Media Zone: Thinking About DRTV? What a Brand Manager Needs to Know

1 Oct, 2007 By: Bill Raymond Response

---

It is estimated that just one in 25 infomercials succeed. However, the success rate for those marketers who take the time to select experienced, expert DRTV vendors is much higher. From the simple question of whether the product is even right for DRTV to making sure your inbound telemarketing script is maximizing upsell revenue, vendor selection is a key to success.

Bill Raymond

 

Selecting the Right Agency

 

One of the most important vendors in a DRTV campaign is the media agency — the one vendor that will have interaction with all of your other key vendors. This agency must not only be well versed in the media business, but should be experienced in all aspects of a DRTV marketing campaign. It must be able to get you in touch with the professional vendors that will help make your campaign as successful as possible. It should also be somewhat involved in these vendor relationships, from viewing and commenting on rough cuts of your show, to helping read and revise inbound telemarketing scripts.

These key vendors include production, dubbing, telemarketing, merchant banking and fulfillment houses. Having real-time, accurate data from an experienced vendor that is used to the quick pace and volatile nature of a DRTV campaign is vital. A good agency knows where these vendors are.

Because media drives the sale, the agency is on the front line. It needs to act as your partner rather than a vendor, helping guide your campaign through the common pitfalls that can plague a DRTV campaign. An expert agency will be able to help you interpret your data so, in turn, you will be able to make quick and accurate decisions.

Key elements to look for in a DRTV media agency are sound management, presence in the media world, cutting-edge information technology and solid buying principles. The media management team for your campaign should include an executive, a cable or broadcast media director and at least one back-office contact.

You should have access to an executive of the company who has the ability to make key daily decisions that can affect your campaign. The media director will give you immediate insight into the media marketplace and should be able to advise on, and direct, the selection of media. The back-office contact handles daily coordination of tape traffic, telemarketing and scripting elements.

 

From Production to the TVScreen

 

Your agency is the only liaison you have to getting your infomercial on television. This agency should be able to supply your campaign with $10,000 to $1.5 million a week in proven media, depending on the stage of a campaign or success of your show. The majority of national cable media is booked on an incumbency basis so you need to pick an agency that is established and has this media in their daily inventory.

National cable media is managed and sold in New York. If your agency has an office or presence in the city, it can only help your campaign acquire the media needed. Broadcast (local station) media can be purchased direct from the station or through one of the many station rep firms. These rep firms have a large presence in New York, Chicago and Los Angeles, which is also home to the sales teams for most regional spot media.

Solid DRTV buying principles dictate renewing media that works and canceling or renegotiating media that does not. Make sure the agency you select rebooks your show in the exact time periods on the same networks and stations that perform well for your infomercial.

Broadcast media is being sold more on a week-to-week basis, and last minute opportunities (fire sales) must be taken advantage of. This means you need an agency that has buyers in different time zones, buying media at all hours of the workday.

Most DRTV agencies offer about the same rate for media. What gets an agency into the desired time periods are long-standing relationships built on expert knowledge and financial stability.

Bill Raymond is executive vice president/broadcast media director at Cannella Response Television, a DRTV media agency. He can be reached via E-mail at braymond@tvinfomercial.com.

Bookmark it: digg del.icio.us technorati yahoo facebook twitter