We had the misfortune to accept an invitation to the Holiday Inn to preview two new half-hour TV pilots to see whether they would fly commercially. The promoters said these would be presented an the informal atmosphere to simulate viewing in the home, complete with commercials. They encouraged us to come dressed for home TV watching.
They promised $250 in door prizes as a reward for our participation. Imagine our surprise to find a hotel conference room with those uncomfortable chairs theatre style and four small TVs for 160 people.
The pilots were 15 year old failed TV series, one a 13 episode version of City staring Valerie Harper of Rhoda fame that ran in the early 80s and the other a failed pilot called Soulmates. This evening had nothing whatsoever to do with TV and everything to do with running a cheap survey for advertisers. There were no washroom breaks allowed (Yea, just like home!).
Although the mail purports to come from Hollywood, the company that runs this market research scam is RSC, THE QUALITY MEASUREMENT COMPANY, a part of the ARS Group of Evansville IN. Margaret (Meg) Henderson Blair, D.Sc. is the President and CEO of The ARS Group (rsc), and she claims to "serve companies and their agents ranging from the world’s Top 50 advertisers (the Procter & Gambles, the General Motors, and the Pfizers of the world) to those whose marketing communications budgets are smaller (the Campbell Soups, the Kimberly-Clarks, the Celestial Seasonings, and the Remingtons of the world). Our measurement standard for marketing communications, or the message, is based on consumer brand preference (choice), summarizes the impact and place the brand owns in the hearts and minds of consumers, and ties to market and financial performance across industries and cultures." (From a published interview)
Her companies do no work for television producers. She can be reached at
MEG BLAIR
President & CEO
The ARS Group (rsc)
110 Walnut Street
Evansville, IN 47708-1423
(812) 425.4562
(812) 425.2844 Fax
www.ars-group.com
Do yourselves a favour and throw the tickets in the garbage when they arrive in the mail. You might think you have been specially selected for these theatre style tickets, but you are one of 2000 random households that received the exact same invitation! Here are some other unfortunate souls who were duped by this same scam.
NOW On / Newsfront / News / Sep 7 - 13, 2000
| The fact is, the people behind Television Preview, an Evansville, Indiana, firm called RSC the Quality Measurement Company, have nothing to do with TV ... www.nowtoronto.com/issues/2000-09-07/news2.html |
TeeVee.org: I Decide Television's Fate!
| So when I got a chance to go to a "television preview screening", ... This particular
television preview screening was being presented by a company with the ... www.teevee.org/archive/2001/05/09/ |
Steve McQueen's HeadÂarchive's
| Television Preview. Tonight I decided the future of television. That's right.
I sat in a room in an Embassy Suites in suburban Seattle and decided what you ... www.stevemcqueenshead.com/archive21501.html |
Television Preview: Thinly-Veiled Ad Focus Groups | Darren Barefoot
| Here are a few of the Television Preview scam (or at least sham) reports I found:
... I attended the Television Preview on January 25, 2006 in Vancouver, ... www.darrenbarefoot.com/archives/2005/ 11/television-preview-thinlyveiled-ad-focus-groups.html |
Television Preview by cleverblue
The Fate of the Entire Free Television Watching World
Retarded Jimmy's » Soulmates and City
| Of course I didn't see everybody's survey, but in a simple thumbs up thumbs down
show of hands, ... I just got roped into the Television Preview scam. ... www.retardedjimmy.com/index.php?p=3 |
Frell Me Dead - WHATS THIS!!!? TELEVISION PREVIEW Invitation!>?
| ... You have been selected to participate in a survey whose findings ... in the mail, 4 tickets
to a hotel, etc.) and ... to what I call the "Pilot Scam." Yes, legitimate ...
wfs.ilansite.net/forums/printthread.php?t=7531 |
| ... We entered the hotel and hopped promptly in line, taking in the ... Well, that concludes
our survey. ... is that it's basically a huge market research scam, and that ...
www.actionmanmagazine.com/ article_standard.php?article_id=909 |
| One of them is Television Preview, and I was a happy participant in one of their
fun survey nights last Friday, thanks to the invitation of my generous ... cheek.blogspot.com/2001_07_01_cheek_archive.html |
Frell Me Dead - WHATS THIS!!!? TELEVISION PREVIEW Invitation!>?
| You Have been selected to participate in A survey whose findings will ... It goes
on...but enclosed was 4 tickets to the hotel in my area for March 1 730pm ... www.watchfarscape.com/forums/showthread.php?t=7531 |
Michael J.'s Notio: People & Society Archives
| Katrina went to a Television Preview Screening. She found it sickening; ...
MG: I think the worst scam that was ever performed on the innocent American ... www.notio.com/people_society/> |
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