There could be an interesting face-off as infomercial companies try to import their brand of teleselling to a new medium, where mercantile royalty has already paved the way with brochureware and Web selling. Home Shopping Network actually plunged into the Web more than two years ago when it acquired Internet Shopping Network, a start-up vendor specializing in online computer equipment sales. Infomercial makers are also eyeing the global market with increasing appetite. Like many other U.S. cultural specialties, DRTV has moved overseas, often using dubbed versions of the same shows produced and televised in America. Although local cultural tastes and efficient distribution may winnow down the types of products sold overseas, infomercial makers expect foreign activity to become a major part of their business very quickly.
Some observers expect several new categories to emerge as growth segments.
The growth of mass-media advertising by pharmaceutical companies could spin off into a TV selling presence. The results have been mixed, but insiders expect this to become a significant category for infomercials in the next few years. But whether they like it or not, the business today still seems to live just beyond the fringe. About the author Gary Arlen is president of Arlen Communications Inc., a Bethesda, Maryland, research firm that analyzes the development of interactive transaction systems.