Promoting Made In Hawaii Goods
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John Noland sets up a shot for a commercial with
Susan Morita from Menehune Mac Chocolate Factory.
Videographer is Chris Rust.
Media personality John Noland creates a buzz about local products with his company, Made In Hawaii TV Show.
“We’re trying to fill a niche,” says Noland. “People are willing to spend a little more for that special made-in-Hawaii product. Consumers have so many choices.”
His goal is to promote local products to tourists such as food, flowers, books, CDs, DVDs. Noland solicits the vendors and produces the commercials which lead people to order over the phone or drive them to buy from the website, madeinhawaiitv.com
His 30-second TV spots air in 70 Waikiki Hotels with Time Warner on five major channels: CNN, Headline News, Fox, ESPN and the Golf Channel.
In addition, he also generates 90-second vignettes featuring sports caster Liz Chun shopping for local merchandise. These longer spots air on Network Media’s Hawaii TV, Hawaii Television, which reaches 11,000 hotel rooms in 19 hotels.
“When I explain it to people, I tell them it’s like the shopping network,” Noland explains. “I’m trying to get it up to a QVC level.”
He credits Linda Kramer, owner of Hawaii’s Best Fulfillment, who ensures the items get to the customer for vendors who prefer not to handle distribution. Larry Le Lievre and Ian Chang of Xhype Communications handle the Website.
In the future, Noland hopes to increase the Made In Hawaii TV presence in the local market. Eventually, he wants to work with affiliate television stations on the Mainland to show local products nationally.
“We are riding in with the Made in Hawaii brand,” he explains.
The Maryknoll graduate carries on a family tradition of media savvy as his mom, Teddi, was the first licensed female disc jockey in Honolulu at KIKI in 1952. She was also a reporter and a singer. His uncle Rick Medina was a disc jockey on Maui for KMVI and KNUI.
Noland, a San Francisco State College broadcast journalism grad, worked as a reporter at KITV and KHON and then in sports. Presently, he does color commentary of Hawaii Pacific University women’s volleyball and men’s basketball.
He dedicated his business to his dad, Gorman, who passed away in 2003.
“He was my biggest fan and supporter,” Noland says about his dad who worked as a Realtor and land developer. His logo is a colorized version of a photo of dad riding on a surf-board in the 1940s with Diamond Head in the background.
One of the challenges Noland faces is getting people to understand that his company offers a tool for products made in Hawaii.
“They will get bang for their buck,” he notes. “We will definitely get them more exposure and help with their branding. We are going to discover the next Mrs. Fields.”
He would like to help companies, no matter what level they are at. He’s identified three different stages businesses might be in. One is the crafters, who mainly do weekend fairs. The second is a business that might be doing some marketing, and that might have a Web presence. Third is the larger well-established company.
“We are a local hui at its best,” he contends. “We encourage people to bundle their stuff so you can get a decent price point. We have gift packs and lauhala baskets.”
For more information, call 286-3862 or e-mail .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
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