Field Reports
INPEX Products
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Sony to Purchase Full Stake in SonyBMG
By Jacqueline Renfrow ( jrenfrow@questex.com)
sold more than 15,000 units in 2007
— and estimates more than 65,000
Grill Gadgets are out in the field.
“We’ve only had about a half-dozen
returns in all our years,” he adds.
Capperrune’s Cageless Cage, a
patented invention that he’s currently working on a deal to market
with a pet products company, has
a large plywood base, encased in a
rubber compound, with a chain that
attaches to any pet’s collar. Capperrune has designed different sizes
and styles for different sizes of pets,
as well as bathtubs and the bed of a
pick-up truck.
Prior to the event in Pittsburgh,
Capperrune told INPEX representatives that his product came to mind
because of the frustration he encountered trying to bathe his dog. “My
dogs always attempted escaping from
the bathtub during bathing, and this
concept came to mind of how to
solve the problem in a very unique
way,” he said.
The idea behind the product was
to keep pets in a secure, designated
area using the product and pets’ own
weight to secure them without them
feeling trapped in a cage.
Capperrune and Martin both
traveled to INPEX seeking a break
for their product. While Capperrune
was looking for a manufacturer, distributor, venture capitalist, licensee
and importer/exporter at the show,
Martin’s needs were a bit simpler.
“I’ve worked hard, I’m 64 years
old and it’s time for my wife and I
to sit back a little bit,” he says. “I’m
looking to present it to a company
that would license or buy my patent.
We’re going to need a sales force and
a manufacturer, because once this
product really gets out there, I think
it’s going to do great. It’s something
everybody can use, and there’s a
need for it.”
NEW YORK — Sony Corp. has agreed to acquire Bertelsmann AG’s 50-percent stake in SonyBMG. The
music company, to be called Sony Music Entertainment Inc., will be a wholly owned subsidiary of Sony Corp.
of America. Sony and Bertelsmann AG originally created the separate music company in August 2004.
“Music has been a vital and vibrant part of Sony’s culture for over 20 years,” says Sir Howard Stringer,
chairman and CEO of Sony Corp. “This acquisition will allow us to achieve a deeper and more robust integration between the wide-ranging global assets of the music company and Sony’s products, operating
companies and affiliates. It enables us to offer a total entertainment experience to consumers.”
Bertelsmann AG’s chairman and CEO, Hartmut Ostrowski, agreed to sell its stake in the music company as a step to benefit the stakeholders in both Sony Corp. and SonyBMG.
“This move is consistent with our new growth strategy and will enable us to focus on our defined
growth areas,” says Ostrowski. “Sony has been an excellent partner, and they are the right company to take
this business to the next step and ensure that it realizes its full value and potential. We look forward to
witnessing Sony Music Entertainment’s exciting future.”
Under the new deal, Sony Music Entertainment will consist of labels such as Arista Records, Columbia
Records, Epic Records, J Records, RCA Records and Zomba. Bertelsmann also will take over some selected
European music catalog assets from SonyBMG.
Obama Campaign Launches Infomercial
By Jacqueline Renfrow ( jrenfrow@questex.com)
WASHINGTON — In early August, Democratic nominee Barack Obama launched a long-form television commercial for the 2008 presidential campaign. The infomercial is the first for a presidential
candidate since Reform Party candidate Ross Perot in the 1992 and 1996 elections.
Obama’s 28-minute, 30-second long-form show aired first at 1: 30 a.m. on Aug. 10 on ION
Television. The advertisement was mostly biographical and included scenes of the senator’s
keynote speech at the 2004 Democratic
National Convention, other campaign
appearances and background on the candidate. The show also included call-in numbers for voters — a recorded message from
Obama greets callers.
When asked for comment, an Obama
campaign spokesperson Moira Mack, told
Response, “This was another effective way
for us to communicate with folks who may
not normally see other communications
we have with voters who are paying closer
attention to the race.”
As with most DRTV campaigns, the early morning timeslot was chosen as part of the testing
phase for the marketing strategy. The campaign has also bought time on MTV Networks’ Spike, as
well as a limited number of other outlets.
Other previous presidential long-form spots included Bill Clinton’s 1992 “A Man From Hope,”
a biography originally produced for the Democratic National Convention that was later run as an
infomercial.
This is the second precedent set by Obama in the 2008 presidential campaign. The campaign set political and broadcast history last month by buying $5 million of advertising in NBC
Universal’s Olympics programming.
