In the past, many of our projects were commissioned to produce for an up-front fee only. However, regardless of the amounts that a client has budgeted for production services, it will pale in contrast to the amounts that can be earned if a project rolls out successfully. With this in mind, our agency recently changed our focus to that of identifying and putting DRTV suitability first, structuring our compensation to be earned in, large part, on potential royalties. Only in such cases where suitability for DRTV is evident and DRTV success is, therefore, likely can we offer the client the option to form a “partner-type” affiliation with our agency. As a result of this model in which our agency proposes to carry a portion (sometimes substantial) of all production costs from concept to roll out, the financial commitment on the part of the client can now be greatly reduced.

Example: According to established industry estimates, the cost of producing an infomercial can range from less than $100,000 long form and $25,000 for short form (for what is considered lower-end quality productions), to over $1,000,000.00 (for what is considered the highest quality productions). In addition, production revisions, which are exceedingly common, could easily range from $25,000 to well over $100,000. Our productions have garnered virtually every nomination or award attainable for excellence in production and are considered to be some of the highest quality in the industry. Even so, because of our innovative “partner-type” option, the financial commitment on the part of the client for these high-end productions can now be reduced, at times to less than what the industry estimates to be the cost for a low-end production. Moreover, and in addition to the substantial reduction in cost of production, the industry estimated costs ($25,000 to well over $100,000) for production revisions are routinely reduced to $0 with this option.

Bottom line: When we’re stating that we’re looking out for your bottom line, you’ll know it stretches well beyond that old-school marketing phrase which, however well intended, is so often lacking in real substance.