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Canadian companies in certain sectors are justly famous for combining technical wizardry and export-oriented thinking. Nortel of Brampton, Ont., phone supplier to the world, is one that immediately comes to mind. Bombardier of Montreal, maker of planes, trains, snowmobiles, water bombers and other Canadiana, is another.
Yet the success of two other exportoriented Canadian companies is often overlooked, even though they've quietly been making their presence felt around the world: direct response television marketers Northern Response and Interwood Marketing.
Northern Response (International), the overseas division of Northern Response (Canada) of Toronto, works as a direct marketing agent in countries as far-flung as Russia, Japan, the Philippines, Brazil, Italy and Australia. Don Cameron, NRI's new business development manager, says his division operates in 33 countries via a series of licensing deals that use direct response TV extensively.
"When Guthy-Renker (in the U.S.) produces 'Personal Power with Tony Robbins' (an infomercial), they don't come to Canada and try to buy media time from television stations," says Cameron. "They know we're an established player. They just license it over to us and we handle everything on their behalf."
But once the direct marketing systems are in place for a product such as Personal Power or other items that appear to have international sales potential, perhaps Eagle Eyes Sunglasses or The Billboard Hits of Rock and Roll Collection, NRI licenses them for countries other than Canada, says Cameron.
What NRI does, he says, is seek out the Northern...