Shark Tank Ideas That Never Should’ve Been Funded

The Broccoli Wad 

The Broccoli Wad does not have anything to do with the green cruciferous vegetable. This unfortunately-named product is a money clip. It’s intended to hold a large sum of money securely and even replace a wallet. While secure alternatives to wallets are a great idea and are often favored for tourism to countries with pickpocketing issues like Italy, with such a poor name, it’s a wonder that even the sharks could figure out the intended purpose. Most people who travel internationally know better than to carry wads of cash and instead take insured traveler’s checks, so it’s uncertain who the target market is.

This mafia-inspired product impacted Shark Tank, and Shark Barbara Corcoran made an offer of $50,000 for a 40 percent stake in the business. The business had a brief moment of success but ultimately flopped. The Broccoli Wad is no more, and Corcoran was out $50,000. Even having an actor from “The Sopranos” as the spokesperson for the product didn’t help. The product certainly didn’t have a very appealing name, as broccoli is a pretty widely-hated vegetable among children and adults. The term also definitely doesn’t make the nature of the product clear, which is typically an absolute must in marketing 101.