Producing DRTV Campaigns:
Play By The Rules
We tend to think of “production” in the direct response TV business as the actual studio work, the post-editing, and then the completion of the final spot or program for air.
All too often that’s putting the proverbial cart before the horse.
The important steps in producing DRTV—whether it be long form infomercials or short form spots—is the work that’s done going into the shoot. That’s not to say the actual execution of the storyboards and script is unimportant: it’s what the buying prospect sees on the screen and hopefully with take action in the form of a phone call or web visit. But that end product “as seen on TV” doesn’t just happen at the whim of the studio team. A smart DRTV company knows the rules of the game and obeys them—they’re followed for good reasons: they work.
We often hear from entrepreneurs and product owners that they want to use direct response television, but “I want my DRTV to look different than the other direct response stuff I see.” Upon discussion and clarification, that usually means that our prospect is convinced that most direct response ads and infomercials are produced the way they are is because the effort was lacking or they look too much the same. In as polite of a way as possible, we have to explain to our prospect that there are a few going-in rules in direct response messaging that need to be followed. Here are several that are must-follows.
Rule 1: Understand how direct response works. The purpose is to provide an often-arresting approach to the message: urgency and immediacy are critical to the viewer taking action. While that may mean that the message looks or sounds a bit more “jarring” that an image advertising one, that’s exactly the intent.
Rule 2: Appreciate the value of a formulaic approach. Most good direct response ads follow a problem/solution approach. To get a viewer to take spontaneous action from a DRTV ad, you have to quickly show the problem—perhaps dramatically—and then immediately move into highlighting how your product or service attacks that problem. There’s not time for much else.
Rule 3: Make the call- to action-clear. Tell the prospect exactly what it is you’re selling and exactly what the offer is. Don’t be sheepish about adding a “and wait, there’s more” element to that call. TV viewers have been conditioned to expect them, and they’re part of what Rule 1 addresses.
It sounds creatively cutting-edge to talk about “pushing the envelope” with television ads. From our experience, “playing by the rules” is a much more successful approach.
