Reprinted from Response Magazine
There’s no question
that infomercials are new, hot and effective.
But there are a lot of reasons you might
want to consider a DRTV short-form or
spot campaign before you take the plunge
into that half-hour. Namely:
RFaster & cheaper to make.
Making an infomercial typically costs
at least $100,000 and takes 3 months
or more of hard work. But you could
make a DRTV commercial for about 1/4th
of that. Your spot marketing program
could be up and running in 4 weeks,
before you’d even start filming your
half-hour.
RPut fewer eggs in one basket.
If you had $100,000 to gamble with,
would you sink it into one infomercial
or 4 DRTV spots?
A lot of shrewd marketers say
that spots are the better bet, since
they can try 4 different products with
spots for the price of one single product
in an infomercial. Other marketers feel
that a small investment in a spot is
a good way to test the waters for products
they intend to later try in the longer
format.
RAvoid “infomercial stigma”.
Say the word “infomercial” and a lot
of people think of cheesy gadgets, hard-sell
pitchmen and has-been celebrities.
But
tell your CEO you’re doing a commercial
and, well, you might just get invited
for golf. Some advertisers and brand
managers would never consider lowering
their product to the level of the half-hour.
But they might consider a spot.