PriMedia Inc

Last updated

PriMedia Inc
Industry Media buying
PredecessorDial Media
Founders
Headquarters
Rhode Island
,
U.S.
Area served
Worldwide
Key people
James J. Cooney
Website www.primediahq.com

PriMedia Inc is a media buying and marketing firm based in Rhode Island, U.S. [2] [3] The company was founded by Ed Valenti and Barry Becher, [4] [5] and helped pioneer infomercials, the use of credit cards and 800 numbers on Television ads, and the 30-minute infomercial format on shopping channels. [6] [7] [2]

Contents

History

PriMedia (then named Dial Media) was founded in 1975 by Ed Valenti and Barry Becher. [8] PriMedia became the first major infomercial company and launched several mainstream products including the Ginsu knives. [9] The company also developed the “long-form” infomercial formats, which later developed into standard half-hour infomercial formats used in Home shopping channels including QVC and HSN. Primedia was one of the first to use toll-free telephone numbers in television ads to allow use of credit cards to order products in real-time. [10]

James J. Cooney, who was a teenager when he first met the firm's co-founders, later joined the firm.[ citation needed ] [a]

Notes

  1. ↑ Cooney didn't co-found the company. He met Valenti and Becher after they founded the company in 1975, when he was 16 or 17.

References

  1. ↑ Hevesi, Dennis (June 30, 2012). "Barry Becher, a Creator of Ginsu Knife Commercials, Dies at 71". The New York Times .
  2. 1 2 Valenti, Ed (2005). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream . Career Press, Incorporated. ISBN   1564148033.
  3. ↑ "Night of the receptive zombies". Financial Times.
  4. ↑ Schudel, Matt (June 27, 2012). "Barry Becher, co-creator of the Ginsu knife TV commercials, dies at 71". Washington Post.
  5. ↑ "Barry Becher, marketer who helped bring Ginsu knives to U.S. public, dies at 71". The Los Angeles Times . June 28, 2012. Archived from the original on June 30, 2012.
  6. ↑ "Ginsu Knife Pitch Co-Creator, Barry Becher, Dies". ABC News.
  7. ↑ Valenti, Ed (2016). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream. Lancet. ISBN   978-1564148032.
  8. ↑ "Infomercial pioneer Barry Becher of Ginsu knives fame dies at 71". Cleveland. June 27, 2012.
  9. ↑ Harry, Lou (2002). As Seen on TV - 50 Amazing Products and the Commercials that Made Them Famous. Quirk Productions, Inc. ISBN   978-1422366998.
  10. ↑ Valenti, Edward (2005). The Wisdom of Ginsu: Carve Yourself a Piece of the American Dream . Quirk Productions, Inc Career Press (March 2005). ISBN   978-1564148032.
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