Jul 19
adminDRTV
What makes some rebrands so successful, and others fall flat?
Consider the following:
- When NBCU’s USA Network rebranded itself, it turned into a $1.7 billion a year powerhouse.
- ABC Family’s rebrand made for the network’s most-watched year.
- Oxygen’s rebrand boosted its numbers 52% and 48% respectively in their top two target demographics.
- AMC brought in above-average ad revenue immediately after its rebrand.
- TruTV’s rebrand put it in cable’s Top 10.
One of the clearest paths to getting a rebrand right is continuing to appeal to marketers: If marketers are unclear on which target market the network is most likely to appeal to, they’re not going to have a lot of confidence that their ads will reach the right viewers.
Thankfully, rebrands are usually extremely friendly for niche marketing, since a successful rebrand will be as specific as possible in the kinds of viewers the network is hoping to draw.
Network rebrands often include dropping shows that don’t fit with the new image and aggressively pursuing new talent that exemplifies the brand. That said, one of the most powerful things any network can do is stick with a winning pattern. Instead of jumping on a popular new demographic, networks should only rebrand when it will actually strengthen their underlying base, instead of alienating it.
After all, a strong brand means a consistent target market, and that means confident ad buyers.
May 06
adminDRTV
As more and more videos and movies become available online, either through free sites like Hulu.com or through paid rental programs like Netflix, users are most frustrated by one thing: The small size of even the biggest laptop screen makes it difficult to enjoy a movie from across the room – or to share the experience with more than one person.
Many people are starting to hook up their computers to the TV so that they can watch their videos full-screen without having to sign up for cable or satellite subscriptions. This news is surely upsetting to cable networks that have been trying to figure out how to get more subscribers while the online media possibilities are changing what’s expected of them, but it’s good news for tech companies who can make that computer-to-TV conversion easy for the non-tech-savvy.
Intel has already come out with just such a product, working with Netgear. Intel’s system doesn’t work on Apple computers – or, indeed, on many laptops at all. There are three specific laptops that it works on, one each from Toshiba, Sony, and Dell and all of them available from Best Buy.
It works like a charm, though, so for users who really want the full-screen experience, it might be worth the purchase that supports those companies. It’s yet to be seen whether this is smart marketing or simply frustrating.
Sep 29
adminDRTV media buying, print media
We all know that the newspaper industry has been taking a major hit, with declining subscriptions contributing to lower print ad revenues. Newspapers have tried to adapt by going online, but the ad revenue they receive there is nowhere near enough to keep the highly-trained investigative personnel they need to perform.
One of the strategies newspapers haven’t yet considered is a fundamental change in the way they use their online platforms. The most successful online businesses are easy-to-use compilations of information – Google, iTunes, Etsy, Amazon.com. The strategy means that they can give consumers exactly the information they require in a single place.
Much of newspapers are similarly aggregators. They contain real estate ads, retail promotions, and classified sections selling everything from automobiles to new jobs. By using those naturally compiled sections of the paper, there may be a way to make newspapers valuable in a way that makes money for investigative journalism to continue and thrive.
Is it possible that by becoming an aggregate in select portions of the paper like classifieds, newspapers might just find their niche online – and that ad revenue they so desperately need?
Jun 04
adminDRTV media buying, media pricing
Most experts agree: this is the worst economic downturn in decades.
Predictions that things will get worse before getting better has some media buyers believing that the recession will work to their advantage. They will be looking for price rollbacks and much more flexible terms to keep the network time spots filled.
But others are not so sure.
Right now, the networks aren’t indicating plans to implement flex time or any other concession to buyers. CBS CEO Leslie Moonves, however, is the only network executive at this point willing to discuss possible pricing changes for his network. He has also indicated that CBS will be selling fewer inventories upfront in 2009.
Sellers at other networks say they have no idea how pricing will turn out this year in the upfront market. They say things could remain uncertain even longer – especially if media buyers come with unrealistic expectations, it could take longer.
According to Media.com North American CEO Doug Checkeris, the big question many advertisers have is, “Why go long now?” The obvious answer seems to be more attractive pricing. Will the pricing issue become between Networks and media buyers become ugly? Checkeris’ response: “If it’s not ugly, then we haven’t done our jobs.”
Mar 27
adminDRTV
Last year Black Friday managed to provide both online and in-store retailers some welcomed relief, according to the National Retail Federation (NRF) report.
Turns out that 172 million shoppers visited stores; that’s up from147 billion last year. Total spending for Black Friday came in at around four billion dollars, averaging out to be about $327.57 per shopper. That is an increase of 7.2 percent from last year.
The driving force
So what’s behind the increases? “Pent-up demand on electronics and clothing, plus unparalleled bargains on this season’s hottest items helped drive shopping all weekend,” explained Tracy Mullin, NRF president and CEO. Holiday sales are not expected to continue at this brisk pace, but it’s encouraging that Americans seem excited to go shopping again.”
Black Friday turned out to be the busiest of the weekend, resulting in 73.6 million shoppers at stores by early morning in an effort to snag the best deals. Beyond that weekend, American’s have slightly increased shopping for the holidays, up 3.3 percent from last year’s 36.4 percent.
Sales are up
Where are shoppers spending their money? Over half of Black Friday’s shoppers turned up at discount stores; 43 percent at department stores; 36 percent at specialty stores and 34 percent shopped online.
Even though the NRF report is encouraging, the overall forecast for this holiday is modest at best. NRF predicts holiday sales this year will rise 2.2 percent, making this the slowest season since 2002.
Sep 22
adminDRTV media buyers, olympics, television coverage, television history
The 2008 Olympic Games is now officially the most watched television event in history.
“It’s been a cultural phenomenon,” said Alan Wurrtzel, president, research and media development of NBC Universal. “I can’t think of another instance where the country so universally gets behind an event and shares it like they have with Beijing, not with the widespread fragmentation we see today.”
Media buyers get a big surprise… NBC’s national prime-time ratings were through the roof. They exceeded the guaranteed ratings of 14.5 media experts were expecting by 10 percent. And it hasn’t stopped there. Even after the Games began on August 8, NBC was able to secure an additional $30 million in ad revenue, according to NBC Olympic President Gary Zenkel.
Internet as part of strategy. In addition to the television coverage, NBC included the Internet as part of its overall marketing strategy. The plan was to stream 2,200 hours of live footage on NBCOlymics.com. NBC Reports state the site received 46.2 million hits from unique users and represented eight million hours of online video viewing.
From a business standpoint, the NBC network and NBCOlympics.com achieved Olympic success.
Sep 12
adminDRTV drtv campaigns
DRTV is quickly becoming one of the hottest options available for advertisers seeking affordable branding alternatives. The key to success using a DRTV campaign is to rely heavily on the promotion of a quality product.
Maybe it goes without saying, but promoting an inferior product will do much more harm than good. DRTV remains an affordable advertising option for many companies during a looming recession. In fact, the low cost of creating a DRTV spot has even spurred mainstream companies to allocate advertising dollars for DRTV spots.
Successful DRTV campaigns artfully combine testimonials, product/technical descriptions and a call to action. Many infomercials receive thousands of orders within minutes of airing the ad.
Fortune 500 companies are running brand commercials and adding an 800 number and or website in order to purchase media time more cost effectively, which is why infomercials can be so effective for these type of advertisers.
It’s true. Both broadcast and cable networks are able to sell DRTV slots well below normal rates. Sometimes these spots can be bought for less than one-third of the regular rate – especially if the network is motivated to fill any unsold slots.
Tobe Berkovitz, a Boston University professor, makes an interesting observation about the economic climate’s effect on DRTV: “It seems there’s a direct correlation…the worse the economy is, the more active DRTV becomes.”
Jan 28
adminDRTV, Uncategorized
In today’s highly competitive and rapidly changing retail environment, it’s more important than ever to utilize a multi-channel direct marketing program to maximize sales across retail platforms. There are several proven and evolving marketing models that are being employed by savvy retailers, who understand how to optimize retail sales through direct marketing. We will explore some of these strategies, so you can consider how they can fit into your marketing mix.
Many online retailers are utilizing a combination of offline media including, infomercials, direct response television, print and radio to drive online sales. This type of direct marketing campaign is often referred to as a drive to web campaign. Online retailers are finding that consumers, who initiate a search online, after being exposed to an offline ad, are converting into a sale at a much high rate than those who come to their site through an online media channel. Many online retailers are deploying a paid search campaign that runs simultaneously with a DRTV campaign, in order to capture consumers who initiate a search after viewing a DRTV ad. At the same time, they are also implementing an SEO campaign, to help move up their site organically in the search listings.
Hybrid Campaigns
Another multi-channel retail marketing approach is a hybrid drive to web/drive to retail campaign, to increase both online and store traffic. Frequently, a multi-channel direct response ad campaign is used with this approach. Various media channels need to be tested to find the ones that deliver the optimum ROI. Offline media and online advertising, including paid search, email marketing, affiliate programs, behavioral/contextual and demographic targeting, and rich media can all play a role in a successful multi-channel direct marketing campaign. Social networks and blog networks are newer online mediums being explored by more progressive retailers. Remember that messaging needs to be consistent throughout the various mediums to maximize the impact of the campaign.
Understanding the Target Customer
In today’s more competitive retail environment, it’s increasingly important to understand who is your target customer and to make their retail experience both online and at the store level memorable and enjoyable, in order to increase your sales conversion rate and customer retention. Try to create a retail shopping environment/experience that is easy to navigate, appeals to the target customer and engages all their senses. Remember that online the consumer is always one click away from leaving your site. Retailers also need to understand the lifetime value of their customers and employ customer retention strategies to create customer loyalty and repeat purchases.
Multi-channel retailing is much more complex today, since it often takes place on several retail platforms, in order to gain the optimum results. Direct marketing programs need to be customized to reach target customers in a range of mediums and the shopping experience needs to be tailored to appeal to the target audience. Employing these strategies in your retail-marketing plan will help ensure a more successful 2008 for your retail business.
Oct 01
adminDRTV, Uncategorized
Infomercial media buying is a specialized type of media buying. Infomercial time is sold in thirty-minute blocks on both national cable and satellite networks and on local broadcast stations throughout the U.S. Infomercial time is generally available when regular programming goes off the air during the overnight and early morning time periods and during the morning and afternoon on weekends. Infomercial time is priced based on the size and viewership of the station or network and the size of market where the station is located. The most expensive infomercial time periods are on major cable networks on Saturday and Sundays.
Since there are thousands of local broadcast stations and hundreds of cable and satellite networks, in order to buy infomercial time successfully it’s important to work with a seasoned infomercial media buyer. An experienced infomercial media buyer knows the stations and networks that perform best for certain categories of products targeting particular types of audiences. A knowledgeable infomercial media buyer also knows how to negotiate the most favorable rates for their clients. For example, the rate card for an infomercial time slot might be $1,000, but a savvy infomercial media buyer may know that particular time period is only worth $500 and will be able to negotiate a substantial level of savings for a client’s infomercial campaign by utilizing this type of knowledge and expertise.
Sep 18
adminDRTV, Uncategorized
The iProspect study noted that all ranges of age, income and online tenure reported that conducting search engine queries has become more important to their use of the Internet over the last year. Since users report that the activity of searching is growing more important to them, then businesses need to make sure that their website is found by searchers. Exposing your target audience to your ads and url in multiple mediums will enhance their ability to find your website.
Not surprisingly, television drove the highest percentage (37%) of online users to perform searches, according to the iProspect study. Even in today’s more fragmented media environment, the power of TV remains strong and the influence of TV on online purchase behavior is growing. We have found that anywhere from between 30% to over 90%+ of customers make their purchase via the web, when they are offered both an 800 number and a website in a direct response television ad. Why is this happening? Many consumers feel more comfortable making a purchase via the web than through an in-bound telemarketing service. Also, over 50% of people are simultaneously surfing the web while watching TV, so it’s easy for them to log onto your site when they see your TV ad.
The bottom line is that if you’re not using a combination of TV, print and radio and online ads to reach customers, you’re missing a huge share of potential revenue. Infomercial companies that rely solely on one advertising medium are missing the mark. It takes a combination offline and online advertising to make a true impact on today’s consumers. So leverage your marketing dollars by using the synergy of DRTV and online ads to maximize the impact of your campaign. When you do, you will see your company’s bottom line results improve
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