center top of the panty. Side note: A specialized product, not supported by a major brand name, should have been launched in completely different venues. If Franties had been placed in lingerie and gift shops, it could have been positioned and promoted by shop personnel. Since Franties were available in sizes up to 3X, they could have been offered as a featured item in specialty large size apparel stores. Launching in the correct channels of distribution will make or break a product. Some consumers may have preferred that the scent and its placement be more discreet. This could have been resolved with proper product testing prior to launch. Industry experts say that four of five new products will fail, so product testing prior to launch is essential. Due to advances in technology and social media, there are several effective and inexpensive ways to test products. Once your product is patent pending, you might consider gauging consumer interest by creating a website and driving targeted traffic to it by advertising on Google AdWords. You can utilize your website as a survey tool, to ask if people would be interested in your product and at what cost? Using Facebook or LinkedIn is also a great way to gauge interest from people you trust.Unfortunately, there is no magic formula for success. It takes more than a great invention to create a successful launch. The “busts” had issues with packaging, lack of advertising and testing, and failure to reach a wide demographic. Bang then Bust! First Unknown then Renowned:SNUGGIE – 2008, non-patentable blanket with sleeves, originally minimally marketed by small companies as the Freedom Blanket and The Slanket, had limited sales. Then savvy company Allstar Media, tweaked the item, and created a humorous DRTV spot calling the product “SNUGGIE.” SNUGGIE, which hit a note with celebrities, was discussed on TV talk shows and its commercial and parodies spread virally on You Tube and through blogs. By 2009, 20 million SNUGGIES sold via TV and mass market retailers.After examining the success of the “bangs” it becomes clear that these product launches had certain things in common. They were useful to the consumer, advertised wisely or received much publicity and effectively spread their messages to the masses. TOPSYTAIL, with its exposure through DRTV infomercials, reached a worldwide demographic through advertising. SNUGGIE and AVON SKIN SO SOFT benefited from word-of-mouth and well-placed publicity. In all cases, the products were affordably priced under .So, if you’re aiming your invention towards a big “bang,” carefully consider patents, product testing, packaging, publicity, advertising, and price. You must do your homework because, as the old adage goes, “you don’t get a second chance to make a good first impression.” With the right dose of research and marketing know-how, your invention can make quite a big “bang” with the potential to become the next must-have product.
About the Author
Joan Lefkowitz, an original marketer of TopsyTail tm, is president of ACCESSORY BRAINSTORMS, a licensing agency, sales representation and consultancy for Fashion/Beauty Accessory and Lifestyle Inventions. Accessory Brainstorms is always looking for inventions in these categories, and offers one-on-one consulting for inventors who need guidance. ACCESSORIES Magazine cited Joan as one of the 100 most important accessories industry “Movers and Shakers”. http://www.accessorybrainstorms.com