Electronic Retailer Blog

As we wind down from ERA’s Annual Convention, it’s always fun to look back at some of the things that distinguish the direct-to-consumer industry from the greater retail and advertising industries at large. I recently conducted a Q&A with well-known DRTV host Beau Rials. When asked how he’d seen direct response evolve over the years, Rials had this to say:

It’s moved from the punch line of Madison Avenue to something they must do. Sure, people still make fun of infomercials and short-form spots, but a huge percentage of Fortune 500 companies now make them an integral part of their advertising plans. What’s great is, one week I’ll be shooting a show for some start-up’s dream product, and the next I’ll be selling $4,000 air conditioning systems for Mitsubishi Electric or $3,000 fish finders for Johnson Outdoor. In my 17 years, I’ve seen direct response advertising go from laughing stock to something you better be doing if you’re a VP of marketing.

Click here to read the entire Q&A article where Rials discusses a variety of aspects of the DRTV industry. As an on-air host, all of the products Rials represents must receive his stamp of approval. Being a DRTV or live shopping host can be a very daunting task. We’ve shown bloopers on the Electronic Retailer blog before, but the video below may take the cake.

(Note: Watch until the end if you have the time—the entire demo continues to snowball into tears and laughter!)

Pat Cauley is Electronic Retailer magazine’s eMedia editor.

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