Response Magazine - March 2011

How DR Brings It Home

Almost every successful housewares product — from modern day winners like the Total Pillow to classics like the George Foreman Grill — makes its way to retail eventually, and that can be especially rewarding when tapping into the sometimes-underappreciated value of independent retailers, Reynolds says.

“There’s a strength retailers have in
the housewares business and that’s a big
positive for innovators and for people
Direct and Response Editorial Advisory
Board member. “Given these low mar-
gins, building any consumer value for
themselves and getting people to say that
their product is unique because of vari-
ous advantages is almost impossible with
nearly nonexistent ad budgets.”
Garnett believes this is where direct
response television could serve the house-
wares industry best. Long-form could be
especially useful in portraying just how in-
novative the industry really is, he says.

Through conception Through development Through promotion Through protection Through success

Hampton Direct Inc.’s Total Pillow — a direct response television hit in the housewares space — continues to see success on retail shelves around the U.S.

who are looking to try new concepts,”
Reynolds says. “In particular, there are
independent retailers that are more will-
ing to try new products vs. the larger ones
that have to feel more comfortable with
innovations.”
The need for retail within housewares
marketing can’t be ignored, but it does
provide its own challenges for brands.
Though there’s a clear benefit to having
your product on retail shelves, it usually
requires a lower price point to ensure a
higher level of sales.

“Housewares can be a tough business right now. Even the biggest brands are operating on a lower margin,” says Doug Garnett, president and CEO of Atomic

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Jeff Knowles | 202.344.4860 | jdknowles@Venable.com Ed Glynn | 202.344.4805 | efglynn@Venable.com Joe Shull | 202.344.4821 | jashull@Venable.com GaryHailey | 202.344.4997 | gdhailey@Venable.com Roger Colaizzi | 202.344.8051 | racolaizzi@Venable.com