Maximizing Brand Value With Direct Response Marketing

The goal of every marketing campaign is to make the product or service offered a household name.  And the use of Direct Response as a vehicle to accomplish that goal has become a favorite of entrepreneurs, project managers, ad agencies and Fortune 500 companies seeking to maximize campaign ROI.


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Related Links & Courses::
>> Direct Response Television Advertising
>> DRTV Management Boot Camp
>> General Advertising vs. DRTV
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Since direct response advertising began, the dialogue between advertisers and agencies has been about branding vs. selling. The prevailing mindset was that reach and frequency in advertising was the only way to build awareness of a product being advertised. The infomercial model was taboo because a transactional process in advertising was interpreted to be not worthy of the branding opportunity.

When the direct response television industry grew out of its infancy in the mid 1990’s, the “direct-to-consumer” model made advertisers rethink the branding vs. transactional situation. Advertisers themselves started asking their agencies to create infomercials.  Of particular interest, was the opportunity in a one or two minute spot,  to  communicate the benefits, features and advantages of a product and to use the sales side of the commercial to make the advertising campaign 100% accountable.

Only in the last few years has it become clear that this “branding vs. selling” competition missed the point entirely. Branding vs. “branding & selling” would be a more accurate way of describing the distinction between General Advertising and Direct Response.

These days, marketers using a DTC/DRTV approach are getting the largest return-on-investment (ROI) because they are building their brand while making sales simultaneously. Furthermore, the sales component creates an accountability in direct response advertising that allows marketers to see which advertising placement is most effective.

Fortune 500 brand and project managers are responsible for the sales growth in their product lines. Brand stewardship must complement DRTV initiatives and for that very reason agency personnel must add the expertise of DRTV to their core competencies.

Project managers and brand marketers looking at DRTV for project launches should consider the following key areas:

How long does it take to communicate the Unique Selling Proposition?

Can you communicate the Key Emotional Proposition easily?

Will DRTV be used to consummate a sale, acquire a lead, build awareness and knowledge of a complex product, or drive the consumer to a website or retail outlet?

Does your organization have the infrastructure not only to build a brand, but to acquire customers directly? All too often, the infrastructure needed requires experienced managers that work with several outsourced vendors.

For more information on branding with Direct Response, contact the Direct Response Academy today at 512-301-5900.