Guthy-Renker International Tips The Scales In Its
Favor In New Zealand
Significant Media Buy From Auckland-Based TV3 and TV4 Will
Make Guthy-Renker The Country's Dominant DRTV Marketer by
July
PALM DESERT, Calif., May 28 /PRNewswire/ -- Guthy-Renker, the world's leading direct
response infomercial marketer, entered the New Zealand market. The company will begin
marketing its products to consumers via 18 hours each week on TV3, New Zealand's largest
privately owned television station, with an additional 18.5 hours per week to be added on July 1
on TV4, the new channel launched by TV3. Prior to Guthy-Renker's arrival in New Zealand the
market has been dominated by Prestige, a division of National Media Corp.'s Quantum
International subsidiary.
``Growth of our business in Asia Pacific remains among our top priorities and we relish this
opportunity to compete head-to-head with one of National Media's most successful
subsidiaries,'' said David Carman, president and CEO of Guthy-Renker International. ``Our
growth strategy includes securing major blocks of time on the largest television stations in key
markets worldwide. TV3 recognized the depth, quality and long-term viability of our product
library and our aggressive entry in New Zealand replicates the business model we employed
earlier this year in both China and Japan. Consumers in those countries are responding
enthusiastically to our products and we're exceeding our own revenue projections.''
The investment in New Zealand comes in recognition of the country's disproportionately large
direct response television market which yields greater per capita spending via infomercial than
most other nations. Similar to its agreements with stations in China and Japan, Guthy-Renker
sought alliances with the top-tier local broadcasters in New Zealand.
``Earlier this year we announced our intention to create and offer a viable alternative to National
Media and the other major players for global distribution of infomercial programming,'' said
David Carman. ``We've achieved that in China, Japan and now New Zealand in fewer than six
months. These three markets now form the cornerstone of our aggressive Asia Pacific strategy.''
Guthy-Renker International is directed by David Carman, senior executive vice president of
Guthy-Renker, president and CEO of Guthy-Renker International and former president of
Quantum International. He also served as Executive Vice President and a member of the Board of
Directors of National Media, parent company to Quantum. Carman joined Guthy-Renker on
January 21 to use his extensive international distribution and marketing expertise to grow the
company's global business.
Guthy-Renker is the largest domestic producer of high-quality infomercials and products
designed for home shopping and direct response television sales and has annual sales in excess
of $300 million. Guthy-Renker is based in Palm Desert, Calif. and was co-founded in 1988 by
Bill Guthy and Greg Renker. Guthy and Renker have been cited as among ``America's Smartest
Young Entrepreneurs'' by Fortune magazine and received a regional Entrepreneur of the Year
award from Inc. magazine. The company enjoyed a 100 percent growth in revenues in 1996, a
year in which the company won six NIMA industry awards. |
