Many of our customers strive to develop consideration and preference for their products and services. For them, third party endorsements are critical to adoption of their new products and services not only by end user customers but by their retail trade partners. The question is how to achieve low-cost reach and frequency with the endorsements over a sustained period of time. Increasingly, we're turning to short-form direct response television (DRTV) advertising.
The DRTV rates we're able to negotiate are 35-45 the cost of regular media buys. In many cases, we're able to more than quadruple frequency and reach. The creative in our spots revolve around the third-party endorsements that end user customers seek out when they're researching a major durables purchase. We typically use social media and publicity-based marketing programs to spur these third party endorsements from real customers and/or experts who have fallen in love with our customers' products. Our creative formula always includes a third party endorsement for each key product attribute within the spot. The spot is structured to highlight the product as a solution and always ends with several compelling calls to action (CTA.) All this in 60 seconds or less!
Thinking about DRTV for those product categories without P&Ls to support broadcast media buys? Below are a few questions you should ask your vendors.
1.) How many DRTV ads do they complete each year? Relatively few agencies have a laser focus on DRTV. The skill set is remarkably different from a created brand spot.
2.) Do they have a proven method? Everyone has a method or approach. The question is whether or not they have business results to support their method.
3.) Do they have working relationships with seasoned DRTV creatives and media buying personnel? Most of the time the best professionals aren't on staff with agencies. Because of this, you can save big bucks if you negotiate well.
4.) What are my DRTV economics? These include conversion rate, cost per lead, fulfillment cost, call center cost and return on investment.