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"This business has legs": How I Used Infomercial Marketing to Create the$100,000,000 ThighMaster Craze |  | Author: Peter Bieler
Publisher: Wiley
Category: Book
List Price: $34.95
Buy New: $21.95
as of 11/21/2009 10:29 CST details
You Save: $13.00 (37%)
New (20) Used (16) from $7.66
Seller: comfycouchbooks
Rating:  9 reviews
Sales Rank: 149478
Media: Paperback
Pages: 206
Number Of Items: 1
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 9.2 x 6.1 x 0.5
ISBN: 0471147494
Dewey Decimal Number: 659.143
UPC: 723812147496
EAN: 9780471147497
ASIN: 0471147494
Publication Date: May 28, 1996
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Editorial Reviews:
Amazon.com Review
The inside story of how Bieler started with no money, no product, and no experience, and somehow created a $100 million business selling the "Thighmaster" through infomercials. Far more entertaining and fun than any infomercial, and, in many ways, a mind-boggling book about how new industries are created in this modern world. Recommended.
Product Description
"Only in America could a would-be monk convince a faded television star to pitch a rehabilitation device designed for Scandinavian skiers and create a nationwide sensation. The marketing strategy alone is worth the price of admission." —Paul B. Brown Special Correspondent for the Business News Network (BNN) and coauthor of Customers for Life "This is the first time the person behind a fad lays out the whole marketing strategy he used. Even I learned a lot." —Bob Rice Pet Rock Promoter "Within a matter of months, Peter Bieler created a $100,000,000 industry out of nothing. This fascinating book chronicles step-by-step how he did it." —Steve Dworman Publisher, Infomercial Marketing Report "As a jack, in an emergency, if you have a very small car … As a rack to dry homemade pasta … Prop it on its side and presto! Twin picture frames … Have it bronzed and claim it's a very early Henry Moore …" —Diane White columnist for The Boston Globe on alternate uses for the ThighMaster See Inside for Exciting Contest Details!
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| Customer Reviews:
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
 helpful book October 23, 2009
Mom Lou (Windham, NH)
Even though the book is somewhat dated, it gives great insight as to the length and price it takes to get a product to market. It also explains how the system works. I wish I had read the book before I had my product made. I probably wouldn't have a warehouse full of pieces I can't sell. Very much worth reading if you're thinking of going it alone.
Good book, but left some questions February 2, 2009
Shane R. Wicklund (st. louis, mo)
1 out of 1 found this review helpful
Overall the book is pretty informative and interesting, although it did leave some questions in my head:
1. The cover says "$100,000,000 craze" but he never actually goes into how much money he walked away with in profit after it was all said and done. I was really looking forward to getting detailed numbers on how much he spent and how much he made total but never got it.
2. Also, Im still kind of confused about why he left the company and what stage the business was in when he left. Were they still running infomercials? Were they still breaking even on them to support retail sales?
3. He said the company went bankrupt after he left and he doesn't know why. I would think he would have some kind of an idea of why, was the product/fad cycle just over? Or does he think it was being managed poorly?
Good read, I recommend it to anyone interested in marketing, particularly direct-response and infomercials.
Entertaining and useful marketing story August 24, 2008
Caroline@SixFigureStart.com
This is a fun book about the business behind the ThighMaster (yes, the Suzanne Somers-pitched infomercial product). It is breezy and entertaining to read, but also provides an interesting overview of the infomercial industry. I was inspired by this firsthand account of someone noticing a market (infomercials were new in the 90's when this was written), taking the idea and running with it. I loved how Peter came from film school and the entertainment industry. Yet another example of how art and business mix! I heard about this gem of a book from another good mind-stretching book, Tim Ferriss' "4-Hour Workweek".
If you like reading these real-life business stories, you will also like Rebecca Mathias' "Mothers' Work" (about the people behind Pea in the Pod, Maternity Works and really the creation of the maternity business fashion line) and Fred DeLuca's "Start Small, Finish Big" (about the Subway sandwich franchise).
Insider's view of infomercials March 23, 2007
K. J. Mendoza (Space Coast, FL, USA)
1 out of 3 found this review helpful
I found this a fascinating look inside the world of marketing and infomercials, as well as a view of the author's experience turning a utilitarian product into something sexy and wanted by millions.
superb case study of bringing a product to market February 2, 2005
Kenneth Calhoun (Colorado, USA)
7 out of 8 found this review helpful
This is an excellent (and well-written!) case study of bringing a popular product to market with infomercial marketing. I liked it so much I read it cover to cover, which is rare for me. I am recommending it to all my students at copywriting university.
Emphasis on marketing, typical business production/legal issues, plus very motivating on persistence while being an entrepreneur.
I liked the testing details, copywriting and media buy numbers.. very eye-opening to me, and extremely insightful.
Showing reviews 1-5 of 9
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