Part of the problem has to do with the fact that most international start-up companies view QVC and HSN as role models and then go about replicating them. So, along with the great marketing and sales potential there is also the rather seedy baggage to contend with. But it is understandable that many companies who do not possess the inner knowledge of how shop channels operate, tend to gravitate to what is known rather than the innovative road of creating their own concept. With regard to local legal or cultural differences, generally what 2. works in the USA works everywhere. Regional home shop channel are more effective than generalised, international or global concepts.
Live programming works much better than taped.
Guests, product rep's and celebrities always add to the interest and 6. sales of the programmes. Shop channels and mail order companies make good partners. At Home and ValueVision are much smaller operations. The founder of QVC, Joseph Segel formed QVC as an alternative to the hard push style of HSN and his concept, matched against 17 other start-up's broke US business records in its rate of first year income. The other 127 channels did not survive.