Case 7

CASE ASSIGNMENT: Ron Popeil

Wheels, Deals, Has Mass Appeal

At Age 71, Ron Popeil is an avid inventor, tireless entrepreneur, clever marketer, and master salesman all in one. He just happens to be an American icon, too. The godfather of the infomercial, Popeil even has his famous Veg-O-Matic on display in the Smithsonian Institution as an American cultural artifact. His other famous products include the food dehydrator, the Ronco spray gun and the Popeil Pocket Fisherman.

As a teenager, Popeil helped his father sell his kitchen gadgets at local Woolworth’s and later, in the 1950s, on the Chicago fair circuit. That is probably why his famous shtick, which included such memorable catch phrases as “But wait, there’s more,” “Price so low,” and “Operators are standing by”, always seemed like a blend between sincere eccentric inventor and excitable carnival barker. The combination suited him well and brought him enough financial success that he could afford to take his act to television. In the 1960s he incorporated Ronco, and its name became synonymous with gadgets like the smokeless ashtray and Mr. Microphone.

Regardless of the product he is selling or the catchy pitch phrases he invents on the fly to sell them, Popeil is always sincere. "The easiest thing to do in the world is to sell a product I believe in," he has said. "If I spent two years creating a product, conceiving it, tinkering with it, I can get up and sell it. Who can sell it better than the guy who invented it?” Len Green, a professor in entrepreneurship at Babson University, says, “Ron is one of a kind. He is different from the rest because he not only invents; he sells. Most entrepreneurs come up with a concept and then give it to others to manufacture or sell. He’s his own best salesman.”

Though Popeil suffered his fair share of flops, like spray-on hair and a brief bankruptcy in 1987, he has always managed to bounce back. Returning from bankruptcy, he relaunched the popular food dehydrator...