DRTV no longer exists in a vacuum. The advent and wide usage of social media has seen to that — which means it’s more important than ever for direct response TV marketers to integrate social media into their strategies. Though some marketers perceive the medium as simply a way to bypass traditional retail channels, direct response TV is more than that, says Greg Siano, EVP and director of media services at Tierney, who notes the growing number of industries that have adopted the direct media channel as a marketing tool over the past decade.

This month, our expert columnists provide tips for how to best harness DRTV to engage audiences in a world that, as Andrew Gordon, president and founder of Direct Impact Group, says is no longer “linear.”

Of course, it’s also vital to keep the target audience firmly in mind when crafting a DRTV campaign. Marcelino Miyares, VP of Mercury Media en Español, shares tips for appealing to senior citizens and the Hispanic demographic.

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Marsha Kent is an intrepid spokesperson for the DRTV medium and the Infomercial model that it uses for marketing a product. She talks about a crucial step in the DRTV format- Media buying. She elaborates, “Once the product packaging is developed, the next step is the one that involves buying into the right mix of Media. You can advertise your product through the television, the radio and the print media. Television is normally the preferred medium, but the radio too can be used successfully to promote your product. DRTV media vehicles include broadcast and cable networks, local broadcast stations and specialty cable networks.”

She talks about how important it is to have an approximate estimate of the budget before deciding on the media mix. According to her, factors to consider before settling for the right mix are

• The local broadcast station, even cable networks in the area,
• Short or long form- what will be the length of the Infomercial,
• Time slot for airing the commercial- when is your target audience most responsive and most likely to see the commercial,
• What is the rating and the size of the audience involved,
• If there are any seasonal influences on the available media inventory,
• Ongoing trends in the market,

·         Any package deals available that will help to bring down the costing substantially.

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RNIB is today launching a direct response television advert featuring a young girl going blind in a bid to encourage regular giving.

The charity, which supports the blind and partially-sighted, is using a letter sent to it by a young girl thanking the charity for its Talking Book Service as the centerpiece of the advert, which will launch on 12 March across satellite and cable channels.

It is the first time in six years that RNIB has set aside budget for DRTV advertising and is designed to appeal to both warm and new supporters. The 90-second advert ends with a request for a £3 regular monthly donation. The ad is narrated by Downtown Abbey star Jim Carter, who provided the voice-over for free.

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In her money.cnn.com article The TV Ad Is Long From Dead Katherine Ryder writes, “Despite the promise of digital advertising, many ad execs still believe that the best way to captivate an audience is the 30-second television spot. Take, for instance, Chrysler’s Super Bowl ad this year.” She concludes the paragraph with “How can a banner ad compete with that?”

I couldn’t agree more. However I’d like to take her thesis one step further. The spot she refers to was spectacular, compelling, and…two minutes long. A :120 in DRTV parlance; a “Deuce” according to the Eicoff lexicon. Long enough to communicate the entire idea, rather than see how much could be squeezed into 30 seconds. Or, heaven forbid, 15.

To put a finer point on it: TV itself isn’t going away – but traditional :30 and :15 spots are looking more and more like dad with his hat on backwards at Coachella.

Don’t get me wrong, there are still going to be plenty of :30s and :15s on TV, and many of them will do their job of generating brand awareness and entertaining the masses. Personally, I love a good thirty-second spot. But in a world that’s increasingly focused on measurement and ROI and what-have-you-done-for-me-lately, many clients want –  make that demand that their advertising does more.

In the spirit of advertising that works harder, Ms. Ryder goes on to describe a world in which viewers can buy the product advertised right then and there, or at least learn more about it.

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The DRTV Centre, the leading UK specialist DRTV (Direct Response Television) advertising agency, reveals an inexpensive new business weapon; short quotes from happy DRTV clients. These add extra credibility to the company’s website and, because they come from interested third parties, make success stories and key selling points even more convincing.

DRTV includes any TV advertising that asks viewers to respond directly by phone, SMS (text) or web site visit. Nowadays over 25% of UK TV commercials are direct response – that is, the advertiser aims to achieve immediate response from the viewer via a heavily-featured 0800 number, text response or online visit. Depending on the advertisers marketing objectives, the desired response could range from a brochure request or other enquiry to a firm order.

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America’s sticky roller has done it again! After last week’s skyrocketing climb on the Jordan Whitney list, TV Personality and innovator Vince Offer’s Schticky(TM) ( http://www.schticky.com/ ) has made its way to #14 on the IMS list. Confirmed by television rankings and independent sources, Schticky(TM) is America’s top televised consumer product, proving that Schticky(TM) is America’s favorite sticky roller.

Along with Schticky(TM) ranking high on the IMS list, the Jordan Whitney list, a direct response television program ranking, just officially reported Schticky(TM) as #3 on their charts. This is yet another tremendous leap for Schticky(TM), since it was just ranked #5 on the Jordan Whitney list last week and #50 only two weeks ago.

The generated buzz for the Vince Offer’s Schticky(TM) has been remarkable. This recent boost proves the success of the marketing and viral advertisement provided by the Schticky team. From the infamous television advertisement, to the widespread Internet circulation, it is no surprise that the Schticky(TM)continues to prosper compared to other consumer related products.

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Executives at JelSleep LLC and their customer acquisition agency acquirgy are sleeping very well after results of their recently launched Direct Response TV (DRTV) campaign point the way to a major winner. The Jacuzzi® Bed Collection’s “Happy Couples” DRTV campaign successfully introduces consumers to two bedding industry innovations—JelSleep Technology™ and the No Cover Up Guarantee™.

The Jacuzzi® Bed Collection’s JelSleep Technology™ maximizes comfort and quality of sleep for couples through simultaneous heat diffusion and weight distribution—two elements critical to achieving a sound night’s sleep and waking well rested and rejuvenated. When a couple sleeps in a Jacuzzi® bed, BOTH sleepers get a great night’s sleep. To learn more how this technology works, go to: https://www.riskfreejelsleep.com/jelsleep-technology.aspx

Facing stiff competition in the premium, high-ticket bedding category, JelSleep President Rick Feingold knew JelSleep needed more than just an innovative product and a world recognized brand to break into the market. It also needed a compelling consumer offer. “I knew we had a breakthrough technology and a great brand, but the final key piece was to find an agency that could produce a great TV campaign for the Jacuzzi® Bed Collection and engineer a great offer that would motivate consumers to call or click,” said Feingold recently. “After meeting with numerous agencies, we chose acquirgy based on its extensive track record of success marketing innovative products via DRTV and its ability to deliver complete ROI accountability through strategic, efficient media buying and track offline-to-online orders.”

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The DRTV Centre explains that DRTV (direct response television) has shown huge growth internationally – because it can be highly effective. DRTV has the potential to produce great returns on investment, by attracting new customers instantly.

DRTV can sell product fast and it can produce colossal numbers of enquiries at low unit cost. Unlike brand advertising, it is immediately and accurately accountable; almost all variables are measurable, fast. So how does it work?

DRTV includes any TV advertising that asks viewers to respond directly by phone, SMS (text) or web site visit. Nowadays over 25% of UK TV commercials are direct response – that is, the advertiser aims to achieve immediate response from the viewer via a heavily-featured 0800 number, text response or online visit. Depending on the advertisers marketing objectives, the desired response could range from a brochure request or other enquiry to a firm order.

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Multi-channel consumption
The convergence of direct response television ads with various tracking phone numbers, URLs and even short codes has created a complicated environment for educators.  If someone calls a dedicated phone number, it’s very easy to attribute a response.  But, it’s not that simple anymore.

Television viewership has grown, in fact, according to Nielsen, it is up 22 minutes per month over last year.  But people are consuming TV differently.  It’s very much consumed as a companion medium.

People take comfort in having their TV sets turned on most of the day, but they are consuming other channels simultaneously. Most of the time, they are consuming information online while they are watching television.

The ubiquity of the Internet, as well as internet-enabled gadgets, has enabled consumers to see or hear something on TV and immediately go to the Web to find out more.

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