2006 Articles

Direct Response Television:
Worth a Test for Many Marketers


April 2006

By Warren Hunter

Many marketers in a variety of industries have found direct response television (DRTV) to be a cost-effective way to reach a broad audience. What makes DRTV an effective direct response medium is its unique ability to achieve immediate returns namely leads and sales for specific products and services. DRTV can play a prominent role as either an incremental or stand-alone revenue-generating medium.

The ultimate beauty of DRTV is that it allows marketers to react in relatively short timeframes to market shifts, competitive inroads, and unplanned or ad hoc opportunities – while ensuring financial accountability for every dollar spent.

The objective of a breakthrough DRTV execution is to marry production and media planning functions in a way that ensures cost per inquiry falls within budgetary parameters in both test and market expansion scenarios.

DRTV works best when two or more of the following conditions are met:

  • The product or service appeals to a broad audience or one not otherwise identifiable.
  • Benefits are easy to grasp and can be demonstrated.
  • There exists a powerful brand that can be leveraged.
  • It is possible, and beneficial, to use a celebrity spokesperson.
  • A product is “new” or just being launched.
  • There are up-sell products available at point-of-sale.

Marketers seeking to develop a winning DRTV effort must:

  • Grab and hold the attention of the intended target audience;
  • Quickly communicate the advantage of a product/service;
  • Create authenticity and urgency…incite the desire or need for the product now;
  • Reinforce the benefits and rewards of taking action (calling, writing, or visiting a Web site) today;
  • Demonstrate value and believable product or service performance.

There are several common mistakes that any marketer – novice or veteran – should avoid.  These include:

  • Asking television to do too much.
  • Trying to test too much with too little.
  • Testing just one commercial.
  • Focusing on production values and brand at the expense of basic direct response principles.

There exist a wide variety of creative approaches – from slice of life to humor to product demonstrations to testimonials and “talking heads.”  Determining which format is best requires an intensive evaluation of the product or service itself, the target audience, the competitive landscape, program goals and objectives, budget (what can you spend to acquire a lead), geography, and much more.

DRTV is often perceived as being too expensive and that it must be a “big budget” production in order to be effective. Depending on the product or service and the overall objectives of the campaign, it is possible to executive a cost-effective DRTV effort that drives results within a cost-per-lead or sale comparable to, and sometimes less than, that of other direct response channels. For many marketers, direct response television is a distribution channel that works!

To receive a free CD-ROM containing a variety of DRTV examples, e-mail Warren Hunter at whunter@dmwdirect.com.

About Warren Hunter
Warren Hunter is president of DMW, a full-service direct response advertising agency with offices in Wayne, Pa and Plymouth, Mass. The agency provides strategic planning, creative, database management, broadcast, media, production, fulfillment, and Web site promotion. Hunter can be reached at 610-407-0407 or via e-mail at whunter@dmwdirect.com. Visit DMW on the Web at www.dmwdirect.com.