DRTV Generates Leads

DRTV is now used by leading Brands

DRTV is often considered to be the poor relation of other media aimed primarily at daytime viewers with debt problems or those seeking compensation claims of some sort. Companies offering solutions to these problems use DRTV because they know it works and can generate many thousands of good leads at an acceptable cost-per-response.

Among the leading brands now adopting DRTV and helping to improve DRTV’s credibility, are Apple, Braun, Coca-Cola, Disney, Weight Watchers, Nissan and numerous charities looking for donors – proving that if a company gets its DRTV campaign right then thousands of TV viewers will pick up the phone or visit a website within the first 10 minutes of their DRTV ad appearing on screen.

For DRTV success you need a specialist DRTV Agency

It has, arguably, been the emergence of specialist DRTV agencies which has promoted this growth. In the UK, ARM Direct provides its clients with DRTV creative plus DRTV media planning & buying. It also offers a bespoke DRTV campaign tracking & analysis software system so that client’s can monitor which TV channels are generating the most response, and at what times of day in what programmes. After many years of DRTV experience ARM Direct are experts in helping clients generate measurable results profiling customers by their needs & responses as well as geographic location.

Typical DRTV consumers

Recent research reveals that DRTV consumers do not necessarily fit the demographic profile many of its critics might expect. Around 79% of DRTV buyers are homeowners aged between 25-45yrs, 53% are professionals and 68% are graduates. Some 53% of consumers respond to DRTV ads in the afternoon, compared with 23% in the morning and 24% in the evening.

First-time DRTV respondents usually have to watch an ad two or three times before they are prompted to act, which means it’s vital Brand advertisers follow ARM Direct’s proven rules when making their first DRTV ad.

Making a successful DRTV ad

All DRTV ads must generate an immediate response so it is crucial to use simple language to express a solution that viewers can respond too. The DRTV ad must also be the right length – 60sec works best according to CH4 Research – the creative must be sincere, use an 0800 number & URL plus display these within 5secs from the start.

At ARM Direct we’ve made highly successful DRTV ads with budgets from as little as £12,500 and we achieve this without sacrificing any creativity believing that the commercial must be original and clever whilst at the same triggering a high response from targeted TV viewers. The product or service should be made clear, any music or sound must complement the message, and viewers need to be reminded several times to call the number on the screen or to visit the website.

Ultimately, for your DRTV ad to work effectively, the creative idea must be simple and the DRTV campaign should form part of an integrated marketing strategy which includes other activities such as VoD, Online,Press and Sponsorship.

DRTV is perfect for established Brands

ARM Direct has proven that DRTV is the perfect partner for Brand advertisers who want to encourage consumer participation. For example, in the USA several major Brands use DRTV for generating additional interest especially during product launches. 30sec Brand ads run in peak and are costly whereas 60sec DRTV ads work best off-peak which means responders are more likely to have a genuine interest in the product or service.

Several ARM Direct clients have used DRTV ads to actually launch their Brands and generate immediate business – then later they have added more traditional Brand ads to their marketing mix at selected times of year eg. pre-Christmas or school holidays or before a major sporting event.

DRTV helps drive Online success

The importance of online & smartphones is another reason why there is a growing interest in DRTV as Brand advertisers realize the advantages of adopting a duel approach by dovetailing their regular campaigns with DRTV ads. DRTV drives online and mobile response especially as consumers now appreciate they have alternative methods to browse before purchase.

Infomercials and the power of the half hour show

ARM Direct has many case studies of DRTV having been responsible for substantially growing business especially in the financial services sector. Some advertisers, however, have developed longform Infomercials. Started in the 80s in the USA, usually between 15 & 30 minutes long, Infomercials are used by clients selling items such as kitchen gadgets or cosmetics and many have achieved multi-million dollar successes. Today the Infomercial format is appealing to a wider range of Brand advertisers and Lexus, Nissan, Dell, CitiBank and others have regularly used Infomercials to launch new products and attract new fans & buyers.

At ARM Direct we believe Infomercials work for two reasons: anyone who sits through an entire 30min commercial show will afterwards have a very good understanding of the brand and high propensity to buy the product or service. Whilst creative production costs will be higher the upside is that UK Infomercial airtime costs are very low.

Key DRTV Facts

DRTV continues to grow because it can generate an immediate return on investment (ROI). Many Brand-owners are now setting aside separate budgets for DRTV campaigns helping to support their social media & online campaigns as well as generating thousands of new sales & enquiries.

• Total TV advertising expenditure has remained strong in recent years, in spite of newer forms of media competing for consumer attention.
• The proportion of DRTV ads carrying a URL has risen significantly, largely due to the growth of online sales.
• SMS has also become a more important since the launch of smartphones and many DRTV ads now include this response mechanism.
• Over the past 4 years DRTV ads featuring a URL only have increased.DRTV ads now account for over 28% of all ads on UK television.