THE TERRI O SHOW IS COMING

Challenges, problems, and triumphs -- from a manufacturer's perspective.

The Terri O Show Is Coming

Building industry sales by empowering consumers' creativity.

by Staff Report (February 4, 2008)

The Terri O Show will premiere online March 1 at www.aterrioshow.com, just in time for National Craft Month. The show is hosted by Terri Ouellette ("Terry O"), perhaps the best known crafter in the country, thanks to her Emmy-award-winning television appearances. She also serves as CHA's spokesperson and has for the last five years, during which she has made countless appearances demonstrating crafts on tv shows across the U.S. She has also served as a spokesperson for Oreck, Corbins (owned by Bill Gates), Xyron, RotoZip, and Cold Heat.

The first webisodes will include products from Spellbinders, Fibre-Craft, and Rainbowrush, plus a project from I Remember When and a variety of Terri O original designs.

CLN: Why an Internet show now?

OUELLETTE: The craft industry is going through one of its cycles when things flatten out, waiting for the next hot trend. We feel the consumer must be reached and motivated now. There are two ways to increase business in this environment: attract new crafters and inspire existing crafters to craft more. The easier of the two is getting crafters crafting more, and this is a major goal of the show. It's been said that if we can get existing crafters to do one more project our industry will see some significant gains.

CLN: How exactly do you foresee this project working?

OUELLETTE: The show was created out of passion. I have such a love of crafts and creativity and want to be able to share it with those who want to craft and those who already do. With many years of television experience I know how to make the product the star of the show! Carol Duvall once told me, "You have the best of both worlds – a passion for crafts and you know how to do TV."

The show is simple. I show people how to make something, how to use a tool, or how to fix a craft dilemma, but – and this is a biggie – it is done in a fun, easy-to-follow, non-technical style. The challenge for today's manufacturers and retailers is that, despite the number of craft-focused media outlets, there are very few choices for them to affordably show the consumer how their product works or how many uses their product might have. There are also very few sites that know HOW to market to the consumer. This show is for the consumer, but it is about the manufacturers.

CLN: Who demonstrates the product/project? You, or does the manufacturer supply a "guest" who actually demonstrates it?

OUELLETTE: I do most of the projects. However, if a manufacturer wants to include someone, then bring it on! The point of the show is to show how fun and easy and useful the products are so consumers will click over or go to a retail outlet and BUY the product. The great thing about owning your own show is that you can do whatever you want. We want it to be a Win-Win for everyone! Remember, the product is the star.

CLN: How will you promote the site, once you have webisodes to show consumers?

OUELLETTE: Well, as an online show, the idea is to use the power of the Internet to market it and make it as easy as possible for the consumer to "click to view." We'll promote directly to registered ATerriOShow.com viewers via a regular newsletter and Program Guide as well as through strategic on-line ad placement. Along with our advertising partners, through niche and mainstream media, there will also be a variety of crossover marketing activities to insure we reach outside the traditional craft market.

CLN: You say the webisodes will have "focused advertising messages." Do you mean commercials? If so, who supplies the commercials?

OUELLETTE: No. No commercials. All segments are sponsored. We call it "infotainment." Each webisode is full of useful information regarding a product or service of use to the consumer, delivered in an entertaining format. What we do is give the manufacturer or retailer the chance to have their product featured in an editorial nature with all the benefits of advertising.

CLN: How long does a webisode stay on the site? Will there be an archive section?

OUELLETE: Each webisode will be featured and promoted twice to our registered viewers, however it will remain on the site in our ATerriOShow.com library for a minimum of one year.

CLN: What's the contact information? If a manufacturer is interested in learning more, what should he/she do?

OUELLETE: A sponsorship would include the production and featured broadcast of one original project segment up to 12 minutes in length that would be featured for two weeks, and a variety of additional features. There is special pre-launch pricing.

We will have a booth at the CHA show – #712. The staff includes Howard Hoffman of Howard Hoffman Sales (cell:859-583-1978; phone:972-294-5654; hhoffman@tx.rr.com) and Amy Romano of Amy & Co. (480-577-9989; amyandcompany@cox.net).

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