With the
Push of a
Button! BY CAROL WISSMANN
Buy them big and bold, as in big-screen TVs, or as tiny
devices that nestle in the palm of your hand. The highest
of hi-tech, or the latest in gadget or gizmo — from computers, cameras, telephones, audio and video recording
equipment to household appliances, automobile technology, beauty
aids, games and more—they’re all part of the $150 billion consumer electronics industry. They’re powered by battery and plug …
and the buying public’s demand for easier, faster and ever-fancier
products.
Modern marvels they are, with their high-definition colors and surround sounds,
or their newly invented ability to clean, cook and cut in ways never-before imaginable. Their ever-expanding capabilities accomplish anything from straightening hair
to strengthening communication by connecting people to everything — from each
other to satellites in space. And they are ideally showcased and sold via DRTV.
As cutting-edge as are many consumer electronics, with emerging technologies
such as robotics, nanotechnologies, biometrics and voice recognition, the industry’s
appearance into direct response marketing began relatively simply. While not TV’s
first pitchman, Ron Popeil, founder of Ronco, cleverly combined family inventions
and salesmanship with the early introduction of television. In the late 1950s and
early 1960s, Popeil perfected the 30- to120-second DRTV spot.
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