In our previous post, we talked about DRTV and its newfound rise in the marketing world.
Here are three more great insider tips for how to get the most out of DRTV in today’s consumer market:
You Live in an Online World
When you think of direct response TV, you naturally think of, well, TV. But there’s a big online component to DRTV that you’d be remiss to neglect. Currently, as many as a third of DRTV product sales happen online, not through the 800 number. Don’t forget that many of your consumers will be looking for you online – and may not buy if they can’t find you.
Steal This Product
Your product doesn’t need to be completely new – and in some cases, it can help if it’s not. Think of how many ab machines or slice-and-dicers you’ve seen available. None of them want for customers. Look at what’s succeeded so far and take a hint. It can also give your product validity, since people are suspicious of completely new things.
Shorter is Better
The 120-second spot can do a lot more than you think. They often work especially well for DRTV because consumers can find the product and all of the additional information they’re looking for online. Give them the benefits, the 800 number, and a website, and let them come to you.
Monday, July 13, 2009
Monday, June 29, 2009
The State of DRTV (Part 1 of 1)
Advertisers of all backgrounds have long considered direct response TV some of the least sophisticated selling in the industry. It turns out DRTV had the right idea – with a dwindling consumer market, people aren’t looking for sophistication.
Making an impulse buy with the promise of their money back sounds pretty sweet to a lot of media buyers, even if they never quite get around to taking producers up on that promise. And as DRTV experts for years have known, they aren’t likely to.
If you’re new to DRTV in today’s market, there’s a few things you should keep in mind:
Prime Time Isn’t an Opportunity
Prime time sounds like a great opportunity for most other advertising types, but for DRTV, it can actually work against you. People watching prime time TV expect to find a certain kind of programming, and they may actually change the channel when they don’t see it. Stick to the audience who wants to find you.
Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
On average, only about 1 in 5 products put out by major multiproduct marketers actually succeeds commercially. Don’t count on the one product you’re shilling to be your sole source of success.
Tune in for Part II of The State of DRTV.
Making an impulse buy with the promise of their money back sounds pretty sweet to a lot of media buyers, even if they never quite get around to taking producers up on that promise. And as DRTV experts for years have known, they aren’t likely to.
If you’re new to DRTV in today’s market, there’s a few things you should keep in mind:
Prime Time Isn’t an Opportunity
Prime time sounds like a great opportunity for most other advertising types, but for DRTV, it can actually work against you. People watching prime time TV expect to find a certain kind of programming, and they may actually change the channel when they don’t see it. Stick to the audience who wants to find you.
Don’t Put All Your Eggs in One Basket
On average, only about 1 in 5 products put out by major multiproduct marketers actually succeeds commercially. Don’t count on the one product you’re shilling to be your sole source of success.
Tune in for Part II of The State of DRTV.
Sunday, May 17, 2009
Experts Weigh in: How Marketers Can Benefit from Both Search and Social Media
Who doesn’t want to know how to best maximize returns on their search and social media investments? Most online media buying experts will tell you that the best strategy is to integrate both channels.
The difference between search engines and social media. Joel Lapp, Senior Vice President of Account Services at Reprise Media says that lots of marketers view search engines and social media as two completely different entities. However, he states, "These two online mediums have much more in common than you might think."
Social media can improve search rank results. Lapp reveals that social media sites usually rank well in the search engine results.
You'll start to notice that search engines are beginning to provide search media sites results from videos, blog posts and forums. This means you can use search engine advertising to drive people to social media pages. It's a good idea to take advantage of the way search engines rank social media results.
Integrate paid search and social media. Ian Orkondy, Manager of Paid Search at Rosetta, reveals that there are numerous opportunities for marketers to improve the performance of their paid search campaigns by integrating it with social media.
Social media gives marketers an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and have two-way conversations about their experiences, interests, etc. It's also a great way to test out new ideas.
Find your biggest fans before getting social. Brian Chappell, Social Search Strategist for Ignite Social Media says, "One key element to social media optimization is finding folks interested in your products or initiatives. A way to do this is to find key influencers within a social network that might be interested in your product."
For example, you can go on Facebook and search to find others interested in "real estate investments." The important thing to remember is find your fans before reaching out on social sites.
The difference between search engines and social media. Joel Lapp, Senior Vice President of Account Services at Reprise Media says that lots of marketers view search engines and social media as two completely different entities. However, he states, "These two online mediums have much more in common than you might think."
Social media can improve search rank results. Lapp reveals that social media sites usually rank well in the search engine results.
You'll start to notice that search engines are beginning to provide search media sites results from videos, blog posts and forums. This means you can use search engine advertising to drive people to social media pages. It's a good idea to take advantage of the way search engines rank social media results.
Integrate paid search and social media. Ian Orkondy, Manager of Paid Search at Rosetta, reveals that there are numerous opportunities for marketers to improve the performance of their paid search campaigns by integrating it with social media.
Social media gives marketers an opportunity to connect with like-minded individuals and have two-way conversations about their experiences, interests, etc. It's also a great way to test out new ideas.
Find your biggest fans before getting social. Brian Chappell, Social Search Strategist for Ignite Social Media says, "One key element to social media optimization is finding folks interested in your products or initiatives. A way to do this is to find key influencers within a social network that might be interested in your product."
For example, you can go on Facebook and search to find others interested in "real estate investments." The important thing to remember is find your fans before reaching out on social sites.
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Cable Finds a Revenue Stream that Works
Despite the current economy, experts seem to be optimistic about the future of the cable industry. They don't anticipate that cable will experience the same trauma that traditional media is experiencing.
Protected by a dual income stream
One of cable's biggest strengths is its dual income stream which is its biggest protector right now. Even though cable's total ad intake could come in somewhere between being up one percent to being down by three percent during 2009, carriage fees will likely break any fall that occurs.
Broadcast networks fall short
Viewer fragmentation is another big issue. According to Nielsen, data ad-supported cable is up 10 percent in prime season to date, while the Big Four broadcast networks have plummeted another seven percent. The core audience demographic 18 to 49 age group of cable viewers is up nine percent from last year while NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX had a combined drop of 11 percent.
Surviving the economy
If cable giants like Discovery, Turner and Scripps are expected to perform well this year despite the dismal effects of the economy is having on broadcast networks, they still need to make it through the beginning of the first quarter, a period in which media spending typically declines after the holiday season.
To put things into perspective, Peter Koeppel, president of a Dallas media buying agency Koeppel Direct stated, "after 9/11 general advertising cut back significantly and I expect similar cut backs in the second quarter of 2009 which will create more opportunities for direct response advertisers."
Protected by a dual income stream
One of cable's biggest strengths is its dual income stream which is its biggest protector right now. Even though cable's total ad intake could come in somewhere between being up one percent to being down by three percent during 2009, carriage fees will likely break any fall that occurs.
Broadcast networks fall short
Viewer fragmentation is another big issue. According to Nielsen, data ad-supported cable is up 10 percent in prime season to date, while the Big Four broadcast networks have plummeted another seven percent. The core audience demographic 18 to 49 age group of cable viewers is up nine percent from last year while NBC, CBS, ABC and FOX had a combined drop of 11 percent.
Surviving the economy
If cable giants like Discovery, Turner and Scripps are expected to perform well this year despite the dismal effects of the economy is having on broadcast networks, they still need to make it through the beginning of the first quarter, a period in which media spending typically declines after the holiday season.
To put things into perspective, Peter Koeppel, president of a Dallas media buying agency Koeppel Direct stated, "after 9/11 general advertising cut back significantly and I expect similar cut backs in the second quarter of 2009 which will create more opportunities for direct response advertisers."
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Wal-Mart Sails Along in a Sinking Economy
Wal-Mart Stores, Inc. is on the upswing despite a struggling economy that is causing consumers to cut back on spending and retail chains to struggle to remain afloat while thousand continue to lose jobs.
Finding success
A week after retailers Best Buy and Starbucks announced more store closings and layoffs to come, Wal-Mart reported that their earnings for the third quarter rose 9.8 percent while sales increased 7.5 percent.
Stores that had been in business for at least a year reported a 3 percent increase in sales – that's twice as much as earnings during the previous year, and much more impressive than almost every other U.S. retailer.
Wal-Mart bounces back
This pattern is largely because of the economic downturn. As consumers seek cheaper products and weaker retailers end up closing up shop, Wal-Mart continues driving down prices, undercutting competitors and squeezing costs from other suppliers.
Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart's chief financial officer explained, "Our balance sheet is actually stronger than a year ago. If you think of the environment we are in, there are very few people who can say that."
It seems as if the souring economy has resurrected Wal-Mart just as its dominance was being threatened by lower returns on its bigger than life expansion formula, more selective consumers and a growing list of competitors. Now the company's size is its advantage.
Wal-Mart power
According to Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, for every dollar spent on goods other than cars last year, 8.2 cents went to a Wal-Mart store or Sam's Club, the company's warehouse chain.
Finding success
A week after retailers Best Buy and Starbucks announced more store closings and layoffs to come, Wal-Mart reported that their earnings for the third quarter rose 9.8 percent while sales increased 7.5 percent.
Stores that had been in business for at least a year reported a 3 percent increase in sales – that's twice as much as earnings during the previous year, and much more impressive than almost every other U.S. retailer.
Wal-Mart bounces back
This pattern is largely because of the economic downturn. As consumers seek cheaper products and weaker retailers end up closing up shop, Wal-Mart continues driving down prices, undercutting competitors and squeezing costs from other suppliers.
Tom Schoewe, Wal-Mart's chief financial officer explained, "Our balance sheet is actually stronger than a year ago. If you think of the environment we are in, there are very few people who can say that."
It seems as if the souring economy has resurrected Wal-Mart just as its dominance was being threatened by lower returns on its bigger than life expansion formula, more selective consumers and a growing list of competitors. Now the company's size is its advantage.
Wal-Mart power
According to Michael Niemira, chief economist at the International Council of Shopping Centers, for every dollar spent on goods other than cars last year, 8.2 cents went to a Wal-Mart store or Sam's Club, the company's warehouse chain.
Sunday, February 15, 2009
DVR Threatens Daytime Viewing Loyalty
The Syndicated Network Television Association (SNTA) has been telling advertisers for a long time about how day-and-date syndicated programs retain more viewers because people still watch television in traditional ways as scheduled without skipping over the commercials.
But, like so much else in TV, this, too, is changing.
More households are purchasing DVRs. A study of 800 daytime television viewers age 18 to 54 was conducted by New York-based Frank N. Magid Associates. Twenty-five percent to 50 percent of viewers of any particular daytime show are now shifting into digital video recorders (DVRs).
Over one-third of those surveyed had DVRs, while one in five said they planned to purchase one. The survey included 25 daytime shows: all of the network soap operas, seven court shows and eight talk shows.
The number of DVRs in homes is growing according to SNTA. Nielsen reports that 23 percent of homes have a DVR. The numbers are higher among adults 18 to 49 at 29 percent. Media buying agency Koeppel Direct projects that by 2010 approximately one-third of all households will have a DVR.
Why are DVRs such a threat? People use their DVRs to record shows they like that they can then view at any time of the day or night. Many watch nighttime shows on their DVRs during the day. This eats away at a program loyalty and becomes a daily habit.
But, like so much else in TV, this, too, is changing.
More households are purchasing DVRs. A study of 800 daytime television viewers age 18 to 54 was conducted by New York-based Frank N. Magid Associates. Twenty-five percent to 50 percent of viewers of any particular daytime show are now shifting into digital video recorders (DVRs).
Over one-third of those surveyed had DVRs, while one in five said they planned to purchase one. The survey included 25 daytime shows: all of the network soap operas, seven court shows and eight talk shows.
The number of DVRs in homes is growing according to SNTA. Nielsen reports that 23 percent of homes have a DVR. The numbers are higher among adults 18 to 49 at 29 percent. Media buying agency Koeppel Direct projects that by 2010 approximately one-third of all households will have a DVR.
Why are DVRs such a threat? People use their DVRs to record shows they like that they can then view at any time of the day or night. Many watch nighttime shows on their DVRs during the day. This eats away at a program loyalty and becomes a daily habit.
Wednesday, November 12, 2008
Bridging the Media Fragmentation Gap: What's on the Horizon? (Part 2 of 2)
Media fragmentation refers to a range of media options that has more options and content sources than ever before.
Today’s fragmented media playing field is a result of, among other forces, an ever-increasing amount of choices and devices that deliver media to each of us. This presents a “good news/bad news” scenario.
A recent ADOTAS discusses blogs, ad networks and all sorts of solutions. One solution, SRDS, has been used within the ad industry in recent years. It has been recently updated and is now equipped with an improved function and online tools allowing media buyers to navigate the fragmented media environment more effectively.
Media buying and planning solutions. Many seasoned (and newcomer) companies are also offering media buying and planning solutions. They include media research tools and other valuable resources to fit various advertising channels – online, print, events, outdoor, mobile and more.
These solutions include the ability to provide advance planning, knowledge, management and communication features like SRFI and RFP functions for contacting publishers directly.
Media fragmentation will continue to challenge the advertising industry, but new technologically advanced tools along with the increasing number of organizations providing innovative solutions are making great strides toward bridging the gap.
Today’s fragmented media playing field is a result of, among other forces, an ever-increasing amount of choices and devices that deliver media to each of us. This presents a “good news/bad news” scenario.
A recent ADOTAS discusses blogs, ad networks and all sorts of solutions. One solution, SRDS, has been used within the ad industry in recent years. It has been recently updated and is now equipped with an improved function and online tools allowing media buyers to navigate the fragmented media environment more effectively.
Media buying and planning solutions. Many seasoned (and newcomer) companies are also offering media buying and planning solutions. They include media research tools and other valuable resources to fit various advertising channels – online, print, events, outdoor, mobile and more.
These solutions include the ability to provide advance planning, knowledge, management and communication features like SRFI and RFP functions for contacting publishers directly.
Media fragmentation will continue to challenge the advertising industry, but new technologically advanced tools along with the increasing number of organizations providing innovative solutions are making great strides toward bridging the gap.
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