I am looking for companies that can sell a product I have designed.
These would be direct marketting companies that we see on TV (now how
much would you pay?) and the like. I need names, adress, phone numbers
of at least 4 companies.

Hello aceengineer,

And thank you for an interesting question.

The "as seen on TV" advertisements are commonly called "infomercials",
and though almost any advertising agency or videographer could put one
together, there seem to be craftsman skilled at this specific style of
marketing. I know there are some infomercials I find myself watching
for the entertainment value!

Searching for infomercial producers, I found a few interesting pages
and contacts for you to peruse. All of these will have contact
information on their pages:

http://www.infomercialproducers.com/

Infomercial Producers.com is an exclusive online community for the
best infomercial producers in the world and those who hire them.

Infomercial Producers is part of the Ad Producer.com/Entertainment
Producer.com Global Network.

Membership is limited to 200 infomercial producers worldwide.

We are dedicated to providing great infomercial producers with the
highest quality platform to leverage the Web to market and deliver
your services around the world around the clock.

We make it convenient and logical for your genuine prospects to locate
and contact you on the Web. Develop a steady source of new client
opportunities worldwide.

You will find a wealth of information in the pages of this site. There
are links to TV Commercial Directors, Producers and Film Production
companies. Although the site is tailored to selling acces to these
video professionals, it still will provide you with many hours of
links to search through to find a company that resonates with your
vision of your marketing campaign.

http://www.infomercialindex.com/resrc.html

RESOURCES FOR THE INFOMERCIAL INDUSTRY 

Here you will find links to successful infomercial agencies. For
example:

Hawthorne Direct, Inc. 

 Hawthorne Direct, the industry's first infomercial agency has been
producing quality, direct response television campaigns since 1984.
With one of the highest success rates in the business, Hawthorne has
helped new companies as well as major advertisers to create powerful,
effective, award-winning campaigns. We have built our reputation by
bringing innovation, creativity and flexibility to our clients. Talk
to us before launching your next direct-response campaign. Our
full-service agency is designed to ensure maximum response and maximum
return every step of the way.
 
 
Thane International 

 At Thane International our primary goal is to generate response,
whether this response comes from an infomercial, direct mail campaign,
retail sales, catalogs, international distribution or telemarketing.
Our experience in the direct response industry makes it possible for
your product to reach its full potential.
  
 
Touch TV 

 Touch TV, a subsidiary of Publicis.BCP, specializes in direct
response television, provides a turn-key operation by a dedicated and
flexible team with worldwide resources.
 

http://www.warrendirect.com/infomercial.html

"Infomercial Campaigns.

The Warren Direct Formula.

At the budding of the infomercial phenomenon, Jim Warren, executive
producer and company owner, helped develop a strategic formula for
infomercial success. Since then, our producers have been creating
infomercial campaigns for products and services of all genres from
finance to cookware to cell phone accessories and attorney marketing.
Our strategies combine an effective formula with the goal to inform,
educate and motivate. We are the award-winning TV infomercial
production experts. Infomercial marketing creates a brand, increases
awareness, simplifies the complex and creates demand for your product
or service. We identify your target audience, analyze your numbers,
develop creative based on our research and execute smart direct media
buys that will help you meet and exceed your goals."

An interesting page that poses the question, "How much does an
infomercial cost?" can be found here:

http://www.qnet.com/~palmsong/cost.htm

"One of the most frequently asked questions by the uninitiated
business person looking to direct market their product is, "How much
does an infomercial cost to produce?". Our simple answer comes in the
form of a question....,"How much is a car?"

The idea of even being able to answer that question would be absurd.
Now, if someone asked the average cost of a car, you might be able to
quote a price of say, $30,000. This would take into account a $10,000
Dodge Neon and a $200,000 Ferrari. You get the idea.

The average price of an infomercial is about $150,000, which is to say
that the range would be anywhere from $50,000 to $500,000 or more. The
former would get you a very stripped down bare bones "talking heads"
style of show. Like automobiles, expensive shows often convey a strong
image and are loaded with "options". Celebrities can add an additional
$25,000 - $50,000 to the budget as well as back end participation. It
can cost thousands per second for finished CG animation. Sound stages
with a set and multi camera can cost upwards of $35,000 per day. Stock
footage costs approximately $2,000 per shot. Other increases in budget
would include film vs video, elaborate sets, elaborate locations etc.
It’s not hard to see how costs can escalate very quickly."

Their home page says:

Sweating Palms Entertainment is a full service production company
offering production services in both audio and video. We're
conveniently located in the heart of Los Angeles's San Fernando
Valley. Browse through our website for an idea of what we can do for
you!


And this page, http://www.markwilliamsent.com/about.htm , presents
Mark Williams, who has produced infomercials many of us have seen and
has excellent credits and tesimonials:


Mark Williams 

 Conceptualizer - Producer - Director 
  Writer - Creative Consultant 

Theatrically and creatively an eclectic, Mark Williams has exercised
and proven his expertise and talents in the mediums of Television
Theater, Nightclubs, Conventions and Infomercials/Direct Response
Marketing.


I think you will see that there are numerous possibilities for
agencies and producers to build your infomercial and promote your
product. Visit the links above, watch infomercials and if you see one
that is to your liking, note the name of the production comapny at the
end and search Google to find their web presence.

If none of these seem to be "just right" for you, search Google for
"infomercial producers" and you will find many more to evaluate.

I trust this will lead you to a successful product launch. If anything
above is unclear, please do ask for clarification.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

---

Request for Answer Clarification by aceengineer-ga on 18 Oct 2002 19:46 PDT

Hi,

I am aware of infomercials and am not looking for an add agency. I am
looking for companies that specialize in taking products to the market
through things like infomercials. Something like a ronco or the like.
The comnpany behind the infomercial, not the people who make the
infomercial.

Jeff

---

Clarification of Answer by clouseau-ga on 18 Oct 2002 21:50 PDT

Hi Jeff,

I must say that your request for clarification has me a bit confused.
It is indeed the informercial producers and ad agencies that put
together the TV productions urging us to buy products. I would think
they do this (at least most often) under contract to the manufacturer
of the product, or, in some cases the distributor of the product. And
it seems that the list below of clients of one such company seems to
verify that they are working with the manufacturers directly:

http://www.cpodirect.com/exp_cli.html

CPO's As Seen on TV and Direct Response Marketing Clients 

Adams Tight Lies
Air Courier Association
Alien Wedge
American Master Products - Jerry Baker Gardening Products
American Telecast Corporation - Total Gym, Torso Track
Ameritech
Applica Consumer Products (Black & Decker) - LitterMaid
Arkopharma USA (French Parad'ox)
AT&T Broadband
Bally Life Cycles
Best Buy
Bradford Exchange
Blo-Pens
BluBlockers
Cancer Treatment Centers of America
Carbite Golf
Credit Link
Convair Climate Wizard
Dial-A-Mattress
Dining a la Card
Discover Financial Services
Domestic Bank
ERA Real Estate
First Tennessee Bank
GetSmart.com
GMAC Insurance
Hamilton Mint
Invisible Fence Company
J & N Ventures - Jackass Videos
John Deere
Kallassy Sports - Swing Trainer
Kessler Rehabilitation Institute
Koblenz - The Cleaning Machine
LifeCycle
MDRTransmedia - Cigarrest
Monster Board
Montgomery Ward Life Insurance Company
Napuda Technologies - Nutricounter
Nordic Track
Omaha Steaks
OmniGlow - SafetyGlow
Optiva Corporation - Sonicare
Peak Values Telecard
Phonics Game
Progressive Insurance Company
Ralston Purina - Pro Plan
Realestate.com
RMed
Salton Maxim Housewares
Super Power Golf Company
Telecard Companies
Triple Products - Torc Swing Trainer
Virile V
Web-iWear
World Book Encyclopedia
Xing Turbo Scooter
XLR-8 Fitness - Absolute Body Power

Ronco, for example, sells their own inventions. As do the BowFlex and
other exercise machines and the various cookware companies. Unless you
have an exercise machine or golf club or cookware or the like, I don't
think you are really looking for the manufacturers of these products.

Perhaps you are really looking to sell or license your idea to a
company that will manufacturer, market and distribute your product?
With that in mind, I searched  - infomercial companies -  and found a
few likely candidates for you to contact:

Inventors Universe Inc
Atlanta, GA 30308
UNITED STATES
phone: (404)591-5000
web: http://www.inventorsuniverse.com

Company Description: 
Inventors Universe, Inc. (IU) is a world leader in product
development, production and marketing for inventors with product ideas
for the mass market. At NO COST to the inventor, IU can design the
product, pay for the patent and molds, develop a marketing strategy,
pay for and film a 30 minute infomercial and distribute the product in
over 70 countries worldwide. Specializing in fitness, health and
beauty products, IU has created two Fitness Products of the year, (AB
Roller Plus, ABDOer), developed two spokespersons of the year (Brenda
Dygraf, John Abdo) and given birth to one of the largest factories
producing fitness equipment in the world. If you are an inventor and
would like to make millions on TV, call us at 1-888-874-2399 and visit
our website at www.makemillionsontv.com.

***********************************

http://www.choiceproductsinc.com/about.html

Choice Products, Inc.
2655 N. Friendship Rd. #43
Paducah, KY 42001
Email: choicep@apex.net 
Phone: (270) 554-8500 
Fax: (270) 554-8588 


"Our primary function is finding new and innovative consumer products
to develop for the retail market. We are a small company, and intend
to remain small. We feel one of the keys to our success has been our
ability to maintain a strong focus on each product that we work with.
Our business ethics and practices are above reproach. We communicate
with our associates in an honest, open, and frank manner. We want to
know the people we deal with. And we want our business associates to
know who we are."

"Over the past few years we have been fortunate to work with several
very influential people and organizations in the retail industry. This
'network' of contacts is one of the keys to our success in developing
products. We are familiar and have done business with K-Mart, Sears,
Wal-Mart, HomeBase, Ace Hardware, Servistar, BJ's Price Club,
Brookstone Catalog, Plow and Hearth Catalog, and QVC Shopping Network.
We have been directly involved with negotiations, fulfillment, and
logistics with the largest retailers in the U.S.

We also have extensive experience with leading infomercial companies
such as King World Direct, and the Guthy Renker company. We have
produced short-form infomercials, and done logistical and fulfillment
work for these efforts."

***********************************


IMCG Inc
Lake Mary, FL 32746
UNITED STATES
phone: (407)330-4831
web: http://www.imcg.cc

I.M.C.G inc. strives at being the ultimate source of innovative,
successful, demonstrative and high quality consumer products. Based in
Lake Mary, FL in the United States, our customers can be found in all
Four Corners of the globe. They include Home Shopping Networks,
DRTV/infomercial companies and mail-order companies, as well as some
large retailers. I.M.C.G. is perfectly organized to take any new
product from the development stages to a full multi-channel worldwide
distribution. Dedicated to providing our customers with a complete
range of marketing services, we can supply you with DRTV films,
infomercials and retail videos.

***********************************

Industex North America Inc
Winnipeg, MB R3B 1N8
CANADA
phone: (204)982-0900
web: http://www.industex.com

Company Description: 
Industex SL is involved in the development, marketing and distribution
of consumer products. This includes manufacturing, creative
development and placement of products through all available channels
of distribution. Industex also specializes in international
distribution to over 80 countries worldwide. Industex is interested in
reviewing all new product opportunities.

Categories: Direct Response Marketer, Distributor, Import/Export,
Infomercial Marketer, Infomercial Producer, Language Dubbing,
Manufacturer/Rep, Media Buyer, Online Interactive Cataloger, Post
Production, Product Development, Production Facility, Sales Promotion,
Short-Form Marketer

***********************************

Interwood Direct
(Global Alliance)
Toronto, ON M2P 2B7
CANADA
phone: (416)250-1665
web: http://www.interwood.com


Description: 
Interwood is Canada's oldest DRTV company that was started in 1974 and
sells and distributes mass appeal consumer products through Canada and
the U.S. Interwood was the first to develop a multi channel marketing
strategy called Power branding that combines both conventional and
direct marketing discipline and uses direct response short-form and
long-form television commercials to demonstrate and offer products
directly to the consumer. The consumer awareness that is generated is
used to drive the sales to other channels of distribution that include
retail shopping channels, mail order catalog, credit card syndication
and live demonstration. Interwood is a proud member of the global
alliance, a unique consortium of the world's leading international
DRTV and retail companies.

***********************************

I also came across this page that asks:

http://www.wonderfulwriter.tv/main/Quest2.htm

How do you find the right person or company to produce an infomercial?

First, decide if you want to market the product yourself or license
the product to a television marketing company. Probably 75 percent of
what you see on TV comes from one of the five or six major infomercial
companies, with the rest from independent marketers or large
Fortune1000 corporations. If you want to license the product or enter
into some kind of con- tractual agreement with a marketing company,
again, I would advise you to turn on the television set any weekend
and watch one infomercial after another.We call this channel surfing.
Make note of infomercials that have particular appeal for you. To find
out who is behind these particular commercials, contact John or Clare
Kogler at Jordan Whitney, Inc., publishers of the TV Monitoring
Report. They are an excellent and objective source on the industry and
can be reached at 714 832-2432. In both cases, look for a company or
individuals with expertise and a good track record with your type of
product or service. Ask for references. Along with Jordan Whitney,
another terrific source for finding out the inside story is Advanstar
Communications' Response TV magazine. This direct response TV magazine
is published monthly, and their editorial offices are located in Santa
Ana, CA.

(NOTE: If you want to market the infomercial yourself, get a recent
copy of Response magazine and note the companies and people who are
advertising their services.)

Finally, pick up that phone and talk to others in the industry. The
membership of the DMA DRTV Council can point you in the right
direction and link you up with other professionals such as service
bureaus, infomercial marketers, industry watchers, and analysts.
There's also no shortage of trade shows to visit and meet people face
to face. The DMA, Response TV, and the Infomercial Marketing Report
all host national conferences several times a year, in locales across
the country.

Searching: invention marketing companies, I found:

Invention Marketing Companies: Are they for real?
http://www.bpmlegal.com/pinvmktg.html

"Invention Marketing Companies" are companies which claim to represent
inventors in taking their ideas to companies. We have had many
inventors come to our firm over the years who have been "taken" by
these firms. The lucky ones only got to the first stage, the unlucky
ones lost tens of thousands of dollars.

I present this as a caveat, and you might wish to read this page and
some of the many others that talk of potential pitfalls in invention
marketing relationships:

www.uiausa.com/EllwoodPaper.htm
http://www.inventorfraud.com/
http://www.inventorsupport.com/inventmrktgco.asp
and http://strategis.ic.gc.ca/SSG/be00179e.html

There are many more. 

That being said, the following company appears legitimate:


Docie Marketing & Docie Development*

http://www.docie.com/

Docie Marketing has over 25 years of experience operating under the
same name.
Founded by a successful inventor with new products found in K-Mart,
Wal*Mart and around the World.
Docie Marketing's president, Ron Docie, Sr., is a Who's Who in this
industry, advocate for Inventors' rights, lobbyist in Wash. D.C.,
author of highly acclaimed book, The Inventor's Bible, and three-term
past president of Ohio Inventor's Association


Docie Invention Services
73 Maplewood Dr.
Athens, OH 45701
USA
Phone: 740-594-5200
E-Mail: idea@docie.com 


I hope this has list has provided you with a selection of companies
that answer your question. Do ask for clarification again, if needed.

Regards,

-=clouseau=-

Thank you very much. After the clarification, the results were great!
Sorry about he confusion in the question.