Direct Response TV - why not Australia?

Direct Response TV has been huge in the US for decades, but it has never done so well in Australia. It’s hard to know why.

There are a few truths that marketers who embrace DRTV innately understand, but maybe many others still find elusive.

• People from every socio economic grouping watch DRTV. Children, business people, factory workers, the wealthy – they all watch sometimes. DRTV is not a demographic profile. It’s a successful sales channel that has specific benefits, just like other channels have their benefits.

• Direct response is a proven approach to brand building. Beautiful imagery or clever slogans are great and agencies love creating these, but when you build a brand what you really want is prospect acceptance. You want the people you are targeting to accept that your product or service can solve a problem for them.

• DRTV is all about sales. Of course, it fails sometimes with some products, but for the most part, DRTV sells. And if you do it properly you get a very rapid, measurable result. You are not left wondering. With reasonably limited budgets you can test it. In Australia, World Vision has used it very successfully.

• People like benefits. Sometimes brand advertising puts too much effort into being impactful or beautiful or politically correct. Direct response advertisers show the product and they show what it does. The benefits are demonstrated. People can see what they are getting and if it is right for them, they respond.

• Research is all very well. Obviously, professionally conducted research plays a vital role in marketing, but DRTV is all about actual sales. You know what focus groups are like. People can say anything. They can be influenced by others. But DRTV sells to individuals in the privacy of their homes. And actual sales don’t lie.