Are innovation failures always as obvious in the moment as they are post-facto?

Here’s a short list of some product launches that, on paper, had all the elements needed for success, but were total failures none the less. I’m not listing head-scratching new products like Juicero, but thoughtful, strategic innovations that could have been successful.

Is there a common thread between these failures we can learn from, or did each innovation fail for a unique reason.

– Google Glass launched in 2012/2013 with a lot of hype—but two years later, after criticism and lackluster sales, they stopped production.
– Apple Newton (a.k.a. MessagePad) was one of the first personal digital assistants (PDAs) and was introduced in 1993. Perhaps it was ahead of its time, but it was also expensive and had technical glitches. So it was discontinued in 1998.
– In the mid-1990s, Harley-Davidson tried to extend its brand with a line of cologne and aftershave products. The “Harley-Davidson Hot Road” cologne was eventually withdrawn from the market.
– Pepsi Blue was introduced in 2002 as a berry-flavored cola, trying to compete with Coca-Cola’s Vanilla Coke. Despite an aggressive marketing campaign and initial interest, Pepsi Blue was discontinued in North America in 2004.
– In the early 1980s, the Life Savers company, known for its popular ring-shaped candy, decided to extend its brand with a line of sodas with the fruity flavors of Life Savers candy – it too failed miserably.