The Sharper Image - Advertising and Business

Advertising and Business

The Sharper Image's advertising budget was primarily directed to its monthly catalog for about the first 20 years of its existence. Once products like the Ionic Breeze were introduced, the company began using infomercials for advertising. Most other products in the home air purifier market (including those made by Oreck) already used this medium, so The Sharper Image followed. This move boosted sales, but led to confusion between prices advertised on television and those marked in the retail stores.

The company was known to receive special supplier contracts. For instance, its HW551 and HW552 product code massage chairs were specific to The Sharper Image, and Human Touch Interactive does not sell those specific chairs to any other retailer. Ever since the Robosapien was released on the market a few years ago, The Sharper Image had the exclusive rights to sell the "Signature Series" Robosapiens in chrome or blue-chrome, as opposed to the standard white models that are sold in other stores.