Direct response television
Encyclopedia
Direct Response Television, or DRTV for short, includes any television
advertising that asks consumers to respond directly to the company --- usually either by calling an 800 number or by visiting a web site. This is a form of direct response marketing
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There are two types of direct response television, short form and long form. Short form is any DRTV commercial
that is two minutes or less in length. Long form direct response is any television commercial longer than two minutes. This was the accepted term for an infomercial
from 1984 until "infomercial" came into vogue in 1988. The most common time period available for purchase as "long form" infomercial media is 28 minutes, 30 seconds in length. Long form is used for products that need to educate the consumer and create awareness, and typically have a higher price. A relatively small amount or media time may be purchased in lengths less than 30 minutes but more than 2 minutes. Five minute is the most commonly available time of these lengths.
Direct Response Television campaigns are commonly managed by specialist Direct Response or DRTV agencies with a full range of strategic, creative, production, media, and campaign services. They may also be managed by media buying agencies who specialize in direct response. In either case, these agencies purchase remnant air time from media outlets such as broadcast stations and cable networks. As DRTV has gained presence outside of its start in the United States, local agencies have developed in many countries.
To qualify for the special media rates offered DRTV commercials, the advertising must ask the consumer to contact the advertiser directly by phone, by text message, or via the web. In the early days of DRTV, this was nearly always to purchase the product. Over time, a wide range of consumer actions have become used. And, many consumers watch the advertising, but choose to purchase at retail without ever contacting the company. Typically for every unit sold on TV, anywhere from 3 to as high as 15 units sold at retail depending on retail distribution.
. Over time, it has also become used as a more general advertising medium and is now used by a wide range of companies --- often to support retail distribution.
Many types of companies use DRTV. Marketing companies who specialize in DRTV continue to use the format to offer product exclusively sold through TV. Many of these items find their way to retail shelves once their television campaign has ended or has matured. Mass merchant retailers often have "as seen on TV" sections in their stores.
DRTV has also become a commonly used advertising medium for insurance companies, mortgage companies, cell phone providers, credit card companies, and a host of other services. Companies using this approach include Blue Shield, AAA Insurance (CSAA), Bank of America, Citibank Credit Cards, DirecTV, Dish Network, and many more.
Lead generation has become a large segment of many DRTV campaigns. Typically these campaigns collect leads and close the sale at a later date via direct mail, email, or phone specialists. Other uses of DRTV include branding via hybrid campaigns, whereas you create awareness of the product and drive retail sales with no firm response goal. Even retailers themselves use DRTV to drive demand. Examples include The Sharper Image, Home Depot, and Sears.
offers a range of DRTV recognition awards. And even general advertising and production award shows, like the Telly's, WorldFest and Davey's, include categories for long form TV Infomercial and DRTV work. For short-form television direct marketing, the DMA (Direct Marketing Association) recognizes program excellence via the A. Eicoff Broadcast Innovation Award, named for DRTV pioneer and DMA Hall of fame member, Alvin Eicoff
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have been DRTV ads and encouraged direct response via websites and 800 numbers. These include ads for web services ranging from Cars.Com to Pets.com and Monster.com. The eTrade
advertisement shown during the 2008 Super Bowl featured both an 800 number and a website for response In 2000, Netpliance aired a 30 second advertisement driving phone calls to 1-800-iopener or Netpliance.com in Super Bowl XXXIV http://commercial-archive.com/commercials/netpliance-webhead-2000-030-usa. Anticipating high response they obtained additional web hosting services in order to support direct response web traffic from the advertisement. During the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII
, Cash 4 Gold ran a national advertisement during the Super Bowl. This was erroneously reported to be the first DRTV ad in Super Bowl history.
Television
Television is a telecommunication medium for transmitting and receiving moving images that can be monochrome or colored, with accompanying sound...
advertising that asks consumers to respond directly to the company --- usually either by calling an 800 number or by visiting a web site. This is a form of direct response marketing
Direct response marketing
Direct-response marketing is a form of marketing designed to solicit a direct response which is specific and quantifiable. The delivery of the response is direct between the viewer and the advertiser, that is, the customer responds to the marketer directly...
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There are two types of direct response television, short form and long form. Short form is any DRTV commercial
Television advertisement
A television advertisement or television commercial, often just commercial, advert, ad, or ad-film – is a span of television programming produced and paid for by an organization that conveys a message, typically one intended to market a product...
that is two minutes or less in length. Long form direct response is any television commercial longer than two minutes. This was the accepted term for an infomercial
Infomercial
Infomercials are direct response television commercials which generally include a phone number or website. There are long-form infomercials, which are typically between 15 and 30 minutes in length, and short-form infomercials, which are typically 30 seconds to 120 seconds in length. Infomercials...
from 1984 until "infomercial" came into vogue in 1988. The most common time period available for purchase as "long form" infomercial media is 28 minutes, 30 seconds in length. Long form is used for products that need to educate the consumer and create awareness, and typically have a higher price. A relatively small amount or media time may be purchased in lengths less than 30 minutes but more than 2 minutes. Five minute is the most commonly available time of these lengths.
Direct Response Television campaigns are commonly managed by specialist Direct Response or DRTV agencies with a full range of strategic, creative, production, media, and campaign services. They may also be managed by media buying agencies who specialize in direct response. In either case, these agencies purchase remnant air time from media outlets such as broadcast stations and cable networks. As DRTV has gained presence outside of its start in the United States, local agencies have developed in many countries.
To qualify for the special media rates offered DRTV commercials, the advertising must ask the consumer to contact the advertiser directly by phone, by text message, or via the web. In the early days of DRTV, this was nearly always to purchase the product. Over time, a wide range of consumer actions have become used. And, many consumers watch the advertising, but choose to purchase at retail without ever contacting the company. Typically for every unit sold on TV, anywhere from 3 to as high as 15 units sold at retail depending on retail distribution.
DRTV as sales channel
When it first appeared, DRTV was used to market goods and services directly from the manufacturer or wholesaler to the consumer, bypassing retailRetail
Retail consists of the sale of physical goods or merchandise from a fixed location, such as a department store, boutique or kiosk, or by mail, in small or individual lots for direct consumption by the purchaser. Retailing may include subordinated services, such as delivery. Purchasers may be...
. Over time, it has also become used as a more general advertising medium and is now used by a wide range of companies --- often to support retail distribution.
Many types of companies use DRTV. Marketing companies who specialize in DRTV continue to use the format to offer product exclusively sold through TV. Many of these items find their way to retail shelves once their television campaign has ended or has matured. Mass merchant retailers often have "as seen on TV" sections in their stores.
DRTV as advertising for brand marketers and retailers
Starting in the 1990s, many brand manufacturers began to use DRTV as a part of their advertising mix. In these cases, most products featured on DRTV are also available at retail. The DRTV campaigns ask for direct consumer action either to purchase the product or to obtain a coupon which they can use at the retail store. Companies who have used DRTV for these purposes include DuPont (Teflon), Hamilton-Beach, Space Bag, Rubbermaid, P&G, Toyota, Philips Consumer Electronics, Bissell, Evinrude, and Sears (Craftsman brand).DRTV has also become a commonly used advertising medium for insurance companies, mortgage companies, cell phone providers, credit card companies, and a host of other services. Companies using this approach include Blue Shield, AAA Insurance (CSAA), Bank of America, Citibank Credit Cards, DirecTV, Dish Network, and many more.
Lead generation has become a large segment of many DRTV campaigns. Typically these campaigns collect leads and close the sale at a later date via direct mail, email, or phone specialists. Other uses of DRTV include branding via hybrid campaigns, whereas you create awareness of the product and drive retail sales with no firm response goal. Even retailers themselves use DRTV to drive demand. Examples include The Sharper Image, Home Depot, and Sears.
Awards
Several award programs recognize excellence in DRTV advertising. Awards are sponsored by the Electronic Retailing Association (ERA) who honor both short-form and long-form DRTV advertising at their ERA Annual Awards and Gala at the ERA D2C Convention. Annually the Jordan-Whitney GreensheetGreensheet
Greensheet is a local community newspaper based in Houston, Texas with local offices in Houston, Texas, Dallas, Texas, Ft. Worth, Texas and Austin, Texas. The newspaper was founded in March 1970. Greensheet currently has 20 print editions in Texas. 12 in Houston, Texas; 4 in Dallas, Texas; 3 in...
offers a range of DRTV recognition awards. And even general advertising and production award shows, like the Telly's, WorldFest and Davey's, include categories for long form TV Infomercial and DRTV work. For short-form television direct marketing, the DMA (Direct Marketing Association) recognizes program excellence via the A. Eicoff Broadcast Innovation Award, named for DRTV pioneer and DMA Hall of fame member, Alvin Eicoff
Alvin Eicoff
Alvin Maurey Eicoff was widely recognized as a founder of direct response television advertising. He helped pioneer the use of “1-800” numbers on television, along with the phrase “or your money back”. Alvin was a proponent of short-form DRTV, which consisted of 120-second and 60-seconds...
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Super Bowl and direct response television
Many advertisements during the Super BowlSuper Bowl
The Super Bowl is the championship game of the National Football League , the highest level of professional American football in the United States, culminating a season that begins in the late summer of the previous calendar year. The Super Bowl uses Roman numerals to identify each game, rather...
have been DRTV ads and encouraged direct response via websites and 800 numbers. These include ads for web services ranging from Cars.Com to Pets.com and Monster.com. The eTrade
Etrade
Etrade may refer to:*Electronic trading*E-Trade, a financial services company...
advertisement shown during the 2008 Super Bowl featured both an 800 number and a website for response In 2000, Netpliance aired a 30 second advertisement driving phone calls to 1-800-iopener or Netpliance.com in Super Bowl XXXIV http://commercial-archive.com/commercials/netpliance-webhead-2000-030-usa. Anticipating high response they obtained additional web hosting services in order to support direct response web traffic from the advertisement. During the 2009 Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII
Super Bowl XLIII was an American football game pitting the American Football Conference champion Pittsburgh Steelers against the National Football Conference champion Arizona Cardinals to decide the National Football League champion for the 2008 season. The game was played on February 1, 2009,...
, Cash 4 Gold ran a national advertisement during the Super Bowl. This was erroneously reported to be the first DRTV ad in Super Bowl history.