Online Strategies’ February 2010 issue is now available.
Archive for the ‘Electronic Retailer’ Category
Online Strategies February Issue Now Available!
Thursday, February 25th, 2010
Forbes Riley to Enter National Fitness Hall of Fame
Thursday, February 18th, 2010Acclaimed celebrity host and industry veteran Forbes Riley will be inducted into the National Fitness Hall of Fame on March 14 in Chicago. She follows in the footsteps of fellow Hall-of-Famers and fitness icons Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jack LaLanne, Richard Simmons and Jane Fonda—just a few of the more-than-50 inductees.
According to a Hall of Fame spokesman, Forbes is joining a prestigious inductee class of six for her work as a celebrity spokesperson and for using her passion and dynamic personality to bring others to fitness across multiple mediums.
ERA and Electronic Retailer magazine are proud of Forbes and congratulate her on this incredible achievement!
January 2010 Issue Now Available Online!
Friday, January 15th, 2010
Electronic Retailer’s January 2010 issue featuring Jeff Taylor (founder of Monster.com and CEO of Eons.com) is now available online. For more information on Jeff’s upcoming keynote address at the ERA Great Ideas Summit, click here.
Got Your Halloween Outfit Ready?
Thursday, October 29th, 2009The spookiest of American holidays is just days away. If you’re like me, you’re still scrambling for a unique and easy-to-throw-together-last-minute costume. The thought entering an over-stimulating and smelly party store just days before Halloween is out of the question for me, but will be my outfit be as cool as others?
Apparently the days of your dad throwing a sheet over your body and calling you a ghost are over. The costumes these days are more and more intricate and creative. From Kate Gosselin wigs to the late Michael Jackson and DRTV’s very own Billy Mays outfits, the best-selling costumes this Halloween season are personal and fierce!
Think dressing up as the legendary Billy Mays is tasteless and offensive? Well, Billy’s son, Billy Mays III, gives these outfits the Mays’ signature two thumbs up seal of approval! He’s even throwing a contest for his fans to see who has the best Billy Mays outfit on his website www.wheresbillymays.com. So go ahead, bust out your blue shirt and represent Billy’s positive spirit this season - you won’t be alone!
Jamie Hill is ERA’s marketing manager.
Buzzing ERA Crowd at Stingaree in San Diego
Tuesday, October 27th, 2009It’s not a far stretch to say that everyone that attended the ERA Networking Reception in San Diego on Monday, October 19, had a FABULOUS time. With 200+ direct response pros in attendance on the rooftop of Stingaree, the vibe and overall buzz of the evening was upbeat and optimistic. The drinks were flowing, the atmosphere was perfect and the conversations were flowing! Many people said they were making more connections during the two hour reception than they had made all day on the conference in town!
Having Andi Barness and Ben Freedman from PrimeImage Media at the reception also created a lot of buzz, they managed to get more than a dozen interviews with attendees asking why they were planning on coming to The Great Ideas Summit 2010 in New Orleans. Check out the video they produced below and the pictures that Kim Lewis with ERA snapped. www.ERAGreatIdeas.org
For all of you that attended, we hope it was a worthwhile and successful networking event for you!
ERA’s Tomi Turner on the FTC’s Revised Guides
Tuesday, October 6th, 2009
Yesterday, the Federal Trade Commission released its revised Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising. The Guides are more than 80 pages long, so we’re still analyzing the changes. However, there is no question that our extensive advocacy efforts have had an effect on the final iteration of the Guides. The commentary included with the changes explains that advertisements using consumer testimonials should be evaluated by the net impression of the advertisement. A footnote in the revised Guides also suggests that in some cases a disclaimer could be sufficient. A more comprehensive legal document will be circulated shortly, but it is clear from a preliminary review that our efforts have not been made in vain. The 35 advocacy meetings on the Hill, 40 constituent meetings at the Fly-In, the testimony before the Senate, two sets of detailed comments and our suggested language were all helpful in presenting our case to the FTC.
However, the new Guides certainly do present some challenges, both to traditional TV marketers and those in social media. ERA is already planning educational opportunities that will provide suggestions for compliance with these changes. We hope the FTC will seize the opportunity to improve the marketplace by presenting to these changes to ERA members at one of our conferences.
Members who attended the Fly-In, supported the Leadership Reception, participated in the Government Affairs Committee, helped to author and review our comments to the FTC, and of course, testified before the Senate, were all instrumental in mitigating some of the more harmful changes. We thank you.
Tomi Turner is ERA’s legislative manager.
To read ERA’s official statement, click here.
To read more about ERA’s government affairs efforts and what you can do to help, click here.
To read Electronic Retailer magazine’s June cover story on Endorsements & Testimonials, click here.
September ‘09 Issue Now Available Online!
Tuesday, September 8th, 2009
Electronic Retailer’s September ‘09 issue featuring Montel Williams is now available online! For more information about Motel’s upcoming keynote presentation at the ERA D2C Convention on Monday, Sept. 14, click here.
All Aboard! Your Upcoming ERA Travel Itinerary
Thursday, August 27th, 2009
In addition to its upcoming D2C Convention in Las Vegas Sept. 13-15, ERA has also announced an October 19th networking reception in San Diego!
Before booking your travel to Las Vegas or San Diego, you may first want to get a few tips from “Saturday Night Live” travel expert Judy Grimes.
Did you miss out on the recent networking receptions in NYC and L.A.? Click here to view pictures from various events at Electronic Retailer’s Buzz page!
Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia Editor.
ERA’s 2009 D2C Convention Education Tracks
Friday, July 31st, 2009Here’s a sneak peek at what attendees can expect from the education lineup at ERA’s upcoming D2C Convention September 13-15, in Las Vegas.Â
Track One: Direct Response Success
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Track Two: Digital Marketing IntelligenceÂ
Online Strategies Magazine Launches New Site
Monday, July 6th, 2009
Electronic Retailer magazine’s sister publication, Online Strategies, has launched its own homepage. Check it out here!
Past Billy Mays Coverage
Monday, June 29th, 2009
The following two blog posts humorously show why we as an industry loved this larger than life personality.
Obama, Billy Mays, ERA and a Chia Pet??
Billy Mays Visits Livemercial’s Office
To read Electronic Retailer’s May cover feature on “Pitchmen,” click here.
Billy Mays: 1958-2009
Monday, June 29th, 2009
Statement from the Electronic Retailing Association on Death of Iconic DRTV Pitchman, Billy Mays
ARLINGTON, Va.–June 28, 2009 – The Electronic Retailing Association (ERA), the leading trade association for direct-to-consumer commerce, issued the following statements on the death of Billy Mays, one of the pioneers in the direct response television (DRTV) industry:
“DRTV has grown to be a $300 billion business during the last 20 years, and Billy Mays played a key role in making this possible,†said Julie Coons, president and CEO of ERA. “His dedication to DRTV will be remembered by those of us in the industry, as his animated approach to marketing dozen of products, such as Orange Glo and OxiClean, will be remembered by millions of consumers. Our thoughts and prayers go out to his wife, Deborah, and to his family and friends.â€
“This is a sad day for those of us that were lucky to know Billy,” said Nathan Fagre, chairman of ERA and senior vice president and general counsel of 
ShopNBC. “He worked hard, cared about his family and friends and he will be greatly missed.”
2009 ERA D2C Convention Video!
Thursday, June 25th, 2009Watch as ERA CEO Julie Coons delivers a sneak peak of what attendees can expect from ERA’s upcoming 2009 D2C Convention in Las Vegas September 13-15. Register now! Early bird ends July 1!
Click here to visit ERA’s YouTube channel!
