Backchannelmedia

Backchannelmedia

Using the direct approach to gain brand awareness in a crowded advertising marketplace

A quick flip through the channels on a cable box reveals just how cluttered today's television media environment is.

Companies of all shapes and sizes are using TV to get the word out about their products and services, politicians are using it as an integral part of their campaigns, and somewhere in between all of that the networks are finding some time to shoehorn in a dose of programming.

Wouldn't it be nice if a brand marketer could find a way to stand out from the clutter, rise above it and not only catch their customer's eye, but also educate him or her in the process? That's precisely what DRTV does. It helps companies tell their story in a format that is not only measurable and accountable, but that performs far better than traditional 15- or 30-second branding spots.

We call these long format DRTV commercials "brandmercials," and they're already being used by companies like Apple Computer, Nikon, Evinrude, Nissan and many others that have discovered long-form DRTV as the perfect place to tell their story right in the consumer's living room. Results can be closely tracked, and the selling itself takes place either online, or by phone, at a time that's convenient for the consumer.

Making the Brand Developed in the mid -1990s, the first brandmercials pioneered a wave of upscale production values that worked hard to keep the brand tone intact for Fortune 500 firms. Apple Computer was an immediate beneficiary, ringing up $92 million in retail sales on a $3 million DRTV investment. Nissan followed with the most successful DR campaign in company history, and paved the way for others to follow in its footsteps.

When these types of Fortune 500 companies integrate DRTV into the advertising mix, they use a format that lends itself to consumer education on the brand itself, and also on the individual products that the label represents. By telling their stories through these longer-format shows, these marketers can break through the "blur of image" created by most traditional spots, and delve deeper into the true value that the brand delivers to the consumer.

Enticed by the idea of being able to educate their customers on screen in a meaningful, measurable way, brand marketers using DRTV also benefit from a level of authenticity that a traditional TV branding spot simply can't match. I mean, what brand advertiser can really say that their customers come away from their spots with a better understanding of the brand, and what the related brand or service can do for them?

With a brandmercial, prospects are engaged, relationships are formed, and sales ensue. Whether the marketer wants to attract leads for a sales group, or drive a consumer to a Web site to obtain more information, the combination of a 1-800 number and a long-form brandmercial has proven itself to be very successful.

It's Their Choice With so many choices in front of them, today's consumers want more information about products. They want to know how to use them, and what those products can do to improve their lives. Getting the point across isn't always easy, but the brandmercial serves as the right vehicle for doing so in a way that leaves the consumer saying, "Hey, I really know all I need to know to make an informed purchase."

As many marketers have already found out, long-form DRTV can help define both the brand itself, and the product. By telling a robust story in a longer format, and by backing that information up with testimonials and comments from raving fans, brand marketers can effectively close the loop on the sales argument and break through the media clutter plaguing their competitors. Who can argue with that kind of authenticity?

Timothy R. Hawthorne is chairman and executive creative director of hawthorne direct inc., a full-service DRTV ad agency founded in 1986. A 30-year television producer/writer/director, Hawthorne is a cum laude Harvard graduate