‚“I’m Not Dead Yet!”
Funny Feminist, Collette Liantonio, Receives Lifetime Achievement Award

For Immediate Release:
BOONTON, N.J. (October 13, 2014) The Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) honored Collette Liantonio, President and Creative Director of Concepts TV Productions, with its 2014 Lifetime Achievement Award. Liantonio accepted the award during the Moxie Awards Gala on Thursday, Sept. 18, 2014 at the Wynn Las Vegas.
‚“I am honored and humbled to be this year’s recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Award,” Liantonio says. ‚“It has been a great privilege to be a part of the DRTV revolution, and to work with so many talented clients and vendors whom I now view as family. I am proud of our history and excited for our future.”
The Lifetime Achievement Award goes to a member of the association whose work is acknowledged by colleagues and the public as having a visible impact on the industry. Past honorees include Jeffrey Knowles, Kevin Harrington, Katie Williams, Billy Mays, Earl Greenburg, Rob Woodrooffe, Tim Hawthorne, Greg Renker, Joe Segal, Suzanne Somers, Mike Levey, and Ron Popeil.
‚“Collette Liantonio is an innovator in every sense of the word,” says ERA president and CEO Julie Coons. ‚“She has not only helped to elevate direct response marketing through her creative contributions, but as a highly successful entrepreneur and thought leader, she has helped pave the way for women to grow and prosper in this industry.”
Indeed, in her acceptance speech, Liantonio humorously recalled some of the trials and tribulations she has encountered as a female entrepreneur in a man’s world including a potty-training toddler who interrupted a sales meeting to show Mommy her new accomplishment. ‚“I clapped My potential clients clapped We didn’t get the job.”
Those bumps in the road only made Liantonio more determined as she went on to build an infomercial dynasty.
Since launching Concepts TV Productions in 1983, many of her DR spots and infomercials have become legends, such as Ambervision, Bedazzler, Pajama Jeans, Contour Pillow, and the George Foreman Grill. Some of her latest hits include BeActive, Veggetti and Cat’s Meow. Concepts TV has won more than 150 awards, and their spots have featured celebrities such as Montel Williams, Joe Namath, Wayne Gretsky, Arnold Palmer, and Fabio.
But as Liantonio infamously stated in her speech, ‚“I’m not dead yet. I’m having way too much fun and the best is yet to come ”

Liantonio was recently named among the 25 Most Influential People in DRTV, and one of the Top 150 Leading Women Entrepreneurs by New Jersey Monthly. She serves on the Editorial Advisory Committee (EAC) of Electronic Retailer, and has served twice on the ERA’s Board of Directors. She is also a member of the Women Presidents’ Organization (WPO), the Woman’s Business Enterprise National Council (WBENC), and the Women-Owned Business Enterprise for New York City (WBE).
Concepts TV Productions, based in Boonton, N.J., is one of the world’s most experienced producers of commercials and infomercials. Inspired by our motto, ‚“hit after hit,” we are dedicated to developing and producing the most profitable and dynamic Direct Response and Brand Response commercials for our clients. We pride ourselves on creating those unforgettable ‚“magic moments” that help build brands, leaving a lasting impression on the audience.
# # #

CONTACT: Concepts TV Productions
Kristy Pinand
(973) 331-1500

How Startups Earn Millions at Infomercials, TV Shopping Networks and Walmart

NEW YORK (MainStreet), Tony Little’s first infomercial in 1993 earned him $150 million in retail sales. Not bad for a now 58-year-old body builder.

‚“It was a series of three videotapes called 'Target Training' with me leading one-on-one exercise workouts,” Little told MainStreet.
After paying some $250,000 to National Media to produce the series and $100,000 to test, Little’s company has earned $4 billion in worldwide sales.

‚“I’m currently looking at the short form infomercial market for several product categories that are successful on the Home Shopping Network,” said Little, whose product categories include fitness, fashion, wellness, nutrition and motivation.

Infomercials alone constitute a $150 billion market and each dollar spent on direct marketing yields a return on investment (ROI) of $12 compared to $5 from non-direct marketing, according to the Electronics Retailing Association (ERA).

‚“Anyone can come up with a product,” said Julie Coons, president and CEO with the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA). ‚“Shows like ABC's 'Shark Tank' highlight budding inventors who dream of marketing that hit product or service; however, it's not that easy to just make an infomercial and assume it will be successful right from the start.”

While barriers to entry into the infomercial industry may only be financial initially, certain products sell better than others.

‚“Real estate and stock market analysis products are ideal for infomercials, because the seller can be proactive in warning about risks,” said Collette Liantonio, president of TV Concepts Productions.

Other products that sell well include books, tapes, exercise equipment, kitchen, cleaning and beauty products.

‚“Infomercials showcase whole segments of books and offer reviews by people who have used and enjoyed the infomercial system,” Liantonio told MainStreet.

However, the infomercial industry is not without its checks and balances.

‚“The testimonials you see should be truthful and accurate,” Coons told MainStreet. ‚“Any testimonial that is too good to be true is subject to review and disciplinary action by the government and our industry self-regulation program.”

Products successfully sold with infomercials can find shelf life and new sources of revenue at retail stores such as Walmart, Walgreen and Target.

‚“The last five years have been an exciting time of change,” said Coons. ‚“There has been a strong move for infomercial products to be offered at retail stores in As Seen On TV sections.”

For example, Sue Ismiel created Nad’s hair removal gel in her kitchen in the 1990s.

‚“You need to make the audience believe that you have created a new world from a place of frustration,” said Ismiel, CEO with Sue Ismiel & Daughters. ‚“The unwanted hair problem was the frustration for me. The story of a mother’s love for her daughter and doing something about the frustration is what connects with the viewers.”

Today Nad’s is advertised in 30- and 60-second commercials directing the consumer to retail stores.

‚“Once the product hits retail shelves, the heavy investment in long-form infomercials is not necessary,” Ismiel told MainStreet.

With or without an infomercial in tow, not just any product can find its way to shoppers at retail storefronts, such as Target, Walmart, Win Dixie, Walgreens or HEB.

Winning the Shelf Placement

The Global Market Development Center (GMDC) out of Colorado Springs hosts conferences twice a year to help facilitate deals between suppliers and service companies who pitch their products to retail buyers.

‚“We have companies that go from very small to millions of dollars,” said Mark Mechelse, director of industry insights and communications with the GMDC. ‚“They need to be ready to write orders after pitching because if they don’t, they can lose business.”

Some 600 supplier members paid $2,500 to attend the general merchandise conference in San Antonio this month where they pitched up to 85 retailers at the JW Marriott Conference Center.

Entrepreneurs displayed their pet toys, collapsible Tupperware, non-food items, baby products, kitchen wares and gifts. GMDC will meet again in Orlando and Phoenix in 2015.

‚“We don’t get involved in infomercials or advertising,” Mechelse told MainStreet. ‚“There could be companies here that have As Seen On TV products but it’s a small part of what we do.”

One advantage of infomercials is that entrepreneurs can price their products higher than when advertising with a mere TV commercial.

‚“It is harder to get an impulse buy for a high-ticket item from a short commercial,” said Liantonio. ‚“People aren’t as likely to spend $99 after watching just two minutes of an advertisement. You also can’t get a sense of a special book or tape from a short commercial.”

‚“Overnight is great because viewers are bored, have insomnia or work unusual hours,” Liantonio said. ‚“Saturday and Sunday mornings are ideal, because people can watch half hour segments at their leisure.”

--Written by Juliette Fairley for MainStreet

The world of consumer packaged goods (CPG) today is a broad swath of old brands being reborn, new campaigns and products full of profitable promise, and even plenty of body parts (yes, you read that right).

By: Doug McPherson

Long before the mammoth direct response consumer packaged good (CPG) product OxiClean, there was Jelmar, a company Manny Gutterman started in the late 1960s.

Today Jelmar offers a large suite of cleaning products. But long before he opened Jelmar, Gutterman created a national sales representative organization, Manny Gutterman & Associates Inc., in 1949 to sell all kinds of proprietary CPG products to chain drug, variety, hardware and department stores.

The sales channel was so successful, it gave Gutterman the direction and confidence to develop and sell his own brand-name products. And in the late 1960s, when a friend in advertising asked Gutterman to sell a warehouse full of cleaning products, he created Jelmar to do it.

Gutterman, along with sons Steven and Arthur, reformulated and repackaged the abandoned product and sold it as Tarn-X¬Æ. As one of the first products that used the phrase ‚“As Seen On TV” in commercials and on packaging, Tarn-X eventually became the No. 1-selling metal cleaner in the United States, as well as a household staple that can be found in every major retailer.

Jelmar kept growing, and in the 1980s, Gutterman and his sons, along with business partner, Al Eicoff, began looking for a complement to Tarn-X. They ended up with a powerful lime and rust remover, CLR® (calcium, lime and rust) was born.

Over the years Jelmar continued to introduce products including Thermal Fork, Tarn-X Silver Polish, Tarn-X Jewelry Cleaner, CLR Outdoor Furniture Cleaner, CLR Grease Magnet, CLR Power Plumber, CLR Bath & Kitchen Cleaner, and most recently, the new CLR Stainless Steel Cleaner and CLR Stone Cleaner.

Today, Jelmar remains in family hands. Arthur’s daughter, Alison Gutterman, became the president of Jelmar in 2007.

And she attributes much of the company’s sales success to direct response.

‚“We’ve created numerous spots over the years for the CLR line,” Gutterman says. ‚“The DRTV approach not only helped promote CLR’s full line of products in a single spot, but it helped increase the products’ retail distribution and shelf space and drove retail sales, too.”

In fact, Jelmar has parlayed its success from consumer circles to commercial sales.

‚“Now we have an industrial division and sell products up to 55-gallon drums,” Gutterman says. ‚“I’m sure that some of our success in that division is a result of people knowing our products from home use, and transferring them to a commercial use.”

A Perfect Fit: DR and CPG
Today the company Al Eicoff started back in 1959, A. Eicoff & Co., is a thriving DR agency in Chicago. And it’s still working with Jelmar. Bill McCabe, A. Eicoff & Co. president, says the story of Jelmar is a great example of why DR and CPG are a perfect fit.

‚“DR is a good sales vehicle for many reasons. We know it can both build a brand and generate results simultaneously, and when I say results, that includes coupon redemptions, website visits and sales along with store traffic and sales,” McCabe says. ‚“But an often overlooked advantage of DRTV for CPG is its ability to differentiate the product from others via longer-length commercials, one-to-two-minute spots. These spots cut through the clutter of 30-second spots and the additional time allows the spot to tell a more compelling and more memorable story.”

McCabe says he created two-minute commercials for Breathe Right nasal strips that he tested three times in five markets.

‚“With each test, the results were terrific. The client told us they asked us to run a third test because after the first two, no one could believe how great the results were,” McCabe says. ‚“The demonstrability of the product lent itself to DRTV, there was a motivating story to tell and the longer-length commercial helped differentiate the product.”

So what’s different about CPG compared to other categories that might make it a good candidate for DR? McCabe says one of his clients put it best ‚“when he told me that when consumers see their product in the store, there’s no way they can learn the story behind the product by just looking at the packaging.”

McCabe says DR gives them the both the opportunity and the time to tell their story so that when shoppers see the product in the store, they’re pre-sold.

‚“The best CPG products for direct response have a story to tell,” McCabe says. ‚“In many instances, these are relatively complex products, technology to explain, features to demonstrate, benefits that may not be obvious but are meaningful to consumers. These stories can’t be told in 30 seconds, and they can’t be told effectively without DRTV’s ability to demonstrate and motivate.”

In fact, McCabe believes CPG brands can often go it alone in DR without branding ads.

He says, ‚“A brand can stand alone because DRTV has become highly brand conscious as more and more blue chip companies include DRTV in their marketing mix (see sidebar, page 32). The best direct response advertisers and agencies know how to blend branding and response-producing elements seamlessly.”

Veterans’ Varied Vivid Examples
It’s tough to argue with McCabe’s take on the power of DR in CPG. Today there’s a huge selection of CPG products using DR to boost bottom lines. And there’s plenty of proof of some serious staying power.

Industry veterans have vivid examples.

Bill McAlister, president at Top Dog Direct, says Urine Gone, the pet stain and odor remover, is one of his oldest, most successful products. ‚“It’s been around the longest, about nine years, and I think it’s a good example of a consumer packaged good that just keeps selling,” McAlister says.

It’s sold in 24 oz. bottles with a black light that helps consumers detects stains.

‚“We get a lot of return customers, we’re selling refill jugs (a 48 oz. refill jug sells for $25.49 on Amazon.com and has a four-star rating from 110 reviews) and people are buying it over and over again,” McAlister says. ‚“It’s outselling other products three to one. And we’re all over in retail, Walmart, Target, everywhere.”

Infusion Brands Intl., the company behind AsSeenonTV.com, Ronco, DualTools and other brands, may have found a CPG winner in DOC C

loths. The company reports it has sold more than million on TV, and counting.

DOC Cloths include eight layers of woven wood pulp fiber and trap and release 99.99 percent of germs and bacteria when rinsed in warm water. Infusion Brands is selling the product on HSN.

A.J. Khubani, CEO and president at DR giant TELEBrands, says in the CPG category, things don’t get much better than Heeltastic, a cream that softens rough heels.

‚“It’s been selling about a million units a year since 2009, and the sales are very consistent month to month,” Khubani says. ‚“For Heeltastic, there was a true void in the marketplace. There was no good product for cracked heels.”

Collette Liantonio to Receive ERA Lifetime Achievement Award at 2014 ERA D2C Convention

Expo Hall Reverberates With Deals and Excitement

By Thomas Haire

SAN DIEGO, With more than 3,300 attendees, Response Expo’s show floor was the center of the action during the event at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront on April 29-May 1. Attendees mixed and mingled for two days in the Expo Hall, which featured a bevy of prominent booths including those of Thill Logistics and Dial800, as well as the new Masters of the Digital Universe Pavilion, sponsored by Manatt Phelps & Phillips. For the fourth straight year, the New Product Pavilion showcased soon-to-be successes as well as top DR hits, while three networking lounges on or near the show floor helped fuel traffic.

‚“We are on our way to closing a sale with a prospective client I’ve been calling on for more than 20 years,” says Collette Liantonio, president of Boonton, N.J.-based Concepts TV Productions and a 2014 DR Hall of Fame inductee. ‚“He’s nearby us in Edison, N.J., but he’s always stuck with radio until we met again in San Diego. We do great business at Response Expo.”

The New Product Pavilion, powered by Top Dog Direct and located in the center of the tradeshow floor, saw a substantial amount of foot traffic, as did the Bloody Mary Bar and Coffee Bar (presented by Litle & Co. and Response), which offered complimentary coffee and bloody marys to attendees.

Just outside the Expo Hall on the Sapphire Patio, LifeBrands, Rovi, O’Currance and West Direct sponsored the Beer and Wine Garden, which featured food for purchase, as well as complimentary beer and wine. And on Wednesday, April 29, All-Access Badge holders were treated to a complimentary lunch, courtesy of Applied Perceptions.

At the same time, the Invention Home Inventor Pavilion welcomed the creators behind more than 70 new products looking for one shot at DR success, driving plenty of visitors to their end of the Expo Hall.

With a number of major TV and cable network groups setting up shop inside the Hilton, from the ground-level pool area through the second-level lobby bar and all the way up to the Expo level on the fourth floor, a palpable vibe permeated the Hilton, no matter where you looked.

‚“It was great to see the agency/network community in full force at the Hilton this year, it was the buzz of the show,” says Tim Silvia, director of sales, direct response, for New York-based Comcast Media 360. ‚“From our point of view, the proximity of attendees allowed for many unplanned yet productive meetings.”

Adds Brian Norris, director of national advertising sales for DISH Network in New York, ‚“Response Expo was one of the best yet this year. So many on my team commented on how well run the event was. We were thrilled to be at the Hilton this year and are committed to doing the majority of our meetings there in coming years.”

Queen of infomercials: Liantonio became pioneer in industry with Concepts TV

By Meg Fry

Having just returned from mountain biking and hiking through Bhutan in the Himalayas, and currently planning her next trip to Iceland, Collette Liantonio shows no signs of slowing down.

Not even the sting of a Portuguese man o' war on a recent trip to the Galapagos Islands could quench her thirst for risk-taking.

"Most of us crave adventure," Liantonio said.

What else would you expect from the woman who took a risk 30 years ago to start her own production company serving an industry no one knew existed?

Today, she is the "Queen of Infomercials", the person who almost single-handedly created the concept of selling products on late-night TV with commercials so wacky you can't help but watch them.

And, more often than most of us want to admit, buy from them.

Liantonio seamlessly balances her global explorations with being a wife, mother and grandmother while serving as president and creative director of her multimillion-dollar production company, the Boonton-based Concepts TV.

"I'm not quite sure how I was able to do this, mind you, but I've been able to have a wonderful marriage, family, and still a very gratifying career," Liantonio said.

But it wasn't always so easy.

———

Liantonio started a family while teaching English, Spanish, film studies and speech at Rutherford High School and freelance writing.

When a client Liantonio wrote for purchased a direct response company and invited her to direct a commercial, Liantonio jumped at the opportunity despite having no experience.

"I filmed my first commercial in 1979 for a bug zapper, and it ended up being a success," Liantonio said.

Though Liantonio would join an advertising agency in Manhattan shortly after, she couldn't shake the thrill of directing.

"I just loved the idea that you could air a commercial and, hours later, know if it was successful based on how many products you sold and how the audience responded," Liantonio said.

That simmering passion would begin to boil after enduring a terrible commute into Manhattan each morning while being a single mother of two small children.

So Liantonio left her stable job at the ad agency to start Concepts TV in 1983, signing the direct response company that started it all as her first client.

"That company hadn't had a hit since my bug zapper commercial, so it was a good opportunity for me to jump back in," Liantonio said.

Liantonio has since produced more than 3,000 successful commercials, turning products such as Pajama Jeans, Bedazzler, the George Foreman Grill and PedEgg into household names.

Her infomercials have featured dozens of celebrities, including Montel Williams, Joe Namath, Wayne Gretzky and Fabio.

And with more hits than any other company in the DRTV business, Concepts TV has always been a top-10 winner for short- and long-form infomercials.

"I'm known for wacky campy memorable demonstrations," Liantonio said.

Like the time she hired sumo wrestlers to demonstrate Furniture Fix, which supports sagging couches, by sitting them together. Or the time she filmed the largest Amish community in Ohio, knowing the Amish cannot look directly into the camera, in a horse barn for The Amish Fireplace.

"It's really hard to get someone to take their credit card out in one minute to make a purchase," Liantonio said. "There's an art to it."

———

If infomercials are an art, consider Liantonio a Picasso, Concepts TV's sales have increased by 35 percent over the last five years in an industry worth billions of dollars.

"Our revenue is not only based on production, but also on a percentage of sales," Liantonio said. "We're only as good as the products we sell That's why we're perhaps bigger than we appear."

While Concepts TV may seem like a small business located within a Victorian home in Boonton, it's anything but.

The company works with clients all over the world in locations such as Korea, Mexico City, Jamaica, Scotland, London and more. Concepts TV also has the capability to create bilingual commercials for the Hispanic market.

"I only choose to film in New Jersey because I can pay someone $500 dollars to film in their house for the day. If I were to shoot in Los Angeles, they'd want $5,000."

Some of Concepts TV's biggest clients are mainstream direct marketers, including New Jersey-based Telebrands Inc., IdeaVillage Products Corp., Ontel Products and Tristar Products Inc.

Mike Govindani, one of Liantonio's clients, is a partner at Fairfield-based Spark Innovators Corp., a product development, marketing and distributing firm specializing in the As-Seen-On-TV industry.

"The spots that Collette and her unbelievably talented team have produced for us have been extremely successful," Govindani said. "For the projects we typically hire her for, we expect to sell a minimum of 2 to 3 million units of that product in the first year, and that's on the low side of what she can bring in."

John Santilli, senior vice president of operations at King of Prussia, Pa.-based Lenfest Media Group, chooses to work with Concepts TV in New Jersey because of the collaborative nature of its team: "They incorporate our ideas and apply their direct response knowledge and creativity to them Collette and her contributions are a big part of our continued success."

———

Liantonio has a master's degree in theater education from New York University, so it's no wonder she runs Concepts TV team like a theater group.

"The idea of a cohesive, loyal team is all important to me," Liantonio said.

She also takes her staff away on yearly company retreats, which in the past have included beach vacations in Cancun, spas in Arizona and sailing trips throughout the British Virgin Islands.

Concepts TV currently has 12 employees and one staff member in LA, where Liantonio plans to grow the West Coast business by putting another full-time production team on the ground there.

With such great employee benefits, job security and mentorship opportunities, it's no surprise Concepts TV continues to grow, and is still considered a leader in its industry 30 years later.

In a traditionally male-dominated industry, Liantonio has earned more than 100 industry awards, and she'll be the first woman inducted into the DRTV Hall of Fame in just a few weeks.

She has long been a strong advocate for female leadership and entrepreneurship. She serves with several organizations including the Women Presidents' Organization, a nonprofit membership community for female presidents of multimillion-dollar companies, which provides peer advisory groups to accelerate business growth.

"You'll be respected if you know what you're doing, because you can't argue with success," Liantonio said.

Rated one of the 25 most influential people in her industry and one of the state's Top 150 Women Entrepreneurs by New Jersey Monthly, Liantonio has no intention of retiring.

"I love what I do, because we make a little magic here."

Thirty minutes at a time.

E-mail to: megf@njbiz.com
On Twitter: @megfry3

The perfect pitch
After more than three decades in the business, Collette Liantonio knows how to make infomercials that get results. Here are some of her secrets:

1 Competitive pricing and premium offers
"And that's not all!" really does work.

2 Great products, that's where it all starts
Collapsible hose? Yes. Collapsible drinking cup? No.

3 Compelling, creative exposition, including testimonials
Yes, the testimonials are from actual users (really), and yes, they really work.

Getting the sale
"You must call now don't wait limited-time offer."

OK, all that's not necessarily true.

In fact, more people buy As-Seen-On-TV products from retail stores than from television. For every product bought directly from an infomercial, at least 10 of those products will be purchased in-store.

In other words, "As-Seen-On-TV" products are actually bought after they're seen again in stores.

Measuring the metrics
According to Liantonio, direct response marketers typically buy play time on national cable markets during "relaxed" time frames throughout the day, 8 to 11 a.m., 12 to 3 p.m., overnight, when there's no dominant competition.

After a two-week period, success can be calculated by cost-per-order. If marketers pay $10,000 dollars for TV time and receive 10,000 orders, that's a $1 dollar cost-per-order.

Based on the numbers, companies can then decide whether to change price points or offers, or increase or decrease the number of times the infomercial runs.

To read full article please click here

DR Hall of Fame Roundtable: The Pioneering Spirit!

Apr, 2014 By: Thomas Haire

Members of the second class of the DR Hall of Fame chat about their histories, their passions and what makes direct response great.

Response Magazine and its Advisory Board will welcome the inductees for the second class of the Direct Response Hall of Fame at a special ceremony during Response Expo in San Diego at 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 1.

Not only will the group be honored during the induction ceremony but many of the inductees will also sit in on a special panel discussion with that will take place from 1:45-2:45 p.m. at the Hilton San Diego Bayfront.

The 10 inductees are:

• Chickie Bucco is president of Katz Direct, a Katz Television Group Company.
• Tim Hawthorne is the founder, chairman and CEO of Hawthorne Direct, a full-service brand response advertising agency.
• AJ Khubani founded TELEBrands Corp. in 1983. Today, TELEBrands is thriving as a nearly $1 billion marketing giant.
• Collette Liantonio launched Concepts TV Productions in 1983. Concepts TV has won more than 150 awards for hits like Go Duster, Better Pasta Pot and Finishing Touch.
• Tony Little has been a television and fitness icon for more than 25 years, known as ‚“America’s Personal Trainer.”
• Pitchman and marketer Billy Mays’ dozens of hit TV products grossed more than $1 billion in sales. He passed away at age 50 in 2009.
• Suzanne Somers spent 21 years on network television and has also been involved in in direct response television and home shopping for more than 20 years after introducing the Thighmaster in 1990.
• Gary and Mary West founded West Corp. in 1986. The company went public in 1996 and, in 2006, was sold for more than $4 billion with Gary and Mary retaining approximately 20-percent ownership. Today, Gary and Mary are pioneering philanthropists.
• Katie Williams has spent 30 years in direct response, founded both Williams Worldwide Inc. (1987) and Williams Worldwide Television (1992), and is the president of Southern California-based Ideal Living Direct and the founder and CEO of Williams Digital Direct.

This group joins last year’s class of inductees: Jim Caldwell, Frank Cannella, Bill Guthy, Kevin Joseph Lyons, Joe Pedott, Ron Popeil, Greg Renker, Sy Sperling and Sydney Yallen.

Recently, Response was able to catch up with all of the living inductees to discuss their careers, the direct response business and more.

What does it mean to you to be inducted into the DR Hall of Fame?
Chickie Bucco: It’s an honor to be recognized by my peers.

Tim Hawthorne: It’s a unique honor to be recognized by my peers and stand among the best in the business of DR. I’m humbled and appreciative.

AJ Khubani: When I think of the term ‚“Hall of Fame” in other categories like baseball or rock-and-roll, I think of legendary figures that have achieved greatness. This is a great honor. However, I feel that my greatest business achievements are yet to come.

Collette Liantonio: It is an absolute honor to be inducted into the DR Hall of Fame along with such talented veterans of DRTV. Together we have helped realize the dreams of thousands of inventors and entrepreneurs. It’s thrilling to think that the products and shows we have created will be known for generations to come. I really feel we are a part of the American Dream.

Tony Little: I’m incredibly honored to be recognized by this renowned organization. I love the DRTV industry and to be included with the all-time greats means more to me than I can possibly express.

Suzanne Somers: I first experienced direct response in the late 1980s with the Thighmaster. Its success blew me away. But what impressed me the most was having the ability to communicate directly with my constituency, which was a gift from my years on ‚“Three’s Company.” And I wasn’t in character as Chrissy Snow, I was Suzanne. Since that time, I have spent more than 20 years in electronic shopping and in collaboration with great DR companies like American Telecast and, recently, with Hampton Direct. I have continued to enjoy this wonderful business.

Gary West: Mary and I are honored and very appreciative to be inducted into the DR Hall of Fame because the DR business made everything else we have accomplished possible.

Katie Williams: I’m honored to receive this tribute, along with other legends of our industry. Most of all, I’m grateful to the many people who have contributed to my success: mentors, clients, partners, team members and many dear friends from all facets of our industry. I’m fortunate to have been touched by so many amazing people.

Why do you believe the Response Advisory Board supported your case for induction into this exclusive group?
Bucco: To me it’s an acknowledgment of the success of Katz Direct as a company.

Katz realized the need for specialists in this field and established Katz Direct 25 years ago. Katz committed the infrastructure and resources needed to deal with what we could clearly see was a growing category. And the company continued to support me as the business evolved and the needs changed.

Hawthorne: In October 1984, I produced one of the first infomercials to air in the modern era of long-form. In June 1986, I founded the first long-form advertising agency. I was one of 10 co-founders of the National Infomercial Marketing Association (NIMA, now known as the Electronic Retailing Association, or ERA). I authored a best-selling book on infomercial marketing, have written hundreds of articles published in industry trades, and I’ve been a DRTV and direct response thought leader for 30 years. I was the third recipient of ERA’s Lifetime Achievement Award in 2006. Hawthorne Direct has managed more than 900 different client campaigns and produced more than 400 television commercials, both long- and short-form, and won more than 400 industry awards.

Khubani: I was selected for longevity and TELEBrands’ leadership role in creating, building and maintaining the ‚“As Seen on TV” category at retail.

Liantonio: My first commercial aired in 1979, so I was one of the pioneers of the DR industry. I pride myself on my ability to turn ordinary products into household names, AmberVision sunglasses, the Bedazzler, the George Foreman Grill, Pajama Jeans, classic commercials for classic products. While I am firm believer in the importance of a great script as the blueprint for a great commercial, it is the visual that captures attention, and I have a reputation for creating memorable visuals. If you’re flipping through the channels or fast-forwarding your DVR and you see women tap-dancing on the hood of a car (Auri Gold) or 1,000 lbs. of Sumo wrestlers filling your screen (Furniture Fix), you are compelled to stop. When you are compelled to purchase the product, then I have succeeded. That is the art of DR.

Little: I hope it was because I’ve always tried to be an ambassador for the DRTV industry by promoting its value to the masses. I’ve also believed it was my responsibility to uphold the integrity of our business by always being honest with our customers and giving them the value they deserved.

Somers: Probably because it’s clear that I take direct response very seriously, and I have no intention of going away.

West: We hope it is because we always tried to set a good example for the industry and always put the best interests of our clients first.

Williams: I’m one of the pioneers, starting way back in 1983 when the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) deregulated advertising, resulting in the birth of infomercials and home shopping. I’ve taken a leadership role ever since, working with the legendary DRTV greats (Greg Renker, Ron Popeil, Peter Spiegel, Kevin Harrington, Fern Lee, and hosts of others), as well as introducing brands such as Philips, Microsoft, Toshiba, Mars, DirecTV and Hoover to DRTV. My company, Williams Worldwide, was one of the first to market products internationally, and I helped introduce entrepreneurs around the world to DRTV.

How were you able to maintain success in through all the ups and downs this marketing method has seen over the years?
Bucco: Clearly, it’s a tribute to the management and staff at Katz Direct. My senior management team has been in place for more than 20 years, and I can say with confidence that Ben Buchwald, Steve Diamond and Mike Lum are thought of as leaders with in the DR community. They are respected colleagues to our station clients and trusted liaisons to our agency and advertiser customers as well.

Hawthorne: I’ve been an industry leader and visionary, with focus, ethics, perseverance, an amazingly dedicated and service-minded staff, and smart clients with great products and services.

Khubani: I get excited by the business. Enthusiasm has the amazing ability to drive one to overcome obstacles and the resilience to bounce back when he stumbles and falls.

Liantonio: The market will be capricious at times, but, ultimately, the consumer will always want and need product. DR is a proven method whereby you can immediately discern whether your campaign has success. Sometimes it is instant gratification, and other times it is instant disappointment. Nothing in the world, especially DR, is ever constant. The only thing that is consistent is change, and that is never boring. Talent is important, but persistence is my secret weapon. I always show up and I always bring my A-game. I am passionate about selling products.

Little: I think it’s because I’ve always been a forward, out-of-the-box thinker. I’ve been working live TV shows since the beginning and been involved with infomercials for many years. Throughout my career, I’ve tried to really listen to what my customers are saying and respond to them in a meaningful way. I’ve also worked very hard to diversify my offering of products, ranging from fitness to positive lifestyle.

Somers: Fortunately, with my television career and websites, I have been able to endure the down times of the business. After ‚“Three’s Company,” I starred in ‚“Step by Step” for seven years, as well as ‚“Candid Camera,” ‚“She’s the Sheriff,” ‚“Suzanne,” ‚“The Suzanne Show,” ”Suzanne Somers Breaking Through,” more than a dozen TV and feature movies, plus 20 years of starring in Las Vegas. The more television and personal appearance exposure, the more powerful our brand, it’s the perfect synergy.

West: We always asked our clients one question: ‚“How can we help you be more successful?” We listened, we learned and we provided them what they wanted and needed. We never really thought about making money because we knew that would be a natural byproduct of doing the right things for our clients.

Williams: Maybe because I’m a glutton for punishment! Actually my success is due to my willingness to fail, to learn, and to keep moving forward. I’ve always said that DR is a business for the brave. With DR you know the results of your advertising within minutes/hours of launching a campaign, and you can’t hide from those results. Most advertisers operate in blissful ignorance of the efficacy of their campaigns, assuming that their beautiful creative will translate to sales months later, and blaming other factors if it doesn’t. With DR you can’t gloss over the results. DR keeps me humble because I still face failures every day, whether it’s a media buy that flops, a creative concept that doesn’t resonate, an offer that doesn’t convert or a myriad of other challenges. But I apply the lessons, keep going, and, fortunately, the successes dwarf the failures.

What does it say about the DR marketing industry when major brand players that used to avoid DR are now utilizing it extensively, not only to create sales but also to build brand?
Bucco: It’s all about return on investment (ROI) and as technology changed, the perceptions of DR changed. The advertisers themselves pushed the agencies to explore DR, and the results were evident.

Hawthorne: The DR industry has matured, and brand advertisers are finally getting it. Good advertising should be both memorable and measurable. We can build brands while generating immediate response and make all our advertising investments accountable.

Khubani: It reminds me of the California gold rush. If we would have kept quiet, we could have kept all the gold to ourselves!

Liantonio: Image advertisements are creative and beautiful, but direct response is unlike anything else in that you realize a direct sale based on your commercial. The bigger brands have recognized that our formula works. During the recession, the first budget cut was image advertising. DRTV delivers an ROI, and the world has taken notice.

Little: It’s certainly an important move for branding companies because there are more opportunities for their products or services, something those of us who have worked in DR for many years have always recognized! The one-product hits are fantastic, but the value of branding your company and products is a much better long-term growth area. I didn’t start out as one, but DRTV allowed me to become a brand!

Somers: Major brands that had done really well for many years believed that their way was the best way. Most major retailers were populated by management that did not understand how DR could add incremental dollars to their bottom lines. Once they got it, they all jumped in big time and it paid off. Now, it’s a very important channel for big retail to get to their younger demographic, who no longer go to stores and do all their shopping with fingers on computer keys.

West: It screams, ‚“Direct marketing works and, if done properly, it is cost effective!” Smart companies, big and small, are allocating resources for it in their advertising and promotional budgets.

Williams: Major brands like the tremendous impact of DR marketing, as well as the accountability. DR is an incredibly powerful form of marketing when utilized with expertise. DR fundamentals also underlie online success.

In your professional career or personal life, what have been the two biggest defining moments?
Bucco: In my personal life of course, it’s my marriage and the birth of my son. I believe I have a life well lived and have and will continue to have my work be a part of the fabric of that life. Professionally, being tapped to run Katz Direct was an important moment in my career.

Hawthorne: The night I launched my first infomercial in November 1984, I watched it on a huge satellite dish and then called the call center in Omaha, Neb., to discover we netted hundreds of orders and a 10-to-1 media efficiency ratio (MER). A year later, the product had $60 million in sales. An industry was born.

Another was the first meeting of the NIMA founders in 1990 at Venable in Washington, D.C., hosted by Jeff Knowles. There were 10 fierce competitors sitting at one table creating solidarity to protect and foster this new industry.

Personally, my wife, Laya, and I traveled around the world, visiting countries including Costa Rica, Ecuador, Namibia, South Korea and China, to produce a 55-minute pro bono documentary for World Teach, a program that sends college graduates overseas to teach English and live with the local residents for one year. The completed documentary premiered at the famed Brattle Theater near Harvard Square in Cambridge, Mass., won many awards and is used widely in education. It was a wonderful opportunity to give back.

Khubani: Meeting my remarkable wife, Poonam, and having our three children. Yes, I realize those are technically four moments!

Liantonio: In my personal life, there were three defining moments: the births of my three children. In my business career, it was the moment I recognized our global impact on international culture. Imagine my surprise to see our American commercial airing in China for the first time? That filled me with such a sense of pride. Our infomercials now air throughout the world and sometimes they are so well-known that they are even spoofed. The day Johnny Carson spoofed the show for The Blade, I knew we’d achieved a new level of success. Since then, Chelsea Handler, Perez Hilton and truTV (to name a few) have all taken a stab at spoofing our spots, and I laughed right along with the world.

Little: The first would be my introduction to the infomercial industry at the second NIMA Awards by Earl Greenburg. The second would have to be becoming one of the first two celebrities to ever work on HSN’s live shopping on TV.

Somers: Professionally, being fired from ‚“Three’s Company” for demanding to be paid commensurately with the men. After spending a year feeling sorry for myself, I realized that I had enormous visibility. I used that visibility to reinvent myself and create new businesses. Personally, successfully combining families with Alan Hamel has provided a solid foundation for life and a wonderful and creative group of children and grandchildren. ‚“3-Way Poncho,” which was created by our daughter Leslie Hamel, rolled out nationally with Hampton this fall. It’s a hit!

West: Automating West Corp.’s order-entry system with color terminals that materially improved the phone agent’s ability to ‚“upgrade” sales, which greatly improved clients ROIs.

Also, developing our own proprietary voice response system, which allowed West Corp. to vastly expand our product offerings to clients. This system led to West Corp. becoming the biggest audio/video conferencing company in the world (InterCall), as well as the industry leader in 911 emergency services (Intrado), both wholly owned subsidiaries of West Corp.

Williams: As long as I remember, I’ve detested unfairness and discrimination of any type. Although business was mostly men’s turf in my hometown, my parents did not recognize barriers to what girls and women could achieve, and taught me that I could be whatever I wanted. I started my ‚“career” at age 14, delivering papers in Plattsburgh, N.Y., and breaking barriers by being the first papergirl in town. My customers would call for everyone in their house to ‚“Come see our paper girl!”

Following that same trajectory, I founded my first company when I was 30, working from my kitchen table. In that first year in business, my largest client called me into its office to renegotiate our contract. I entered its boardroom where I met with the CFO and several other execs, all men, all in suits, and all with many more years of business experience, who proceeded to pound on the need to lower our commission or lose their business. Internally, I felt like a little girl, alone and outnumbered. But externally, I stood my ground and explained how my company benefited them and therefore deserved the commissions they paid us. After an hour or so of repeating my explanation in different ways, they conceded and my commission remained unchanged. I almost couldn’t believe it! In that moment, I realized the power of my expertise and of my dedication to superlative service.

In just a few years, the Los Angeles Business Journal honored my company as the largest woman-owned business in Los Angeles. Here’s a shout-out to my mom and dad, and to Peter Spiegel, my partner in both business and life, for their inspiration and love!

What’s the most significant accomplishment in your Hall of Fame career?
Bucco: Building Katz Direct into a successful, highly functioning company that remains relevant today. When I took charge of the group, its future was uncertain and its success far from assured. I’m proud to have played an integral role in its development and I am proud of the imprint our team has had on the industry.

Hawthorne: Creating a company that has thrived for 28 years and provided a supportive work environment, friendship, respect, creative and professional challenges and personal growth for hundreds of fine team members.

Khubani: Surviving bankruptcy, it’s the toughest thing I’ve lived through, yet the best thing that ever happened because of the enormous strength and insight it gave me.

Liantonio: The year we received awards for the best short-form commercial (Contour Pillow) and the best long-form infomercial (Smart Mop) were significantly satisfying from an artist’s perspective, because our hard work and creativity were acknowledged by industry peers I greatly admire. My inner saleswoman, however, enjoyed the moment I realized my products were selling on the retail shelves of every drugstore and department store. Walking down the aisles, seeing ‚“As Seen on TV” lining the shelves, made me feel like, ‚“Yes! I have arrived.” My commercial campaign catapulted enough sales to make it, first, a household name and, second, a viable, tangible product on a shelf. It was very rewarding, especially since retail was initially our competition. But we broke down the barriers in order to give our clients success on multiple levels. Ultimately, my greatest accomplishment is triumphing on behalf of the client.

Little: It’s the opportunity to work with some amazing DR companies, as well as having more than seven successful infomercial shows. And, of course, there is the true blessing of being an early pioneer in the world of live shopping channels.

Somers: I could list the hundreds of products we have created or licensed, but the fact that I have actually survived in this roller coaster business is easily my most significant accomplishment.

West: We went to work every day, thinking about what we could do to help our clients be more successful. We were always truthful, admitted our mistakes, made things right with the customer and did whatever possible to see the same problem did not occur again. We were obsessed with doing things right, and to this very day, that is still the culture at West Corp.

Williams: My most significant accomplishment is that I am great at building ‚“dream teams.” I have a talent for finding and cultivating exceptional talent. It’s very gratifying to me to see how many industry leaders were on my team, from those who have gone on to start their own businesses, Michelle Cardinal, Nancy Lazkani, Gerald Bagg, Renee Young, Lisa Bodlak, Robin Behar, Alissa Stakgold, to those who are running leading agencies, Ruben Hernandez, to my international friends, Tee Kuboki, Denise Graham, Janie Peace, to my current dream team at Ideal Living. I actually don’t know how I’ve been so fortunate to touch so many lives.

What’s most important to me is that I try to live my life with a feeling of service, service to my team members, to my clients, to my partners. And part of that service is also to help those less fortunate. Because of my success over the years, I’ve been able to help build hospitals in India that provide completely free medical care to villagers who otherwise would have no care at all. I’ve personally visited these hospitals and seen the dramatic impact they have in their regions, 500 people a day line up to receive state-of-the-art medical care at no charge. We also support a free school for girls. In an area where girls seldom have the opportunity to receive even rudimentary education, the school teaches hundreds of girls from first grade through college and has received the Rajiv Gandhi Award for Excellence. It’s incredibly gratifying to be able to make a difference in this way.

What other memorable accomplishments stand out in your career?
Bucco: I imagine one day I will be better at looking back and reminiscing about the memorable accomplishments of my career. Now, though, my attention is on today’s client calls and tomorrow’s avails, as I have yet to slow down. I am proud of that too.

Hawthorne: Authoring my book and hundreds of published articles; speaking all over the world at dozens of conferences; advocating the benefits of DRTV wherever I travel. Mentoring dozens of great employees, some of whom went off to create strong competing companies. Being honored by ERA with its Lifetime Achievement Award. Bringing DRTV to scores of brand advertisers.

Likely the most rewarding accomplishment, though, has been joining forces with my daughter, Jessica Hawthorne-Castro. In 2007, Jessica, who holds an MBA and is a former accomplished television literary agent with William Morris Endeavor Agency, joined Hawthorne Direct to help further manage and grow the company. Jessica joined as an account executive, and worked her way up the corporate ladder. Today, she represents the next generation of Hawthorne Direct and serves as our Chief Operating Officer.

Khubani: How about some memorable moments instead: opening my first mail order from my first ad placed in the National Enquirer in 1983; walking into Herman’s Sporting Goods and watching a consumer buy a pair of AmberVision sunglasses in 1989; and getting a cost-per-order (CPO) of 60 cents the first weekend our spot tested for the Whisper 2000 in 1990.

Liantonio: I love trying new things and breaking old rules. We were one of the first production companies to use female voiceovers successfully. (The mistaken ‚“belief” was while most women purchase DR products, they only buy from male ‚“voices.”)

I never accept ‚“can’t.” I am a ‚“can do” person, so I problem solve in order to get it done. But not just get it done, get it done right. Once I had to direct an infomercial in Korea without knowing or understanding the language! That was certainly challenging, but I hired a translator and made it work. Another time, I had to rely on my Spanish-speaking skills to direct an infomercial in Mexico City! When I shot the Amish Fireplace, we discovered the Amish are forbidden to look at the camera, so we got creative with camera angles, and it is by far one of my most memorable production experiences, because it represents our think-outside-the-box mentality. We create solutions at Concepts TV, and I’m very proud of that.

Little: I’ll never forget my first infomercial hit with Mike Levey and ‚“Amazing Discoveries.” Mike was incredibly talented. And, of course, there are my Gazelle shows with Fitness Quest.

Somers: When it comes to marketing, I believe getting there first, creating a large footprint, and supporting it with massive amounts of promotion is the only way to be heard. Last fall, I did more than 200 interviews to support the marketing of my 24th book, ‚“I’m Too Young for This.” It became an instant New York Times bestseller, as have 13 of my other titles. I consider massive promotion in launching a DR product vital to its success. It is as important as the product itself. It can be the lifeblood of DR. Before we push ‚“go,” we plan, plan, plan! It’s our way of ‚“going to war.”

West: Early on, we realized that to be successful on a large scale, we had to surround ourselves with the most qualified talent possible. Therefore, we hired the best talent money could buy, paid them very well, provided key people with an ownership position in the company and insisted they lived and breathed the ‚“West Way of Doing Things” at all times. ‚ñ†

Boonton's 'Infomercial Queen' reigns

Written by Michael Izzo

DENVILLE, This wasn’t Collette Liantonio’s first infomercial shoot. Far from it.

Liantonio, 63, has been called the ‚“Infomercial Queen.” With her 14 employee Boonton-based company, Concepts TV Productions, she’s filmed more than 3,000 infomercials over a 30-year period.

‚“If you’re staying up late, you’ve seen my stuff. I do more two-minute infomercials than anyone in the industry,” Liantonio said, whose ads typically run in half-hour or two-minute format.

‚“Half-hour infomercials are more like telling a story. Short-form commercials are like poems. Every action means something.”

Above all else, Liantonio’s infomercials stick to a single rule: Product is king

Infomercials may not seem like art, but Liantonio treats them as such.

She graduated from New York University with a master’s degree in directing, and was an English teacher for three years, before transitioning to her current work.

‚“I wanted to run a theater. This is close enough. We operate like a theater company,” Liantonio said. ‚“Everyone has to be a generalist, and writing skills are crucial. We do everything in house in Boonton, from script writing to editing, in our little Victorian beehive.”

She’s taken her education and skills, and transitioned them into a thriving career that has allowed her to travel the country and the world.

‚“Europe’s infomercials are usually 15 minutes, so that’s a different shoot,” Liantonio said, adding New Jersey is great place to film most of her ads. ‚“New Jersey is really good for shooting. The sets are built in. California charges $5,000 just do use a room. But this winter was so bad we had to go to California and Florida to shoot.”

Her commercials have made people millionaires; her most famous ad may be for the George Foreman Grill.

Inventor Akiva Schmidman and Top Dog Direct, the company behind ‚“As Seen on TV” products, hope she’ll strike gold once more.

Schmidman, 35, of Pikesville, Maryland, was on scene Wednesday to watch a 10-hour shoot at a home on Cedar Lake in Denville for his product, the BeActive brace.

‚“I’ve been working on this for so long and it’s very exciting, getting the attention I want it to,” said Shmidman. ‚“It’s amazing to get to this point.”

A physical therapist, Shmidman has been working on the BeActive brace worn around the ankle to alleviate lower back pain - for nine years. He first created the product to treat his patients.

‚“It takes quite a lot of time, taking a concept and turning it into something that doesn’t already exist,” Schmidman said. ‚“At my job I treat people one on one. With this, I can treat people globally.”

Schmidman has invested about $50,000 in the brace, mostly spent on patenting, because he believes he has a good product with mass appeal.

‚“When you experience lower back pain, your muscles tighten up in your legs. The brace relieves muscles in your leg which relieves your sciatic nerve. Usually braces go on your back and it’s bulky and sweaty and in the way. This hits a trigger point and releases tension without going on your back.”

He wasn’t the only one who believed his product was a winner. In March, Schmidman took the brace to a speed pitch for Top Dog Direct. He had a minute to present, but didn’t have to do much talking. Two of the three members had a history of back pain, tried on the brace and immediately noticed a change.

Schmidman won the speed pitch and partnered with Top Dog Direct. He said he will assume no further financial risk, as Top Dog will handle the marketing and getting the product into major retail stores, as Schmidman collects the royalties.The product is already sold in New York and Baltimore physical therapist and chiropractor practices.

‚“We wanted a mass marketable product that will solve an important problem and the BeActive brace checks those boxes,” said Steve Silbiger, chief marking officer for Top Dog Direct. ‚“When Akiva came to pitch it, we knew right away we had something. It worked, it could be demonstrated, it has good value. Who wouldn’t pay $20 to make their back better? There wasn’t even a need to change the name. It was off to the races”

Silbiger said Tog Dog is a small firm which handles about six products per year, so he sticks to a very specific criteria to ensure a good success rate.

‚“We’re one or two for three where our competitors are one for ten,” Silbiger said. ‚“We have very high hopes for this and expect it to be on the shelf for many years. The only variable is the consumer response and I think we have a high probability for success.”

But before the BeActive brace hits major retailers, Liantonio has to work her magic.

At the Denville home, Liantonio filmed the brace in action to demonstrate how well it helped while working around the home.

In the laundry room, where a actor was told to bend down to put laundry in the washer and experience back pain, Liantonio showed her flair for detail.

Liantonio removed a black article of clothing from the laundry basket, saying it was too distracting. It was substituted with a royal blue shirt, which she said was too bright. She settled on a baby blue shirt, before turning her attention to the placement of the basket.

‚“The basket needs to be in front. You wouldn’t reach around for your laundry,” Liantonio said, while also instructing the actor when and how to show the back pain. ‚“You’re doing an everyday task and then you bend down; you’re hit with the sharp pain.”

It took several takes before Liantonio was satisfied enough to move to the next room of the shoot.

Later, Liantonio and her crew headed to the Rockaway Mall for ‚“man on the street” interviews.

‚“I like to use the Rockaway Mall or Main Street in Denville,” Liantonio said. ‚“We have people try on the product and say what they think.”

The infomercial for BeActive brace is expected to be on TV within a month.

To read full article please visit http://www.dailyrecord.com/article/20140428/NJBIZ/304280006/Boonton-s-Infomercial-Queen-reigns

See more at: http://www.electronicretailermag.com/2014/04/concept-to-completion/#sthash.6YfCIw3W.dpuf

The ‚“Secret” is Out: VP at Concepts TV Gives Successful Presentation at Housewares Show

BOONTON, N.J. (March 31, 2014) At the 2014 International Home and Housewares Show where over 60,000 industry professionals gathered, Kristy Pinand-Dumpert, Vice President of Sales and Marketing for Concepts TV, had the privilege of giving a presentation to her peers. Entitled, ‚“DRTV’s Dirty Dozen: Top TV Tips for Successful Products,” Pinand-Dumpert gave away the secret tips and tricks of running a successful direct response campaign in Chicago's state-of-the-art McCormick Place Exposition Center.

‚“There’s a natural marriage between DRTV and the housewares industry, since ultimate sales are covered at point of purchase in retail,” said Pinand-Dumpert. ‚“Concepts TV is one of the leaders in Housewares and Housewares is the biggest category in DR, so it was such an honor speaking at this year’s show. I was very excited to be a part of it.”

Pinand-Dumpert’s presentation left a lasting impression on the audience. Many inventors commented that they wished they had known her secrets beforehand; she would’ve saved them a lot of money. One, in particular, commented, ‚“I knew a movie producer and used him to produce my spot. I chose not to work with experts and it cost me a fortune.” He was among the many who requested a transcript of her presentation.

The International Home and Housewares Show took place from Saturday, March 15th through Tuesday, March 18th. This annual event features 2,100 exhibitors from 34 countries. For buyers, retailers, wholesalers, and agents around the world, this is their opportunity to join the largest marketplace of homegoods professionals to forge new partnerships while strengthening existing ones.

Kristy Pinand-Dumpert has over 13 years of experience in DRTV and was recently honored as DRMA’s Member of the Year. For a copy of her presentation, please contact Concepts TV.

Concepts TV Productions, based in Boonton, N.J., is one of the world’s most experienced producers of DRTV commercials and infomercials. Its direct marketing expertise has helped our clients achieve billions of dollars in sales. Many infomercials have become direct response television legends as a result of outstanding sales success.

# # #

CONTACT: Concepts TV Productions

Kristy Pinand-Dumpert

(973) 331-1500

http://morris.patch.com/groups/business-updates/p/the-secret-is-out--vp-at-concepts-tv-gives-successful-presentation-at-housewares-show_fae0435b

Production House: The Top 10 Factors to Selling Fitness: Part I

1 Jan, 2014 By: Collette Stohler, Concepts TV Productions

She was six-feet tall with long blonde hair and a flawless face. Her thin frame was perfect for the camera. But within minutes of beginning an exercise routine, she was out of breath and completely beet red. She was a pretty face with no stamina. Her body might be able to make it on the runway, but she would never make it in the world of DRTV fitness.

When it comes to selling fitness in direct response, there are many factors to consider prior to putting your product on the air. In the first of this two-part series, here are five of the key factors to consider when selling fitness via DRTV:

1. Models With Stamina: Dana Conklin, a producer and director with Concepts TV Productions, says, ‚“Anyone can have a pretty face or a nice bod, but that doesn’t mean they can perform all day!” When you’re shooting multiple days of fitness moves, or even just one day, the models need to be able to keep up with the product. Sometimes it takes one shot, but sometimes it takes 30. The talent must showcase the product by demonstrating amazing moves, but they won’t be able to do that if they’re huffing and puffing.
   Collette Liantonio, president of Concepts TV Productions, worked on the Jack LaLanne Stepper Machine. Although LaLanne was in his eighties at the time, the very muscular models that flanked him during the exercises were unable to keep up with the fitness guru.
2. Before-and-After Photographs: These pictures are the essence of a strong DRTV spot or infomercial. They prove to the audience that this product works on everyday people, that the person watching on the couch can go from flab to fab. Anyone can hire a pretty model, but before-and-after photographs show that this product is worthy of picking up the phone. But developing these testimonials requires lead-time. It is a combination of diet and exercise that produces the body transformation. A good producer and her team will painstakingly follow the subject’s progress throughout the process and make certain he or she religiously follows the prescribed regimen. We always plan on a high rate of attrition.
   Rachel Tonick, president of FitLife Productions in Santa Monica, Calif., says that before-and-afters ‚“not only give the producer a gauge of whether the program is effective, but also show viewers what kind of transformation they can undergo if they commit and push their body.”
3. Wardrobe: When it comes to wardrobe, you want to have your talent sport sleek, form-fitting fit wear. Stay away from major brand names, loud prints and flouncy items. The talent’s wardrobe needs to tease the audience with a showcase of the body and/or specific body part without distracting from the main event, the product.
4. Lighting: Want to highlight a shredded six-pack? Then light from behind to cast a shadow across the body. This will make those muscles pop. Want to show a lean, flat stomach on a woman? Then light from the front where you will be able to see her smooth skin clearly on screen.
5. Target Audience: Prior to putting your DRTV fitness product on the air, you have to figure out your audience. Either you are appealing to an already specified audience, or you are taking a risk to build a new audience. We all know that most DR customers are women. Does your product appeal to both genders? A specific age group? Is your product difficult or easy? What type of results do you promise? You can specify a vertical audience like young fit males (Beachbody’s Insanity) who want to take their workouts to a higher level, or you can try to appeal to a broader audience of middle-aged women who want to drop pounds and firm up (Beachbody’s Slim in 6). If you want to appeal to the masses, it is important that your testimonials, before-and-after photographs and models range in gender, age and ethnicity. It is vitally important that you don’t intimidate the would-be exerciser with routines that are overly challenging. Providing a number of how-to videos with various levels of increasing challenges helps.

Want to learn more about what it takes to make it in DRTV fitness? Stay tuned for Part II, coming soon in the pages of Response. ■

UP TO 1000 POUNDS!

Furniture Fix is one of those classic ‚“Why didn’t I think of that?” DR items that solves a common problem. Designed to shore up sagging couches, upholstered chairs, and mattresses after the springs wear out, Furniture Fix’s rigid panels snap together and slide under cushions to lend added support. The product does what it claims, but how could Woodland Hills, Calif.-based marketer Hampton Direct communicate that fact when Furniture Fix works undercover?

Sonia Makurdsik, executive vice president of Hampton Direct, posed the question to her agency, Boonton, N.J.-based Concepts TV Productions, and with creative director Collette Liantonio, brainstormed a demonstration that proves the effectiveness and durability of Furniture Fix. After showing that Furniture Fix panels can support two cinder blocks, the real magic moment arrives: Two sumo wrestlers weighing a total of 1,000 pounds plop down side by side on a couch supported by the panels. The couch holds, they high-five, and the ad continues on to discuss offer extras.

Cast following an online search, the sumo wrestlers were ready for anything. ‚“They are used to the camera,” Liantonio says. ‚“They know their line of work is specific and interesting to others. The only thing we didn’t think about in advance was who was going to help put their sumo diapers [or mawashi] on. Yikes!” Furniture Fix was a successful 2010 launch for Hampton, and ‚“everyone knows it by the commercial with the sumo wrestlers,’” Liantonio says. ‚“Memories last.”

Concepts TV Ranked One of the Top Entrepreneurial Businesses in the Nation

BOONTON, N.J. (February 27, 2013) - NJ DRTV agency, Concepts TV Productions, was recently acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs, selected as a 2013 ‚“Top Business” recipient by DiversityBusiness.com.

Based on annual gross revenues and business profiles, over 1.3 million businesses competed for this prestigious honor. Five hundred were chosen and Concepts ranked #403.

The award cinches a spot for Concepts on DiversityBusiness.com’s ‚“Top Business List”, a list viewed by over 20 million annually. The ‚“Top Business List” is a compilation of the strongest and most successful privately-held companies in America. These widely respected and recognized companies differentiate themselves in an indeterminate market place through quality, productivity and profitability.

Award-winning ‚“Top Businesses” will join the ‚“Top Fortune 500s” at the 13th Annual National Business Awards

Ceremony and Conference in Las Vegas at the end of April. The event not only honors the award recipients, it promotes business opportunities.

Ready, Set, Rollout!

1 Mar, 2013 By: Bridget McCrea

DRTV producers gain ground with both traditional marketers and brand advertisers in 2012, and are looking to keep up the momentum in 2013.

DRTV producers stayed pretty busy in 2012 and then rode that wave of momentum right into the New Year as more companies explored their options in the short-form arena. With more brand advertisers taking an interest in direct response, improved production technologies being introduced almost daily, and a slew of complementary channels (like YouTube) standing at the ready, short-form DRTV has truly cemented a place for itself in the advertising world.

Joining the venerable Proactiv Solution in the top 10 Jordan Whitney’s rankings in late 2012 was a mix of products that included branded items like Lowe’s Kobalt screwdriver and the Oreck Vacuum, and DRTV products like the no! no! hair removal device, the Pocket Hose garden hose, and Caf√© Cup reusable coffee pods.

The coffee pods represented just one of the 10 ‚“slam dunk” short-form hits produced by Concepts TV Productions in Boonton, N.J. ‚“We had a stellar year in 2012,” says Collette Liantonio, president. ‚“It was so good, in fact, that I’m a little apprehensive about what’s going to happen this year.” Celebrating her firm’s 30 years in business in 2013, Liantonio says at least some of short-form DRTV’s popularity can be traced to its ability to drive consumer traffic to the Web.

‚“The younger the target audience, the more apt it is to buy online,” says Liantonio, who no longer leaves any unused footage on the cutting-room floor, thanks to the Web, online video and increased bandwidth. ‚“If we can’t use it on TV, it goes online. No footage is wasted.”

Once online, the snippets replace the non-existent retail clerk and further entrench the product in the consumer’s brain. ‚“With the Web connection we’re able to educate and entertain in a completely different venue,” says Liantonio, ‚“all the while leveraging production dollars to the fullest.”

Going Strong

John Pucci, executive creative director and senior vice president at Hawthorne Direct in Los Angeles, agrees that 2012 was a strong year for short-form DRTV. One of the firm’s most successful spots was a brand-response piece that reintroduced the SanDisk Memory Vault consumer technology product to the masses. According to Pucci, the product had gained minimal traction at retail, and its maker wanted to use the spot to bring it back to life and ‚“build value for a static product with preventative benefits.” The strategy worked, says Pucci, who reports that Wal-Mart’s sales of the SanDisk Memory Vault ‚“increased dramatically” during a three-week TV test period.

To maximize its clients’ short-form campaigns, Pucci says Hawthorne Direct is leveraging techniques like ‚“social listening”, a process that allows the company to truly gauge the customer and decipher how to best connect with him or her. Such strategies help clients overcome some of the challenges that are plaguing marketers in the short-form arena, where traditional, one-step direct sales via DRTV continue to struggle to break even and/or reach profitable levels. ‚“That side of the business is getting marginalized,” says Pucci.

On the flip side, short-form spot producers are continually challenged to give branded clients higher-end production value at comparatively less expensive DR rates. ‚“Inflationary pressures are everywhere,” says Pucci, ‚“yet DRTV clients still expect low budget, great-looking work.”

Branded DRTV clients also have high demands, particularly when it comes to their campaigns’ retail components. Doug Garnett, president at Portland, Ore.-based Atomic Direct, says his firm produced three short-form spots for the Kobalt brand of hand tools (sold by Lowe’s). The 60- and 120-second ads were created to drive retail sales, a strategy that requires a non-traditional production approach.

‚“Failure isn’t allowed because by the time you test, there’s already product stocked at retail,” says Garnett. ‚“Unlike traditional DRTV methods, this is more about getting it right the first time and less about testing,’ or throwing pitches out there to see which one sticks.”

Driving Sales

Michelle Cardinal, CEO at Portland, Ore.-based R2C Group, says more and more of the firm’s clients are highly dependent on short-form DRTV to drive their businesses. ‚“A lot of them are dot-com firms that need to drive a certain number of leads per day,” says Cardinal, ‚“so the short-form shows are very important to them.”

To accommodate those needs, she says R2C has filled its own portfolio with a diverse range of capabilities and formats, a move that’s become increasingly important in today’s uncertain, ever-changing business environment.

‚“As it pertains to short-form, we’ve committed to building an arsenal of many different show formats,” says Cardinal. If a particular show is having clearance problems, for example, then a shorter/replacement show can be quickly plugged in to help the marketer achieve its goals. ‚“We just don’t know what’s going to happen in the marketplace,” says Cardinal. ‚“Things are changing constantly and more rapidly than ever.”

With a 2013 business pipeline that includes a ‚“good cache of products,” R2C is also armed with a new online focus group application that allows clients to more efficiently determine target market wants, needs and complaints. Cardinal is optimistic about the remainder of 2013. She points out that media rates and avails could be a challenging point, what with the high number of deep-pocketed, general rate advertisers that are using short-form DRTV.

Such challenges aside, Cardinal sees good things ahead for marketers that test multiple commercial formats and that aren’t afraid to try new techniques and strategies. ‚“What didn’t work a few years ago may definitely work now,” says Cardinal. ‚“Markets and conditions are changing rapidly; you can’t hold your agency accountable for not being innovative if you’re not innovating yourself.”

In the Long Run

Consumers are hungry for useful products that not only help solve their pain points, but that are packaged in an entertaining manner that holds their attention. Sometimes it takes more than a 30-, 60- or 90-second DRTV spot for those selling points to resonate. Infomercial producers hit on these and other key points in 2012 with products like Humana Medicare, the NuWave Precision Induction Cooktop, Insanity exercise DVDs, Meaningful Beauty skincare system, Wen haircare, and the NutriBullet personal blender, all of which have been ranked highly in recent months on the Jordan Whitney charts.

According to Ken Kerry, co-founder and executive creative director at Script to Screen in Santa Ana, Calif., 2012 was the year that more long-form marketers woke up to the value of integrating back-end products into their shows. Going beyond continuity programs, for example, many found ways to associate their main products with other selling opportunities, all without taking the focus off that main item. Content like response-driven FAQs (frequently asked questions) can be created, for example, for the Web, the third screen, E-mail outbound marketing campaigns, and social networks, all of which expand the original campaign’s presence.

‚“Clients are thinking about the entire campaign, from the front end to the back end, and how to integrate both in the infomercial without pulling away from the main message,” Kerry explains. ‚“It all comes down to the campaign’s bottom line and ROI.”

With an eye on that bottom line, producers are also using technological advancements to work smarter, better and faster out in the field, on set, and in the editing room. Equipped with new broadcast XD cameras that produce high-quality HD images in small packages, for example, Kerry says producers can operate in a more mobile, economical manner. And while the equipment costs themselves haven’t dropped, producers are able to leverage their advanced capabilities to work more quickly and efficiently.

‚“In the past, with a typical production package, we could only knock out eight or nine shooting days with the allotted budget,” Kerry explains. ‚“Now, we can double the number of shooting days due to the accessibility and quality of cameras in the market.”

Leveraging Success

Garnett has always viewed retail as DRTV’s ultimate end point. Not everyone agrees with him, even though, as he says, nine out of 10 dollars in campaign profitability are made at retail. ‚“The question is, how do you play that into your campaign?” Garnett asks, pointing out that many long-form and short-form shows have retained a philosophy of ‚“see it on TV first” and then slowly work the product into retail. ‚“A lot of traditional DRTV producers haven’t really changed their thinking on this point,” he says.

Expect more of those producers to slowly awaken to retail’s vital role in infomercial success, says Garnett, who adds that long-form presents a large, untapped opportunity for marketers across many different industries. ‚“It’s kind of sad that we aren’t seeing more interesting shows coming out of long-form right now,” says Garnett. ‚“There should be a lot more activity within this powerful marketing medium.”

And unlike their short-form cohorts, long-form DRTV users are operating in a more affable media environment where brand/general rate advertisers have yet to tread in any big numbers. ‚“There are a smaller group of characters using long-form,” says Cardinal. ‚“You have three or four incumbents and that’s about it.” Cardinal says she’d like to see more clients using infomercials, which many companies shy away from due to the high production costs associated with the longer format. ‚“There are definitely some inhibitors when it comes to long-form.”

Ready, Set, Rollout! _ Response Magazine

By Collette Liantonio

Still Looking for Great Solutions
Consumers who got used to saving during the recession are still
looking for simple value from their housewares products

 
As the economy has steadily improved in
recent months, one thing hasn’t changed,
consumer demand for housewares products
that provide high-quality, simple solutions at
a value price. While this has long been the case, consumers’
desires for the best possible buy ratcheted up during
the Great Recession that began in 2008. And, even
though today they may no longer be facing a job downsizing
or housing foreclosure, they learned that finding that
kind of product is still desirable.
No one is better at defining that kind of value in the
housewares space than DRTV marketers. As a DRTV
production company, we are constantly driven by our
marketer clients, and our own knowledge of what truly
makes consumers buy, to define the true value of each
product. Nothing is more crucial
to getting consumers to pick up the
phone, open their Web browser or
head to their closest big box outlet.
Two of our earliest DRTV hit
products were housewares products
that became industry legends, the
Contour Pillow and the Smart Mop.
Both products were top quality.
They both made life easier around
the house. And both were great values
for the consumer.
Fast forward to today: many consumers
are beginning to find their
checkbooks balancing with a higher
total in the register at the end of
the month. Yet, they’ve also discovered during the rough
times in the recent past that they can get great products
that solve household problems at better prices. There’s
no need to begin spending big dollars for problem-solving
products.

Mr. Lid is one recent DRTV hit in the
housewares space to capitalize on
consumers’ perceived value.

 
Take a product like the recent hit Mr. Lid, a patented kitchen-storage container
with an attached
lid. The product is
featured in 60-second,
two-minute, and fiveminute
spots starring
today’s top DRTV
pitchman, Marc Gill. ‚“The key to the product was illustrating
the unique benefits of having an attached lid
on our container. But a value-based piece count of 20 for
only $19.95 put the sale over the top. The reaction of
consumers to Mr. Lid has been simply tremendous,” says
Chris Rebholz, CEO of Norman Direct.
Another recent winner in the DRTV housewares
space is Café Cup, a reusable coffee cup that takes the
place of single-serve coffee pods for popular coffee making
machines. ‚“We are thrilled with Caf√© Cup’s TV and
retail programs,” says Bob Khubani, vice president of
marketing at Spark Innovators. ‚“It is by far the top item
in Spark Innovators’ history. This success is mostly attributed
to the highly effective TV spot and media campaign
which are driving sales at retail.”
The key selling feature was the
comparison to the expense of the competition
pods. Again, it is the value
proposition that convinced the consumer
to buy.
In the case of both Mr. Lid and Café
Cup, the product was built for DRTV
demonstration. Each was a simple solution
at a great price. While consumers
now have more budget, they know they
can stay on that budget, and perhaps
give themselves a nice night out, by
finding the types of housewares solutions
offered by DRTV marketers.
While each of these products found
a sweet spot on the housewares chain,
the capabilities offered by a top-notch production house
in the direct response space have been crucial to their
success. Any successful DRTV campaign is built around
amazing product demonstrations that cut through the
clutter of a crowded television landscape and turn everskeptical
consumers into customers. But not only must
your production partner understand what works on camera
— they also must have a network of leaders in the
DR space to connect you to other capable vendors.
With the right producer, one that understands your
product, its competitive set and its visual advantages,
your product stands a much better chance finding a home
with those value-conscious consumers. ■

To read the full article, please visit: http://www.response-digital.com/response/201303#pg55

 
Collette Liantonio is president of
Concepts TV Productions, a full-service
production agency based in Boonton, N.J.
She can be reached at (973) 331-1500 or
via E-mail at collette@conceptstv.com.

Concepts TV Ranked One of the Top Entrepreneurial Businesses in the Nation

For Immediate Release

BOONTON, N.J. (February 27, 2013) - NJ DRTV agency, Concepts TV Productions, was recently acknowledged as one of the nation’s leading entrepreneurs, selected as a 2013 ‚“Top Business” recipient by DiversityBusiness.com.

Based on annual gross revenues and business profiles, over 1.3 million businesses competed for this prestigious honor. Five hundred were chosen and Concepts ranked #403. Read more