Business View Magazine - September 2016 29
television stations devoted entirely to infomercial pro-
gramming.
In the United States, infomercials are regulated by
the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), which has strict
rules governing how products may be endorsed and
what claims made about them are acceptable. In
1991, several industry principals formed the National
Infomercial Marketing Association (NIMA) in order to
represent infomercial companies and their servicers,
while providing the self-regulation necessary so that
the FTC would be less inclined to wield a heavier regu-
latory hand.
In 1997, NIMA changed its name to the Electronic Re-
tailing Association (ERA) in recognition of the fact that
TV’s direct response advertising model was expanding
into other media. “It evolved into an industry that en-
compasses the whole omni-channel: TV, digital, radio,
print, direct mail, and email,” says Chris Reinmuth,
the Acting President and Executive Director of today’s
ERA. “So, we’ve become a fully, direct, omni-channel
association; anybody that is doing direct marketing
would be a potential member.”
The ERA’s current membership includes 3,800 individ-
uals at more than 450 companies in 45 countries, and
encompasses all levels of direct response marketers
and suppliers. “We provide a networking platform for
service providers ranging from media, to fulfillment,
to call centers, to CRMs, to e-commerce platforms,
all the way through to our marketers,” Reinmuth says.
The Association’s mandate is to represent that global,
$350 billion, direct-to-consumer marketplace in sev-
eral ways.
First, ERA provides unparalleled access to indus-
try leaders and influencers through its annual trade
shows, summits, conferences, meetings, and events,
where members can network, make personal connec-
tions, and conduct business. The ERA also helps its
merchant members learn how to sell their products in
the omni-channel marketplace. “Who’s the best fulfill-
ment house; who’s the best media company to buy
your media through; who’s the best call center to take
AT A GLANCE
WHO:
The Electronic Retailing Association
WHAT:
A trade association representing the di-
rect response industry
WHERE:
Washington, D.C.
WEBSITE
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