Last year, I had the privilege of working on a couple of voice over projects with legendary DRTV producer, Jeff Meltzer; the latest being for JCORE Total Body Transformation System. With each project Jeff works on, he proves time and time again that he is one of the best producers in the infomercial business. They certainly don’t call him “Mr. Infomercial” for nothing!
It always interests me to find out why someone chooses their professional path and how they feel about the business, so I asked Jeff a few questions about the industry:
Me: How did you get into infomercials?
Jeff: In 1985, I was approached by a friend of mine who said he was quitting his job at a major ad agency. He heard that cable TV Time had become available to anyone looking to buy time and that he was going to start making 30 minute shows that sold products directly to the consumer via #800. We created the first ever skin care infomercial called, “Love Your Skin” (that sold the first 5 product skin regime). It ultimately grossed 100 million dollars and the rest is now history.
Me: What trends do you see in the business?
Jeff: You can no longer solely depend on selling products direct to consumer via TV or the web. Retail, home shopping, print, insert mail and International sales all need to be a part of the selling process. Today we basically use infomercials to get our products on the retail shelves and drive stores sales. Online marketing is also becoming a refined art of marketing to sell directly to consumers. We use a variety of search engine optimization techniques to insure that our products are seen by as many potential buyers as possible.
Me: What do you look for when it comes to working with talent, voice over, models, and hosts?
Jeff: As you know there is no ‘one look’ for an infomercial on-camera or sound for a voice over talent. The Host or actors we use to pitch our products really depends on what products we’re selling and what buying audience we’re trying to reach. We always look for fresh, honest looking knowledgeable hosts/hostesses that can seamlessly pitch a product with enthusiasm and conviction. As far voice over talent goes, we look for strong, honest and friendly voices that can ‘act with their voices’. By that I mean, the VO needs to be able to enunciate the copy to enhance the excitement and value of the product they’re selling. Their voices, many times, are the ones that educate the consumer and convince them that the problem solving nature of the product will improve their lives as well as represents a great value.
Continued success in 2013, Jeff! To learn more about Meltzer Media, please check them out at www.meltzermedia.com.
