Following on the heels of my August recap, here’s a look at Response‘s September issue — the last issue of our 25th year of publication and the final issue prior to the brand refresh we’ve been working on in recent weeks. Appropriately, then, the issue is led by a cover story about a traditional direct-to-consumer marketer also celebrating its 25th anniversary: Tristar Products. Beyond that, September’s book includes a look at marketing in the consumer packaged goods (CPG) market, a piece on the power of video marketing (no matter the medium) driving the convergence of media, technology, and commerce, and our 22nd annual State of the Industry report. Let’s take a look at how these — and other stories — came together to form this transitional issue.

• One could say that September’s cover feature was a long time coming. After all, Keith Mirchandani has led Tristar Products to a series of mega successes using long-form DRTV and the now tried-and-true DR-to-retail model. You know them: the Ab Roller, the Jack LaLanne Juicer, the Genie brand of women’s intimate apparel, and — most recently — the Copper Chef brand. (Side note, I interviewed LaLanne for a June 2003 Response cover story. Still one of my favorite interviews of all time.) The company also won the sixth DRMA Marketer of the Year Award in 2014, earning part of a cover with fellow finalists Euro-Pro and Zumba Fitness. Turns out we caught Mirchandani at the right time for an intriguing interview, as he says Tristar is focused on the digital future. His thoughts about Amazon feel revolutionary to anyone who’s spent a lot of time around many traditional DR marketers who seem resistant to change. If you missed the link above, here it is once again: Product Power
• Many experts believed — for some time — that consumers would never transition away from buying CPG products only at brick-and-mortar retail locations. But technology has a funny way of making such predictions look foolish, eventually. And with CPG marketers following the lead of success stories like Dollar Shave Club, Charlie’s Soap, and others, the CPG e-commerce revolution is well underway. What should you expect in coming months and years? Our feature from freelancer Doug McPherson has some answers: CPG Market: Toilet Paper Cleans Up … Online
• As video marketing becomes prevalent everywhere — from that 50-inch flat screen in your home to the 4-inch screen in your hand — it’s leading the way to a true convergence of media, technology, and commerce that’s serving both the marketer and the consumer in equally efficient ways. As we transition to our new tagline later this month — the magazine for media, technology, and commerce — this feature from freelancer Nicole Urso Reed tells part of the story about why we’re heading in this direction: Prime Time, All the Time
• As we’ve done every September for the past 21 years, we queried the members of our Advisory Board for their thoughts about the current state of the industry. Ten of these leaders answered at least a few of our 14 questions, and though we could never fit that in the limited print pages of the hard copy of Response, we can give you each answer they shared in the online version. Here’s that story link again: Response Magazine’s 22nd Annual State of the Industry Report
• Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings wrap up first-quarter 2017 results with a look at Kantar Media‘s DR radio results. After a five-quarter-long winning streak, DR radio finally gave back a little of those gains, dipping 7.9 percent compared to 1Q 2016 results. Still, the quarter’s total spend marked the second-best 1Q result during the past decade — so there’s no need to panic. For a full look at 1Q 2017 DR radio media billings, click here: Radio Loses Volume in 1Q 2017
• Don’t miss these solid column submissions that give weight to the September issue, as well:
  • In the Media Zone, Kingstar Media‘s Ed Crain and Anat Freed say that DRTV is poised to become a leader on the shifting media landscape.
  • In her latest En Español column, Omni Direct‘s Denira Borrero shares four key tips to maximize ROI from Spanish-language TV ads.
  • Icon Media Direct’s Jeff Lazkani — a member of the DRMA TV Everywhere Committee — takes over the Committee Corner with his thoughts on the expanding power of programmatic media buying.
  • Finally, Venable’s Daniel S. Blynn shares a Legal Review update on telemarketing law shifts.
• My Editor’s Note column sets the stage for Response Magazine’s coming brand refresh, while also dropping the news of our complete rebrand of our annual three-day event as MTC Expo. Yes, you’re going to be hearing a lot about the convergence of media, technology, and commerce. But it’s exactly where the business is headed — and we’re going to be right there with it, if not a step ahead. If you missed the link above, here it is: We Stand at the Intersection of Media, Technology, and Commerce

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!