When I was a young lad, nobody in their right mind said, “When I grow up, I want to be in the infomercial business.” But nearly 25 years after starting in this industry, that’s just where I find myself. And boy, am I glad!
As Electronic Retailer magazine and ERA celebrate the 25th anniversary of the infomercial, we wanted to give all of our readers the opportunity to share their stories and memories.
Here are mine…
It was a snowy day in December of 1986 when I reported for duty on my first day as an inbound call agent for National Instant Consumer Exchange, then known as NICE Corporation. Today, it goes by the name Convergys, and it’s one of the largest contact centers in the world. At that time, I was a skinny teenager making minimum wage. NICE Corporation was a little company whose entire inbound call center fit in one room in Ogden, Utah. And the infomercial business was in its infancy…but just getting ready to explode to a scale few could have imagined.
In those days, the phones were ringing non-stop for blues records, stop smoking products, diet pills and a wide range of other products. The 30-minute “infomercial” format had just hit the airwaves one-year prior. New upstart cable networks had hours and hours of time to fill, and the long format gave them something to broadcast while adding to the bottom line. And the American consumer was enraptured with the whole idea of watching a 30-minute advertisement, then calling to order a product, which would be delivered right to their home. They were doing it by the millions.
Yes, the industry has grown by leaps and bounds since that time. So has my career. And my waistline…but that’s a different story.
In the 24 years I’ve been in the business, I’ve worked for call centers large and small. I’ve done creative production for short form and infomercials, product marketing, international distribution, product sourcing, e-commerce and more. Starting in 1999, I’m proud to have been (and continue to be) one of the pioneers on the forefront of new technologies in the electronic retailing space. My team was the first to stream infomercial video online (years before YouTube existed), was the winner of the very first “Best Website” award ever presented by ERA in 2001, and I’ve continued to introduce new tools and concepts to the industry through my articles in Electronic Retailer magazine, and speaking at dozens of industry conferences. Whether it’s the shift from “Call Now” to “Visit our website,” SEO, innovative shopping carts or social media marketing, this industry is always changing…and always fascinating.
Here are a few of my “remember when” memories from 1986:
“COD” was the payment option of choice for most consumers calling to order.
Orders were mailed or faxed from the call center to the fulfillment center. There was not data transfer!
For really big clients, we sent a reel-to-reel magnetic tape every couple of days containing their orders.
The “Golden Girls” were big on TV. (Twenty-five years later, Betty White is still hot on TV.)
A gallon of gas was 89 cents.
Richard Simmons made his FIRST appearance on QVC.
When they weren’t watching infomercials on TV, people were watching “The Cosby Show” and “Magnum P.I.”
There was only one “toll free” prefix…and it was 1-800.
One last memory of the past 25 years: The friends I’ve made in the business are second to none. To this day, I have business relationships stretching back to the very earliest days of my career, and I’m proud to call these same people my friends these many years later.
So now it’s your turn. What are YOUR favorite memories of the DRTV / Infomercial / Electronic Retailing business? How did you get started? What “remember when” highlights would you add to the above list?
Please leave your thoughts in the Comment section below and let the reminiscing begin!
Marty M. Fahnckeis a consultant, speaker and writer working with companies around the world to increase the effectiveness of their marketing strategies. Fahncke is a regular contributor to Electronic Retailer magazine, and is a member of the Magazine Advisory Board. Be sure to check out his blog at http://www.MartyFahncke.com.
The direct marketing industry should take heart in today’s announcement of Harris Interactive’s survey of The Reputations of the Most Visible Companies annual report. Among the top 10 highest ranking companies, seven employ direct marketing and two — Google and amazon.com — are active members of the Electronic Retailing Association. It is further proof that direct response has gone mainstream and is not the exclusive domain of As Seen On TV products.
Here is the top 10:
1. Berkshire Hathaway
2. Johnson & Johnson
3. Google
4. 3M Company
5. SC Johnson
6. Intel Corporation
7. Microsoft
8. The Coca-Cola Company
9. amazon.com
10. General Mills
Rick Petry is a freelance writer who specializes in direct marketing and is a past chairman of ERA. He can be reached at (503) 740-9065 or online at rickpetry.com. On Twitter at http://twitter.com/thepetrydish.
In case you’ve missed the news, registration for the 2010 ERA D2C Convention is officially open! Not only has THE ONE show for the direct-to-consumer marketing industry moved to a fabulous and exclusive new venue (hint:it is a homophone of “win”), but for a limited time you can register and receive special savings!
Register by July 1 and receive a Show Floor Only Pass for FREE (ERA members) or $99 (non-members). The All Access Pass is only $835 (ERA members) or $1,399 (non-members). New this year, you will also need to separately register for a ticket to the ERA Annual Awards Gala - just $179 (ERA members) and $299 (non-members): www.D2Cshow.org/registration. Go ahead little birdie - spread your wings and register today!
ERA’s annual Government Affairs Fly-In is where direct response executives get together to advocate for our industry on the Hill. First, participants get the latest information on upcoming legislative and regulatory proposals. Then they have a hands-on opportunity to present our industry’s concerns directly to members of Congress and their staff. The work you do at the Fly-In lets lawmakers know we aren’t just advocates in Washington, rather we are an entire industry of entrepreneurs that can be affected by what happens inside the Beltway. Of course the event wouldn’t be complete without great networking, so we include two vibrant networking receptions. Plus, spending time on the Hill is like playing a team sport, so you get beyond exchanging business cards and start forming real relationships.
We’re also adding new features this year. Because we are moving the Fly-In to Tuesday-Wednesday, we’ll have more meetings with members of Congress. Plus, our education will be both more informative and more interesting than ever before. You’ll have an in-depth educational webinar before the Fly-In. At the Fly-In you will participate in an interactive game where you can experience the day to day pressures faced by a member of Congress. This is a helpful tool for those new to politics and seasoned veterans alike – plus it’s a lot of fun. (Warning: This can get competitive!) We’re also including an exciting presentation on how the electoral landscape may change in 2010 – so you can be in the know before anyone else.
Don’t take the initial setup phase for granted - Clients sometimes rush or don’t put enough effort into the initial setup phase of the fulfillment engagement. This can lead to miscommunications and mistakes that have long-term ramifications. It’s especially important to communicate who all of your vendors are, and make sure all offers and file exchanges are thoroughly tested.
Understand how the decline cycle works - Companies who are outsourcing their payment processing and fulfillment need to have a clear understanding of how the decline cycle works. New clients who don’t understand the difference between soft and hard declines, or that multiple charge attempts are being made always surprise me.
Make sure your refund policies are clear and reasonable - I see many situations where clients try to save money by imposing strict or unclear refund policies. These can lead to increased chargebacks and customer service calls, as well as BBB and FTC complaints.
Consult with your fulfillment company regularly regarding packaging - Packaging is very important when it comes to freight costs. Your fulfillment company can help you come up with the best packaging to keep your freight costs down. Remember, once a package is above one pound, an extra ounce can push you to the next weight tier.
Work with customer service to plan for call spikes and backorder situations - Avoid backed up call queues and long hold times by proactively planning for call spikes and backorder situations. Fulfillment centers don’t have infinite numbers of customer service agents, so you need to work with them in advance to make sure that staff is properly allocated. In backorder situations, sometimes it is better to outbound clients or send them e-mails to let them know what is going on and thereby reduce inbound customer service calls.
Be prepared for dry spells and unanticipated storage costs - Many DRTV marketers think they will never have a dry spell and are often caught flat footed when retail orders dry up or campaigns slow down. If they have over-ordered inventory, they can end up with higher than expected storage costs, which can definitely impact their bottom line. My advice is to develop a contingency plan and build adequate cushion into your budget for storage.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—AsSeenOnTV.com has announced the death of its founder and CEO, Dan Fasano. Mr. Fasano passed away in Florida after a long battle with leukemia. Mr. Fasano was a pioneer in the direct response industry and created some of the most notable As Seen On TV concepts—including the website www.AsSeenOnTV.com and
As Seen On TV Direct. AsSeenOnTV.com President Mary Beth Fasano will ascend to the CEO position. She has been actively managing the company since Mr. Fasano became seriously ill last year. Ms. Fasano stated there would be no change in the operations of the company. She also announced that long-time corporate advisor and Rochester attorney Ron Axelrod will continue in his advisory position and that Frank Costanzo, former president of the company, has agreed to advise during this period.
In recent years, Dan has been a committed philanthropist to Hospice, The Leukemia Society, The National Bone Marrow Donor Program and the Moffitt Cancer Center. The Fasano family asks that memorials be made to Dan’s Foundation, www.MiracleOfLifeFoundation.org.
As you probably know, the FTC is planning to eliminate the safe harbor for testimonials with disclaimers. If you are concerned about these changes, make sure you sign up to receive updates from us on this issue. We will send occasional updates that will keep you up to speed. This is part of the grassroots effort we will be launching shortly and these updates will make sure you know about opportunities to get involved. Please make sure you don’t miss out - fill out the form here.
Below are a few photo highlights from Launch DRTV Creative Director Drew Plotkin’s recent trip to Ethiopia for a Wheelchair Foundation drop and distribution. The trip was funded via a PSA spot produced by Launch DRTV and money raised from numerous DR industry players at the Los Angeles Wheelchair Foundation Gala organized by Imagine Fulfillment Services.
To make a donation, please call 1-800-584-0796 or click here.
“There’s no way you can justify spending $3 million on a thirty-second Super Bowl ad, but you sure as hell can justify a half hour infomercial that you know the cost of when within 72 hours you know the revenue you generated from it.” — Chris Rebholz, president of Christopher Morgan Fulfillment
Look for more insights from Chris and other DR fulfillment leaders in Electronic Retailer’s upcoming May issue! Do you have an industry quote or industry event pictures worth sharing? Post a comment or send an e-mail to eMedia editor Pat Cauley at pcauley@retailing.org for possible inclusion.
When I was a young lad, nobody in their right mind said, “When I grow up, I want to be in the infomercial business.” But nearly 25 years after starting in this industry, that’s just where I find myself. And boy, am I glad!
The direct marketing industry should take heart in today’s announcement of Harris Interactive’s survey of The Reputations of the Most Visible Companies annual report. Among the top 10 highest ranking companies, seven employ direct marketing and two — Google and amazon.com — are active members of the Electronic Retailing Association. It is further proof that direct response has gone mainstream and is not the exclusive domain of As Seen On TV products.
Don’t take the initial setup phase for granted - Clients sometimes rush or don’t put enough effort into the initial setup phase of the fulfillment engagement. This can lead to miscommunications and mistakes that have long-term ramifications. It’s especially important to communicate who all of your vendors are, and make sure all offers and file exchanges are thoroughly tested.
ROCHESTER, N.Y.—
As you probably know, the FTC is planning to eliminate the safe harbor for testimonials with disclaimers. If you are concerned about these changes, make sure you sign up to receive updates from us on this issue. We will send occasional updates that will keep you up to speed. This is part of the grassroots effort we will be launching shortly and these updates will make sure you know about opportunities to get involved. Please make sure you don’t miss out - 
