Response articles from July 2003

Response archives from July 2003

Respect? It's 'no problem' if you handle yourself the right way. (Editor's Note).(Editorial)
July 1, 2003... I recently returned from my honeymoon in the unbelievably beautiful location of Negril, Jamaica. While the trip occurred for the happiest of reasons, and the location and resort turned out to be even more fantastic than either my new wife or I...

The Tennis Channel courts an active audience: launched on May 15, the network's demographics appeal to the direct response industry. (Cable Network Spotlight).
July 1, 2003... SANTA MOMCA, Calif. -- With Forbes magazine reporting in its annual Top 100 list of Celebrities that tennis has more athletes on the list than any other sport, tapping into that firepower could be a ratings bonanza for the folks at the Tennis...

Reginald Groff, Groff Films. (Response Q&A).(Interview)
July 1, 2003... Reginald Groff is president and founder of 20 year-old production firm Groff Films, which is located in Portland, Maine. The company has a team of 14 employees, owns three edit suites and a small studio. Groff directed his company into the DRTV...

Linnae Young, Salem Radio Representatives. (Response Q&A).(Interview)
July 1, 2003... Linnae Young is vice president/general manager of Salem Radio Representatives, which owns 89 individual radio stations, several radio networks, as well as Web and print entities. Young, who is based in Chicago, leads the group that deals with...

Jordan Whitney's program rankings. (Research).(infomercial rankings)(Jordan Whitney Inc.,)(Illustration)
July 1, 2003... Jordan Whitney's Program Rankings TOP 10 INFOMERCIALS LAST RANK MONTH PROGRAM HOST 1 1 Carleton Sheets Carleton Sheets 2 2 Bowflex Tom Purvis 3 3 Body Flex Pro Greer...

The IMS top 20 DRTV national cable rankings. (Research).(Infomercial Monitoring Service)(Direct Response Television)(Illustration)
July 1, 2003... The Top 20 DRTV National Cable Rankings LONG-FORM PROGRAMS RANK WEEKS SHOW MARKETING COMPANY COUNT ON CHART 1 540 Carleton Sheets Professional Education 478 ...

Sticky continuities. (From the Lab).(infomercials planning)
July 1, 2003... As membership clubs become more difficult to make work, many DRTV marketers are looking for product that present good opportunities for continuous back-end revenue, creating their own in-house "clubs" as the ideal way to stretch that media...

REVShare search engine internet popularity report. (Research).(Illustration)
July 1, 2003... REVShare Search Engine Internet Popularity Report NUMBER OF RANK TITLE DISTRIBUTOR SEARCHES 1 Coral Calcium Direct Marketing Concepts...

First quarter 2003 long-form billings continue marching upward: number of long-form timeslots purchased sets new first-quarter record. (Research).
July 1, 2003... Continuing the trend started in first-quarter 2002, first-quarter 2003 long-form media billings advanced 14.4 percent over the past year's number, marking the fifth consecutive quarter of growth. A marginal drop in the average cost of a...

1Q 2003 short-form DRTV media billings up 37 percent: top 30 markets account for 51 percent of total billings. (Research).(first quarter)(Direct Response Television )
July 1, 2003... Based on the success of Response's first year of tracking a segment of short-form DRTV media billings, continued interest and participation from this sector of the industry has prompted us to offer this research for a second year. Short-form...

'America's personal trainer': Tony Little's lively, motivational pitches have lifted products bearing his name, including Fitness Quest's Gazelle Elite glider, to more than $2 billion in sales.
July 1, 2003... "My son and daughter are more like my friends than they are my kids," says Tony Little, the fitness in fomercial legend, who is currently promoting his Gazelle Elite fitness glider, the third in the Gazelle product line since 1997. "We have a...

Channel stopping with celebrities: when considering using a celebrity for your DRTV project, there are many more considerations that must be made other than just picking who is available.
July 1, 2003... Looking to capture the radiance of Tinsel Town for a direct response pitch? The glamour of celebrity has long played a key role for industry executives, but getting started in the fame game can be a daunting task. While celebrities can stop...

The consumer: first and foremost: today's revenue-enhancement programs and membership clubs set their sights on the consumer--something their predecessors largely neglected to do.
July 1, 2003... If Randy Pulling had a dollar for every membership club that has come and gone over the last five years, he wouldn't necessarily be a rich man, but he'd certainly have a fistful of cash to spend. The same goes for J. Jay Greene, who says he has...

Choosing a marketing partner: consultants and agencies. (Response Magazine's DRTV Best Practices Primer Part 6).(Direct Response Television)
July 1, 2003... How do you make your selection? Asking for references and understanding whom the principals are can guide you through the labyrinth. If there are six degrees of separation in the world, newcomers to the direct marketing industry will find...

Hall Dickler Kent Goldstein & Wood LLP: the defenders of DRTV the law firm celebrates a rich direct response history and looks toward an innovative future. (Special Advertising Section).
July 1, 2003... As the sun rises n the East Coast, attorney Linda Goldstein prepares for work reviewing possible solutions for a new federal inquiry into the direct response (DR) industry. A few hours later, in Chicago, Goldstein's colleague Charulata Pagar...

Cracking down on 'dirty little secrets'. (Media).(infomercial industry news)
July 1, 2003... Every industry has at least one: the "dirty little secret" that only industry insiders are generally aware of. Planes with too many empty seats suddenly develop mechanical problems, requiring you to take the next flight, which just happens to...

The FTC's Ex Parte asset freeze on Q-Ray: a sign of the times? (Legal Review).(Federal Trade Commission)
July 1, 2003... On June 2, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a court had granted its request for an ex parte temporary restraining order (TRO) and asset freeze against the marketers of Q-Ray, an ionized metal bracelet purported to relieve a variety...

ERA salutes its...platinum members.
July 1, 2003... AEGON Direct Marketing Services, Inc. (ADMS), the largest direct marketer of insurance products in the United States, has been offering membership and insurance products directly to the consumer through a variety of marketing alliances for more...

Getting the best from your infomercial production team. (Guest Opinion).
July 1, 2003... Are you prepared to create an infomercial that will be a home run? What are the secrets to choosing and managing a direct response television (DRTV) producer? What are the benefits of your product? What are the features and advantages? What...