April 10, 2003
Infoworx Brings High-Tech Robotic Vacuum To Canadian Market Via DRTV
Turnkey Infomarketing Specialists Introduce Roomba To Canada In The Wake of Domestic Success
BOCA RATON, FL (April 10, 2003) – Infoworx, the leader in turnkey infomarketing, has joined forces with full service Canadian distribution company, Koolatron, to take aim at the Canadian market with the first automatic vacuum, Roomba, through a targeted direct response television campaign.
The 30-minute infomercial beta-tested the weekend of March 29 on Canadian broadcast and is gearing up for full rollout on national broadcast and cable. The program features sophisticated animation, thorough demonstrations and explanations, and extensive consumer testimonials about this unique robotic cleaning system.
Koolatron is slated to sell roughly 1,500 units via the beta test, with a commitment to sell an additional 40,000 units over the course of the year. Koolatron is responsible for all fulfillment, warehousing and call center management for the Canadian campaign. In order to maximize exposure in the Canadian market, the company has established strategic alliances with leading retailers to arrange in-store sales and demonstrations.
“Due to the overwhelming American success of the product thanks to the Infoworx turnkey approach, we received orders from the country’s most influential retailers before Roomba even hit Canadian soil,” said Linda Lafair, DRTV expert consultant with Koolatron.
iRobot initially selected Infoworx to manage the Roomba infomercial campaign based on the company’s turnkey approach of handling all aspects of the campaign process including telemarketing, fulfillment, media planning and production.
Roomba performs routine cleaning of hardwood and carpeted floors without manual guidance. This self-guided battery-powered robotic device relies on infrared guidance systems to maneuver around walls, furniture and other obstacles present in any home. Roomba is equipped with an emptiable storage bin, which collects dust and dirt. The device, which is a 13-inch diameter, 3 1/2 inch high disk, was designed to clean under furniture and other hard-to-reach spaces.
iRobot has 12-years experience developing sensors and artificial intelligence for the U.S. military and industrial equipment companies and four years experience developing interactive toys for consumers. Most recently, iRobot launched Pack Bot, a robotic device used by the U.S. military designed to survey the caves during the war on terrorism in Afghanistan. Via a partnership agreement with Johnson/Diversey and the Tennant Corporation, iRobot recently launched an automatic industrial floor cleaning machine that sweeps, scrubs and polishes at the same time. The company has applied its cleaning technology and sensing equipment toward the development of Roomba.
Roomba is available for $199.99 and operators will upsell extra batteries, a rapid charger and a $59.95 Virtual Wall. The Virtual Wall creates an infrared beam, which closes off a room that is being cleaned by Roomba.
ABOUT RON PERLSTEIN & INFOWORX:
With over 20 years of experience in the direct response arena, Ron Perlstein brings an expertise in infomercial media funding, legal compliance, celebrity acquisition and international distribution. Infoworx has successfully applied its turnkey management philosophy to create long-running profitable DRTV campaigns for a variety of clients ranging from the housewares to finance and business industry including Healthsaver Club, Micro Pro, Journee Cremes, Carnival Cruises, Pain Ease and Invent-Tech. Most recently, the company launched a highly successful direct response television effort for Roomba, the world’s first mass marketed robotic vacuum cleaner. Infoworx built marked brand awareness for the vacuum, as it has been lauded in leading publications including Fortune Magazine, USA Today and Time.