From talkshow host to infomercial host February 25, 2009
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The Montel Williams Show was canceled last year. It was only months later that you saw him back on television. He was hosting a Direct Response Television commercial. The infomercial begins with a series of stories being told about tearful problems and some including death. The guests then explain how these travesties caused depression, sadness and long periods of grief. The answer? Books by Montel explaining how to self-help and treat difficulties. He suggests buying blenders and rotisserie chicken grills in order to get your life back on track through money management.
Montel Williams is then paid a percentage for the number of items sold during his infomercial. This is a different format to infomercial marketing. It is taking a product (Williams recognizable television show) and moving into a different arena all while trying to make it look as if it was the same. It is simply a way to intergrate advertising into a typical television show.
DRTV and Traditional advertising February 2, 2009
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There is a slight but major difference with DRTV advertising and traditional advertising. The one major difference is the information given during a short form DRTV ad. For example, Empire Direct is a flooring company that gives an at home consultation. The product is brought to your home and demonstrated by a professional. You then place an order with the employee and the floors are installed. This is a simple step process the business plan is clear. The major advertising is through their direct response television campaign. Without a major retail chain to promote the product, they rely heavily on how the product can be purchased through advertising.
LendingTree vs BidRx January 8, 2009
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When banks compete, you win!
This is a slogan used by Lending Tree. The company uses drtv experts to get their infomercials and direct response television ads out there.
There is a new company out there, it’s called BidRX. This company allows users to submit a form, in turn a pharmacy can compete for the customers business.
It’s common knowledge: if you build it = they won’t come!
A company must use DRTV or some shape of television marketing to drive traffic to their website. To reach critical mass and get customers to understand the concept, a short form infomercial can help BidRx. They would need to combine Web Design, Search Engine Optimization ( SEO ) and Search Engine Marketing.
Infomercials and eCommerce December 22, 2008
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1-800-Petmeds uses drtv / infomercial marketing to drive new customers to their website.
The drtv campaign setup by their drtv media buyer has always been very effective. The television commercial prompts the viewer to go online to the website and/or call the toll free number. The entire message is very simple:
- save money
- use the internet
- get the same prescriptions (only cheaper) and pay no shipping
Considering the entire pet industry is about $39 billion, this company has sales of about $180 million for 2008.
Infomercials being used by lawyers November 17, 2008
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Jim Sokolove is known for his straight talking, no nonsense, public service style infomercials.
The drtv ads used by Jim Sokolove use simple messages and repetition (no actors). The ads generate a ton of leads that are handled by an in-house call center. The leads are farmed out to attorneys across the country.
The drtv agency and drtv media planning firm uses television to drive traffic to the website and their toll free number. Most of the infomercials run by Jim Sokolove are
Infomercial Marketing and results November 10, 2008
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Infomercial marketing can be an excellent and effective way to advertise your product . Because infomercial marketing is straightforward, it frees your product of any jumble, and as a result, expands the viewer to become knowledgeable with your product.
You have probably seen the following firms using infomercials to market their products and services:
a) Snuggies
b) Video Professor
c) One Touch Can Opener
We will also be discussing how non-profits use infomercials to garner interest and spread their message while raising funds.
On-going DRTV advertising November 3, 2008
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DRTV marketing messages / infomercials can be seen on cable and network television. If a product or service can be used by a mass number of people, drtv is a great method to reach out.
Example of a business that can benefit from DRTV:
If you happen to be in the business of buying jewelry and giving people cash for gold – you probably have a business that has a mass appeal.
You probably have seen several different firms using infomercials to reach out and explain how they can help give cash for gold by having them send in their old or broken jewelry. This works well with drtv as the audience is huge and the message can be easily explained in a short format drtv infomecial.
Example of a business that may not be able to benefit from DRTV:
If you happen to be in a niche business of buying used medical devices from labs and hospitals and your company helps recycle ep catheters – drtv may not be the best method of reaching your audience. The reason being: the audience is far too low in number. You are better of doing a direct mailing or using a internet marketing firm to target a banner on sites that relate to ep catheters
Web Design and DRTV work great together October 19, 2008
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This article assumes you have a product or a service that you would like to market using broadcast media.
Example:
- your company has created a flash light that runs on a battery
- the battery is a new type of battery that will last forever
- you have a patent on this product and have already worked on creating prototypes
What should you do first:
Step 1 – work with a branding company / marketing company to create a logo
Step 2 – start with a design for a landing page / web site
Step 3 – contact a drtv agency to start planning your media plan and creative (video production)
It would be a huge waste if you had your creative done without embedding a website address in your actual infomercial. The exact numbers are not definitive but it can be said that you stand of lose a minimum of 10% of web orders by not having a website included in your actual infomercial.
The are many web design firms that work closely with drtv agencies. Search the web for the company that has a great track record working on DRTV based websites. One such firm is a boston web design firm: Dreaming Code
Advancing with Infomercials September 25, 2008
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Statistics throw up some interesting facts. Nowadays infomercials account for at least 25% of all television commercials. And nearly two third of the American viewers have watched an infomercial sometime or the other. Potential customers for DRTV are usually more affluent and educated. Although previously female customers outstripped the males, it is changing slowly but surely now.
Infomercials tap into the emotional side of viewers. Watching the product in its entirety, being explained all the aspects of the product, watching it in actual use – all these go a long way in building the viewer’s trust. This is a special advantage for complex products like repair kits and multi piece sets where the potential customer has the satisfaction of knowing exactly how to use the product in its totality before deciding to buy it. Nothing is vague or left to the imagination. Surprisingly according to a survey, infomercial viewers are more likely to trust infomercials than congress, used car salesmen and corporate executives!
Unlike traditional advertisements, the viewer is a part of the infomercial. The presenter talks directly to the viewer which works sub-consciously at a near-personal level and persuades the viewer to call for more information or to even place an order. Attractive buy-back policies, discounts and freebies add to the winning formula. Add-ons are also very important for a successful infomercial campaign to maintain the recall value of a product.
DRTV used by Obama September 18, 2008
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President elect Obama used a successful DRTV / infomercial marketing campaign to gain traction. He used both long from drtv and short form drtv for his campaign.
Its just amazing to see how his media plan and his drtv media buyer put together such a comprehensive plan.
