Infomercial Production

I've always had a bizarre fascination with the production of infomercials. Bizarre in that while I try to make a habit of not watching infomercials, I still find myself drawn in to the drone. Over the years, infomercial production has been elevated to an art. Why just the other day, I found myself watching the grand master, Ron Popiel, hawking his latest gizmo, in a triumph of infomercial production values. I was mesmerized before I knew it ...

It was early in the morning. As I walked by the television -- which happened to be left on all night (again) -- my eyes were drawn to a rotating roast beef. Popiel's voice drew me into the the rotisserie. I hadn't even had my first cup of coffee, but I began, like Pavlov's dog, to salivate. The thought of dinner permeated my feeble early morning brain. Popiel's infomercial production house had done its job oh-so-well.

Infomercial production houses specialize in taking high margin products to market. The Electronic Retailing Association says that "The general rule of thumb is that you'll want at least a 4:1 mark up between the cost of goods, and the selling price." If you plan on selling your geeky new high-tech product at the magic $19.95, it better not cost you ten bucks to build.

While in the midst of researching what was to become The Complete Guide to Associate and Affiliate Programs on the Net, back in 1998, I thought "hey, this could either be a book or an infomercial." Well, being a writer, rather than a direct response marketer, I opted to go the traditional book route with McGraw-Hill.

Had I had the gumption to produce an infomercial, it would have been a different trip, to be sure. The book retailed for $19.99. My royalties, of course, were just a sliver of that.