Greg Renker

Last updated
Greg Renker
Born
Gregory Renker

1957 (age 66–67) [1]
Phoenix, Arizona, US [1]
OccupationCo-Chairman of Guthy-Renker
Known forCofounding Guthy-Renker (with Bill Guthy)

Gregory Renker (born 1957), is best known for cofounding Guthy-Renker with partner Bill Guthy. He was born in Phoenix, Arizona in 1957 and had eight siblings. Growing up, Renker's family moved a lot due to his father's work managing country clubs and hotels. Renker worked his way through college at the San Diego State University and married Stacey Renker several years later.

Contents

Renker credited the Eisenhower hospital for saving his life with an emergency heart bypass surgery and for saving his wife's life from a flu condition. After he recovered, the couple led a donation drive, which led to the creation of The Renker Wellness Center and a 24-room hospital facility called The Greg & Stacey Renker Pavilion.

Renker met future business partner Bill Guthy at one of the country clubs managed by his father. The two both enjoyed self-help books and founded Guthy-Renker together to market self-help products in 1988. The company grew into one of the largest direct-response companies on the market and expanded into beauty and fitness products among others. Renker co-founded the National Infomercial Marketing Association (now known as the Electronic Retailing Association) and was awarded the Horatio Alger award, which honors individuals who overcome adversity to achieve success.

Early life

Greg Renker was born in Phoenix, Arizona, in 1957. [1] He had eight siblings. [2] Renker's family moved every year due to his father's work managing a chain of country clubs and hotels. [3] [4] Desert Magazine described his lifestyle growing up as humble, but posh. The family was not wealthy, but due to his father's work, they spent a lot of time in high-end resorts socializing with "the rich and famous." [4]

Renker became interested in self-help books at age 16, after his father lost his job. [2] In his teenage years, Renker had subscriptions to six newspapers and read 200-300 magazines per month. [4] He felt that learning how to sell may help him avoid the financial stress his family experienced. [2] Renker attended the San Diego State University with a major in comparative literature. While attending college, Renker worked several sales jobs, including one as a real estate agent. [5]

Family and community

Greg Renker met his future wife, Stacey, in high school. Ten years after graduation, mutual friends arranged for the two to meet. They were married two years later and had three children. [4]

Renker credits the Eisenhower hospital for saving his wife's life after she went into toxic shock from a flu condition and for saving his own after he received an emergency heart bypass surgery at age 41. [4] [6] According to The Desert Sun, "Renker nearly died from cardiovascular disease." [7] This came as a surprise, since Renker was healthy and athletic. [4] After recovering, Renker and his wife made donations to the hospital and led a donation drive, [7] which led to the creation of The Renker Wellness Center and The Greg & Stacey Renker Pavilion, a 24-room hospital facility. [4] For his philanthropy, Renker was given an Individual Achievement award by the American Heart Association. [7]

Renker serves as chairman of the Eisenhower Medical Center and as chairman emeritus for the Annenberg Center for Health Sciences. [8] [4] [9] Renker and his wife have also been presenting sponsors of the Rick Weiss Humanitarian Awards since the award's creation. [10]

Career

Greg Renker is best known for cofounding Guthy-Renker, a direct-marketing company. [7] [11] He met future business partner and cofounder of Guthy Renker, Bill Guthy, at the Indian Wells Racquet Club and Resort. Guthy's family had leased a vacation home at the resort that Renker's father was managing. [12] Bill Guthy and Greg Renker were both readers of self-help books and fans of the book "Think and Grow Rich." They bought the rights to the book for $100,000 and ran their first infomercial in 1988, which grossed $10 million. [13] [14] That November, they formed Guthy-Renker, [15] which eventually grew into one of the largest direct-response companies, selling beauty, health, self-help products, and other services. [11] In 1990, Renker testified before a Congressional subcommittee after the Federal Trade Commission was suggesting new regulations for the infomercial industry. [16]

Afterwards, he co-founded the National Infomercial Marketing Association (now known as the Electronic Retailing Association), an organization intended to self-regulate the infomercial industry against deceptive practices, such as publishing advertisements under the guise of "news specials." [17] Renker also testified in front of the Congressional Subcommittee on Consumer Protection, Product Safety and Insurance in 2009 at a hearing focused on the use of testimonials from customers that experienced extraordinary results that are not typical among general users. [18] [19] In 2011, Renker was awarded the Legends in Advertising Award by the American Advertising Federation for his work "elevating infomercials from their humble beginnings in the 1990s to the status of a multi-billion dollar industry today." [3] The following year, he was recognized with the Horatio Alger award. [9] According to the Horatio Alger Association, the award "honors the achievements of outstanding individuals in society who have succeeded in spite of adversity." [20]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Ron Popeil</span> American inventor and marketing personality (1935–2021)

Ronald Martin Popeil, was an American inventor and marketing personality, and founder of the direct response marketing company Ronco. He made appearances in infomercials for the Showtime Rotisserie and coined the phrase "Set it, and forget it!" as well as popularizing the phrase, "But wait, there's more!" on television as early as the mid-1950s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Horatio Alger</span> American novelist (1832–1899)

Horatio Alger Jr. was an American author who wrote young adult novels about impoverished boys and their rise from humble backgrounds to middle-class security and comfort through good works. His writings were characterized by the "rags-to-riches" narrative, which had a formative effect on the United States from 1868 through to his death in 1899.

An infomercial is a form of television commercial that resembles regular TV programming yet is intended to promote or sell a product, service or idea. It generally includes a toll-free telephone number or website. Most often used as a form of direct response television (DRTV), they are often program-length commercials, and are typically 28:30 or 58:30 minutes in length. Infomercials are also known as paid programming. This phenomenon started in the United States, where infomercials were typically shown overnight, outside peak prime time hours for commercial broadcasters. Some television stations chose to air infomercials as an alternative to the former practice of signing off, while other channels air infomercials 24 hours a day. Some stations also choose to air infomercials during the daytime hours, mostly on weekends, to fill in for unscheduled network or syndicated programming. By 2009, most infomercial spending in the U.S. occurred outside of the traditional overnight hours. Stations in most countries around the world have instituted similar media structures. The infomercial industry is worth over $200 billion.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Direct marketing</span> Model of communicating discounts and other sales offers

Direct marketing is a form of communicating an offer, where organizations communicate directly to a pre-selected customer and supply a method for a direct response. Among practitioners, it is also known as direct response marketing. In contrast to direct marketing, advertising is more of a mass-message nature.

<i>The Dean Martin Show</i> American TV series or program

The Dean Martin Show is a TV variety-comedy series that ran from 1965 to 1974 for 264 episodes. It was broadcast by NBC and hosted by Dean Martin. The theme song to the series was his 1964 hit "Everybody Loves Somebody".

Direct response television (DRTV) is any television advertising that asks consumers to respond directly to the company — usually either by calling a toll-free telephone number, sending an SMS message, or by visiting a web site. This is a form of direct response marketing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Leeza Gibbons</span> American broadcaster

Leeza Kim Gibbons is an American talk show host. She is best known as a correspondent and co-host for Entertainment Tonight (1984–2000) as well as for having her own syndicated daytime talk show, Leeza (1993–2000). In 2013, her book Take 2 became a New York Times bestseller and she won the Daytime Emmy for Outstanding Host in a Lifestyle or Travel program for the PBS show, My Generation. On February 16, 2015, Gibbons was named the winner of Celebrity Apprentice; while on the show she raised $714,000 for her charity Leeza's Care Connection.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Garrison (television producer)</span> American television director and producer

Marvin Ginsburg, known professionally as Greg Garrison, was an American producer and director in television.

Ralph Burton Rogers was an American industrialist, philanthropist and PBS executive, called the "Founding Father of the Public Broadcasting Service."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Proactiv</span> Acne focused skincare products

Proactiv is an American brand of skin-care products developed by two American dermatologists, Katie Rodan and Kathy A. Fields, and launched in 1995 by Guthy-Renker, a California-based direct marketing company, that was endorsed by famous celebrities The range includes moisturizers, body washes and treatment products, but the brand is known for its three-step anti-acne Solutions 3-step routine consisting of a BPO cleanser, glycolic toner and treatment lotion. Proactiv+, a reformulation of the three-step kit, was introduced in 2013, and in 2017, ProactivMD launches powered by Adapalene.

The Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans is a nonprofit organization based in Alexandria, Virginia, that was founded in 1947 to honor the achievements of outstanding Americans who have succeeded in spite of adversity and to emphasize the importance of higher education. The association is named for Horatio Alger, a 19th-century author of hundreds of dime novels in the "rags-to-riches" genre who extolled the importance of perseverance and hard work.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Mark Victor Hansen</span> American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author

Mark Victor Hansen is an American inspirational and motivational speaker, trainer and author. He is best known as the founder and co-creator of the Chicken Soup for the Soul book series.

Alexander Stanley Kroll is an American former professional football player and a retired advertising agency executive at Young & Rubicam, where he was CEO for ten years.

Guthy-Renker is a California-based direct-response marketing company that sells health and beauty products directly to consumers through infomercials, television ads, direct mail, telemarketing, e-mail marketing, and the Internet. Many of its products are endorsed by celebrities including actresses and musicians

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Timothy R. Hawthorne</span> American marketeer

Timothy R. Hawthorne is a businessperson known for his expertise in direct response marketing, specializing in direct response television (DRTV). He founded Hawthorne Direct, the first advertising agency dedicated to producing infomercials. He is the author of The Complete Guide to Infomercial Marketing. He has been called "the king of the infomercial."

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Duane Hagadone</span> American newspaper publisher (1932–2021)

Duane Burl Hagadone was an American newspaper publisher, urban planner, real estate and land developer.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Byron Trott</span> American merchant banker

Byron David Trott is the founder, chairman and co-CEO of BDT & MSD Partners, a merchant bank that provides advice and capital to family and founder-led companies. Formerly, Trott was vice chairman of Investment Banking at Goldman Sachs.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Hayes Barnard</span> American entrepreneur and philanthropist

Hayes Barnard is an American entrepreneur. He is currently the founder, chairman, and CEO of GoodLeap, a technology-based finance company. Barnard is also the founder, chairman, and CEO of GivePower, a nonprofit that facilitates solar powered projects to provide clean water and energy systems to underserved communities.

Eicoff is one of the top ten advertising agencies in Chicago. It specializes in direct response television (DRTV) advertising. It is known as the firm that popularized 1-800 call numbers and claims to have coined the "… or your money back" catchphrase.

Ronald James Kruszewski is an American business executive. Kruszewski is the chairman, chief executive officer, and former president of Stifel. Earlier in his career, he was a Certified Public Accountant and audit supervisor for KPMG, and later a chief financial officer for Robert W. Baird & Co. Kruszewski was appointed to serve on the Federal Advisory Council by the board of the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis in 2013. He has served on the boards of the Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association, Saint Louis University, and the St. Louis Regional Chamber, among other organizations. He won the Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Award in 2007 and was recognized by the Horatio Alger Association of Distinguished Americans in 2019.

References

  1. 1 2 3 Orton, Charles (May 1, 2001). "Partners in Time: The Guthy-Renker Story -- Bill Guthy and Greg Renker meld disparate backgrounds into an industry behemoth". Response Magazine. Archived from the original on March 9, 2016.
  2. 1 2 3 "As Seen on TV". Success Magazine. Archived from the original on July 19, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  3. 1 2 Francis, Betty (October 9, 2011). "Guthy-Renker advertising legends Greg Renker, Lenny Lieberman honored". The Desert Sun. Archived from the original on August 21, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  4. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Strong, Kathy (May 2004). "Driven by his heart". The Desert Sun.
  5. ↑ 65th Horatio Alger Awards Induction Ceremony. DAR Constitution Hall, Washington, DC. April 13, 2012. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  6. ↑ Williams, Rob (December 22, 1998). "Guthy-Renker President Undergoes Heart Bypass Surgery". Direct Marketing News. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  7. 1 2 3 4 O'Brien, Rommi (February 29, 2004). "Gala raises money for heart disease". The Desert Sun. pp. E.3.
  8. ↑ "OFFICERS OF EISENHOWER MEDICAL CENTER 2014 - 2015" . Retrieved 19 Feb 2015.
  9. 1 2 Perrault, Mike (May 2, 2012). "Greg Renker receives prestigious Horatio Alger award". The Desert Sun. Retrieved July 3, 2013.[ dead link ]
  10. ↑ Biller, Steven; Janice Kleinschmidt (October 2007). "The Influencers". Palm Springs Life. Archived from the original on June 2, 2016. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  11. 1 2 Brown, Rachel (April 12, 2013). "Small Screen Dreams: The Booming Infomercial Business". WWD. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  12. ↑ Leavitt, Neal (August 1997). "Q&A with Guthy-Renker". ResponseTV.
  13. ↑ Richman, Louis (October 31, 1994). "Pioneers of a new way to sell". Fortune. pp. Volume 130, Issue 9. Retrieved January 23, 2013.
  14. ↑ Mary Lou Roberts; Paul D. Berger (1999). Direct Marketing Management. Prentice Hall. pp. 58–. ISBN   978-0-13-080434-1 . Retrieved 23 January 2013.
  15. ↑ Gladwell, Gina (August 1997). "Guthy-Renker: 10 Years of Trailblazing in Direct Response Marketing". ResponseTV.
  16. ↑ "10 Commandments". Guthy-Renker. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  17. ↑ Vazzanno, Sherri (November 23, 1990). "TV ads policing own act". Chicago Tribune. Archived from the original on June 30, 2013. Retrieved July 3, 2013.
  18. ↑ "Typical "results may not be typical" hearing". Voice of the Broadcasting Industry. July 22, 2009. Retrieved July 31, 2013.
  19. ↑ Advertising Trends and Consumer Protection (PDF), US Government Printing Office, July 22, 2009, retrieved July 31, 2013
  20. ↑ "About Us". Horatio Alger Association. Retrieved July 15, 2013.
This page is based on this Wikipedia article
Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply.
Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.