‘Shark Tank’ revisited: Fizzics, ISlide, Soonful of Comfort, and ReThink
Happy Black Friday, everyone! Today is one of the biggest shopping days of the year, so there is probably a certain degree of irony about this also being a date when there is a “Shark Tank” repeat featuring two or three products in particular that could make great gift items. We don’t necessarily think it was scheduled this way on purpose, given that this is just ABC replaying the premiere from September, a.k.a. the episode from this season that won’t probably as fresh in viewers’ minds. It’s also a rare episode to feature all six of the main Sharks in the Tank at one time.
If this is your first time checking out one of these Revisited pieces, our objective here is simple: We pair them with ABC-run repeats in order to offer check-ins on some of the products, including what has changed since the show (at least on a superficial level) and if there is anything that they do still need to be working on. As always, you can click on any of the sites below for some further information.
Fizzics – The biggest thing that we admire here more so than just about anything else is the hustle. We really get the sense that this is a company that, since the show, has gone all out to prepare and market their products, whether it be their original system (which is designed to turn your ordinary beer into a fresh-from-the-tap experience), or a new model entitled the Waytap that is being sold at a slightly smaller price-point with some of the same features. The timing for this episode repeating couldn’t be better, given that this really is one of those perfect holiday gifts if you know someone who’s an avid beer drinker.
Spoonful of Comfort – We liked the idea of the product (a service that ships soup and other comfort items to a given daddress) when we first read up about it before the show, but there’s still the same issue here that we had when we first saw the pitch on TV: Timing. If you’ve got a friend that’s sick, you want to get something there to them within a couple of hours as opposed to a couple of days. It could be good for people in need of more of a long-term pick-me-up, and we like that they seem to be doing some seasonal stuff for this time of year. We do think they could engage more than they are on social media to get the word out better.
ISlide – They opted to turn down a deal in the Tank, thinking obviously that they could make it on their own. Judging from what we’re seeing online right now, that may be the case. What we think they’re doing that is perhaps the most impressive is how they are getting on board a variety of influential people, whether it be Snoop Dogg, French Montana, or Antonio Brown (who appeared in the Tank with them), who can help get the word out about the product on a grassroots level. The guys behind the company are marketing gurus, and they continue to understand that their business is more about awareness more so than upgrading a product that already seems to be well-reviewed. They’ll need to expand here and there, but more than that, they just gotta get people excited about wearing them.
ReThink – We’re not seeing too much of an obvious change between now and when the app, designed to caution people (especially teenagers) from using potentially-damaging language while sending out various messages on their phones, first appeared on the show. Do we love the cause? Absolutely, but at the same time the mass-market appeal of this is likely still as much of a challenge as always because we live in a culture that is inherently selfish, and as a result of that, many teens just won’t want to use this since they won’t want to be told what to do.
If you do have an interest in getting some other “Shark Tank” highlights from this season, be sure to head over to the link here right now!