Friday, August 01, 2008

It’s just business, not politics.

I get more than a few e-mails (which I always appreciate getting, by the way) about what networks we advertise on. One recent e-mailer was upset because we advertise on The O’Reilly Factor on FOX News.

Another person wrote that they were upset because we advertised on a competing network that they didn’t like.

Where and when we advertise Video Professor Lessons is a decision based on audience and the cost for us to reach that audience.

Bill O’Reilly for instance, is controversial. Not everyone likes him. But millions of others do and we want to sell them our lessons! Advertising Video Professor on his show produces results, just as it does on other programs like FOX & Friends or news and entertainment programming on other networks.

While I do admit to having a soft spot in my heart for the folks on FOX & Friends since I have appeared on the show three different times, ultimately we advertise with them because they have such a great audience. And many of the viewers buy our lessons.

We have a talented team of media buyers who make decisions on audience, cost and which networks and programs produce the best results.

Politics and business are a bad mix. That’s why in our ads I ask you to "Try my product®." You’ll never see me telling you how to vote. If one of our commercials appears just before or after a story on any candidate, it doesn’t mean we endorse that candidate.

Ultimately it’s you, the consumer, who is in charge. I hate to admit it, but sometimes when people see my smiling face on a commercial, they switch the channel! Others, however, pick up the phone and order a lesson.

Most folks have hundreds of channels to choose from, plus the Internet, and we just try to reach as many of you as possible. If you don’t like what you see, the problem is solved with just a click of your remote. I know, I do that a lot during election time!

Please keep on writing and sharing your thoughts with me.

-John
John W. Scherer
John is CEO & Founder of Video Professor, Inc.
You can reach him at ceo@videoprofessor.com