iDiz Incorporated

Ok it’s time to come clean. Fess up if you’ve ever spent more time than you’d like to admit watching an infomercial… or QVC… or the jewelry channel… or the Shopping Network.

My mother watches all the time but thankfully, claims she has never purchased a thing. I’m not proud of it, but I spent a couple weeks one summer watching QVC and actually bought a couple things. I was happy with my purchases too.

How do they make everything (the Windshield Wonder!) look so appealing? And is there a marketing lesson to be learned here?

I think most of all it’s the excitement level that surrounds the product. That’s easy to show on TV… not so easy on a direct mail postcard. And the first-hand accounts of how the product (INSERT: knife set, sweater, bracelet, food chopper, cleaning cloth, etc…) essentially changes your life are also helpful. I want to be as fortunate as Sally from Seattle with her new Shake Weight!

But is it bad to buy things you see on TV?

Not necessarily. Consumer Reports did a study of some popular infomercial products – some were okay, some not. Nothing too surprising there. But they do have a few tips on how to avoid having the mailman making daily package drops at your house (even though it is lots of fun to get packages):

1. Wait 10 minutes. The excitement will die down and you should be able to make a sound purchasing decision.
2. Consider your options. Do you really need that Wonder Hanger or do you already own something (uh, a regular hanger?) that essentially does the same job?
3. Avoid the two-for-one scam. It probably means the item’s real value is way below what they’re selling it for.
4. Don’t forget to add in those annoying S&H fees. They can sometimes be up to 50% of the cost of the item!
5. Ignore the operators suggestions of add ons – those extra special deals they offer you once they get you on the phone. Find out if you like the product first before investing even more into it.

Hey, I think I might be on to something here… maybe you should just add the word Wonder to the name of your next auto loan promo! It’s sure to be a big seller.