categories, and Jourden agrees. “Changes have
forced everyone to not only have better products, but better demos and more truthful advertising than ever. It will ultimately help everyone
because the consumer will be happier, there will
be lower returns and they’ll have more faith in
the DR business,” says Jourden.
And, the maturing nature of DR both on
TV and online has had a great impact on the
housewares category at large. “DR has become
completely institutionalized,” Reynolds says.
“Categories in retail and all the TV time being
dedicated have become a force in our world.
Online sales have been the biggest change in
terms of impact on the business, and retail con-
solidation has had some impact on that as well.”
Taking the DR component out of the mix,
the housewares industry has had more changes
of its own. The biggest change Reynolds has no-
ticed in the past 10-15 years is how the house-
wares industry now relies on advanced design
to push additional business. Products can’t just
look prettier, but must be much more functional
and practical.
The Slap Chop was one of the
housewares category’s breakthrough
hits of 2009.
For example, a laundry basket that used
to be rectangular now fits to one’s hip.
Manufacturers now even have designers on
staff. “The acceptance and understanding of
the marketability of design; that’s changed
our business,” Reynolds says. Consequently,
that has made more manufacturers better
attuned at what’s going on in the inventor’s
world. Reynolds cited cases of companies
visiting business and graduate schools to
have students collaborate on design projects
for them — or that fact that Whirlpool
now has a designer on its executive team
— as signs that the tide is changing.
But in the midst of all these changes,
ironically, consumer taste in products
hasn’t necessarily evolved as quickly.
The Flintstones or the Jetsons?
With the advent of the Roomba, the autonomous robotic vacuum cleaner, suddenly Rosie the robot maid from the Jetsons
doesn’t seem that out of reach. However,
not everyone thinks futuristic products are
Proud To Serve The Direct Response Industry
Targeted consumer publicity can play
an important role in your DR campaign.
SSA specializes in achieving product-based
editorial coverage to compliment your
media by reinforcing consumer awareness.
To discuss how publicity can help generate leads and drive sales, contact:
Steve Syatt, (818) 907-5929 or email at Ssyatt@ssapr.com
