After the great response I got to Dick Wechsler's recent guest post on DRTV media, I've decided to bring back a feature I experimented with in October of last year -- guest reviews by people I like and respect in the industry.
Last year, Anthony Sullivan wrote five guest reviews for me. This year, I am inviting several other DRTV experts to participate, starting with John Miller and Peter Hutton of Hutton-Miller.
John and Peter are the brain trust behind such well known DRTV hits as Mighty Putty, Mighty Mendit, Bendaroos, Strap Perfect, Slim Clip (recently named the Best Infomercial Of All Time) and many, many others. They are from a rare breed of producers who are also excellent marketers.
Next week, I will be posting three guest reviews by these esteemed colleagues of mine. It's all part of a larger effort to make this blog even more interesting and educational. But there's a second motivation behind it as well.
My goal has always been to make The SciMark Report a comprehensive record of every new DRTV commercial that gets tested. Fortunately, I am being asked to get involved in more and more of these projects, which makes reviewing them problematic to say the least. In such cases going forward, rather than not posting a review at all, I will ask a guest to comment instead.
And now a word from John and Peter about the coming week:
To blog or not to blog? That is the question ... As marketers in the DRTV industry for many years, we know how hard is to make a successful commercial. That’s why we were initially reluctant to take this assignment and dissect the work of other producers.
At the same time, a good critique is a good critique. Period. We have always been open to honest feedback and valid criticism with our spots and shows, and have consequently gained valuable insight.
So with that said, we'll critique these spots as openly and directly as we would want in return.
I can attest to what John and Peter wrote: They have always accepted my criticism of their work with humility and an open mind.
I'm looking forward to a fun and fascinating week!
