The Bear Claw Drywall Repair Clips: Bringing A New Product To Market

Abstract

The Bear Claw case provides students, among several lessons, a cautionary tale of an entrepreneur taking a new product to market on their own. John DiGate obtained a patent for his product, the Bear Claw, in 2001. The product provides a unique and effective method of repairing holes in drywall. The patent attorney working on the case was so impressed with the product that he offered to do the patent work at no charge in return for a percentage of the company. Despite some early positive successes, such as winning the Retailers Choice Award at the National Hardware Show in Chicago and having the opportunity to demonstrate the product on the QVC television network, the product has not achieved commercial success.

After reading the case, students should appreciate the effort and investment that was made in attempting to commercialize this idea. They will observe that critical steps, such as marketing research and environmental scanning, were, for the most part, ignored. By the end of the case analysis, students should develop an appreciation of the importance of key marketing concepts in launching a new product and be better prepared if faced with a similar situation later in their careers.