DRTV – The importance of multichanneling

While it is true that DRTV is a hugely successful medium today, a large part of the success is due to factors that are not strictly within the DRTV realm. The most prominent among these is the internet. Clearly, the Web has the biggest impact on multichannel marketing today. Originally the Web tended to be simply an ordering venue for customers who were stimulated to buy through other mediums, but it has blossomed into a primary destination for learning, research and purchasing. It is therefore very important to include the internet as an integral part of any DRTV campaign.

Retail channels also gets a big boost from DRTV. It is a common occurrence to put the “As Seen on TV” sign on products sitting on the retail shelves. Over the years, the time gap between migrating from direct into retail has decreased, as retailers want the benefit of the awareness and demand created by DRTV sooner. Often, DRTV has been shown to improve sales of products sold on store shelves, in inserts, direct mail and catalogs.

To succeed in DRTV today, it is important to adopt a multichannel strategy.

DRTV industry – from disorganized to scientific

In the earlier days, very few entrepreneurs ventured into Direct Response Television advertising. It was considered a risky selling practice to those who were more comfortable with retail selling, catalogs and print ads. The costs involved in DRTV production, telemarketing and fulfillment were considered too prohibitive for venturing into and testing a relatively unknown medium. Because of this, the whole approach to DRTV campaigns was quite haphazard – from production to post sales customer service. There was no scientific method or technology available to keep track of the success trend or sales statistics.

Today, with the acceptance of DRTV as a powerful marketing medium intense competition has grown amongst a vast variety of business including many big players. Due to this reason, it has become imperative for businesses to plan out a complete DRTV campaign strategy. It is not only possible, but indeed necessary to hire a an experienced DRTV agency to oversee and execute a DRTV campaign. An increasingly difficult TV environment that has been inundated by the proliferation of niche channels, more ads, tougher FCC regulations and the prohibitive cost of media makes a well-seasoned, well-rounded agency a prerequisite.