In reviewing Shark Tank Season 14 Episode 22 we saw 4 product ideas pitched to the sharks. One was a board game – Influencers in the wild, a similar concept to monopoly but with a social media twist. The goal was to gain followers and the player with the most followers at the end wins. The core product did not peak my interest.
We also saw a product called Tucky – an elastic band lined with silicone strips that go around the waist and turns any top into a crop top. This product while well pitched, I am not the targeted demographic as described Tucky is made for women by women.
Another product that was showcased was EYEWRIS which is reading glasses that can be wrapped around the wrist. Their pitch was the ability to transform wristwear to eyewear with one hand, one motion and one second. For such a simple product there was some engineering involved to be able to securely fasten EYEWRIS to your wrist and still seamlessly transition to a pair of reading glasses. As a daily user of glasses, I thought this product to be innovative.

As impressive as EYEWRIS was, the product that resonated with me the most was Tones of Melanin. An HBCU themed apparel company. I thought the marketing pitch by the owner, Ashley Jones, was well executed. From the use of the marching band as the attention grabber, to the variety and colors used on the apparel, to the logo with its many shades of brown signifying people of color, the confidence in which she delivered her pitch, and the mission of Tones of Melanin drew me into this product/brand.

Tones of Melanin has taken the apparel of Historically Black Colleges and Universities and merged with streetwear, sportwear and fashion to present a unique brand of clothing. In doing so their attempt is to provide proper representation for a highly marginalized, largely underrepresented group of people in the fashion industry. By producing a quality line of apparel, current students, and faculty of HBCU’s have a brand, in Tones of Melanin, which they can be proud of. Alumni can look at the brand and its clothing and feel a great sense of pride and nostalgia from their time spent at their respective HBCU. Future students can look at Tones of Melanin and feel inspired to go to an HBCU or perhaps create a brand or product of their own. While personally, I did not have the opportunity to attend an HBCU this product resonated with me, and many other people as well, from a cultural standpoint that once I was finished watching the shark tank video I headed over to www.tonesofmelanin.com to see which reversable jacket, windbreaker or pair of shorts I may want to purchase. Being exposed to this brand has made it easier for me to add to my list of websites where I can shop for clothing and support a black owned business. Representation played a crucial role in marketing this product to me and those who look like me as it made me not only want to buy a pair of shorts, for example, but a need to buy one so I join in the efforts to continue to push black culture forward.

While I believe Tones of Melanin has done a good job in appealing to its intended audience there is opportunity for growth and appeal to a larger audience as, according to the Shark Tank episode, it currently only has licenses to 40 out of 100+ HBCU’s. The appeal and vision is present but the use of social media and pages such as theshaderoom, which cater to a large black audience, can be used to help market, and promote the product to a group of people, like me who would appreciate the brand and what it offers, but otherwise would not have known it existed.

Some people have an idea and create a product such as a board game in the case of Influencers in The Wild which can be fun or perhaps, something functional such as Tucky, or even a product as innovative as EYEWRIS but that’s just it these are just products to me. Tones of Melanin, while not only checking off all 4 levels of product, is more than just that – it is transcendent, surpassing just being a product and into a world of culture and representation. A world that people, like me would love to be a part of by the click of a button – add to cart – proceed to checkout.