Infomercials dead?

[pesformes]

I know that most of us are small enough that infomercials aren't an option but I read an interesting piece this week. I've been a life long fan of the show Dallas and I saw that Victoria Principal who was once on the show and has since gone on to have a billion dollar skin care line said she was quoted as saying she felt that there was a glut in the market and it was time to move toward the future of direct skincare sales, which she believed would be a digitally based forum.

I know there are still quite a few infomercials on TV but it struck me as very sharp of her to get out ahead of the pack. With everyone using multiple devices and with the proliferation of video on demand and netflix type services this seems like a very smart decision. I wonder if in a few years we will see infomercials fade away from tv all together. I know I will be watching closely to her plans to see if I can pick up any tips for my little niche :)

[David Hunter]

I don't think infomercials will ever fade away.

People will always watch TV, and if it's not normal Cable, then it's on the online services. Even they are starting to put on more ads. Who says they won't start making full blown commercials/infomercials on those at certain hours of the day?

[pesformes]

I don't think infomercials will ever fade away.

People will always watch TV, and if it's not normal Cable, then it's on the online services. Even they are starting to put on more ads. Who says they won't start making full blown commercials/infomercials on those at certain hours of the day?

I used to watch infomercials because nothing else was on. Now that I have multiple streaming options I don't think i will ever say oh lets see what this is about. It used to be out of boredom/lack of options which doesn't really exist anymore.

[Freelancier]

Visually appealing images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things blasted into the brains of susceptible people... it isn't going away any time soon.

As I mentioned to someone yesterday: at any given moment, 20% of the population would happily vote to arm dolphins with Uzis. Doesn't matter that it makes no sense doing it if you can beam appealing (or appalling) images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things, you can get them to over-pay for gold coins, buy blankets with arm holes, or stock their basement bunker with terrible-tasting ready-to-eat meals.

[billbenson]

Visually appealing images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things blasted into the brains of susceptible people... it isn't going away any time soon.

As I mentioned to someone yesterday: at any given moment, 20% of the population would happily vote to arm dolphins with Uzis. Doesn't matter that it makes no sense doing it if you can beam appealing (or appalling) images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things, you can get them to over-pay for gold coins, buy blankets with arm holes, or stock their basement bunker with terrible-tasting ready-to-eat meals.

Ya, the stupid diet things that come up are a prime example. Unless you have certain medical conditions, exercise and eat right and you will loose weight. Everybody seems to want the easy way out. Just like get rich quick and most MLM stuff.

Ronco is another example though. I've bought some of his products over the years. For his kitchen products though, he is cleaver. He takes commercial products, makes them out of plastic or turns them into a consumer grade product and sells them. I bought an extrusion pasta machine from Ronco years ago. There were commercial product that was similar. It was inexpensive and worked great.

[Kyle Johnston]

I believe infomercials will be around for quite some time. The amount of time an infomercial runs for is Much more efficient cost-wise when compared to, let's say, a commercial. Commercials are much more expensive per unit time than infomercials Also, depending on the time of day/night you watch TV infomercials may be one of the only options on. Stations like History fill less popular time slots like 1-4 am with infomercials which is a revenue generator for the channel. Infomercials do incentive deals very well, they capture you quickly, and often times people will buy impulsively. Hope this helps!

[Brian Altenhofel]

Infomercials haven't been the same without Billy Mays.

[billbenson]

Infomercials haven't been the same without Billy Mays.

Can't stand pitchmen that yell at you.

[pesformes]

Visually appealing images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things blasted into the brains of susceptible people... it isn't going away any time soon.

As I mentioned to someone yesterday: at any given moment, 20% of the population would happily vote to arm dolphins with Uzis. Doesn't matter that it makes no sense doing it if you can beam appealing (or appalling) images of sexy/vibrant people talking about exciting things, you can get them to over-pay for gold coins, buy blankets with arm holes, or stock their basement bunker with terrible-tasting ready-to-eat meals.

I agree, but it seems to me it is easier to get a large number of these susceptible people through online marketing vs the cost associated with infomercials. It really struck me when she said there was a glut in the market, I guess time will tell. I know i'm going to be paying attention now. Will be interesting.

[Freelancier]

I agree, but it seems to me it is easier to get a large number of these susceptible people through online marketing vs the cost associated with infomercialsYou might be over-estimating the cost of running an infomercial on Sunday morning or late night on a local TV station. Compared to the sales you might get from it, it might be a worthwhile investment. Or it might not.

[pesformes]

I get that there are infomercials on TV still like History channel from 1-4am but with all the other options available now i think its hard to say that is the only thing to watch. You can fire up netflix or amazon tv and watch anything you want. Some of us old farts might be stuck thinking that way but the younger generations aren't going to flip through the channels and settle on an infomercial because there is nothing else on. That younger generation is the growing market, I am going to be actively watching to see what happens over the next 10 years in marketing, I think things are going to drastically change.

[billbenson]

I get that there are infomercials on TV still like History channel from 1-4am but with all the other options available now i think its hard to say that is the only thing to watch. You can fire up netflix or amazon tv and watch anything you want. Some of us old farts might be stuck thinking that way but the younger generations aren't going to flip through the channels and settle on an infomercial because there is nothing else on. That younger generation is the growing market, I am going to be actively watching to see what happens over the next 10 years in marketing, I think things are going to drastically change.

For me personally, I watch shows like the food network or infomercials because I plan on watching for only a short period of time. If I wake up in the middle of the night, I don't want to get involved in an hour long show like a law and order. I just want something to distract me for a while and then go back to sleep.

Infomercials fit the bill. Some of them are interesting but repetitive. 15 min or whatever and I go back to bed.

[BizAdvisor]

The fact that more and more retailers; Wal-Mart, Target... are implementing "as seen on tv" sections in their stores, it may actually be a sign of growth for infomercials... Not a decline.