When it comes to marketing to the general public there are generally 2 types of methods to choose from. There is a brand-centric model which focuses on your image and getting it in front of your potential customer’s eyes as often as possible. This method builds trust and familiarity, but it takes time and very large budgets to do it right. Some brands that have become powerhouses of image marketing are Apple and Nike. The other method that is most commonly used is call Direct Response marketing.
Direct response marketing is intended to call the viewer into immediate action, by asking them to go to a website, or watch a video, or most often call in for an immediate offer. Dollar for Dollar, It has been and still is one of the most effective marketing methods used today. The DR method for many years was known mainly for mail, telephone, and infomercials. However the industry has changed with the times and now DR marketing can be found everywhere from your TV to your Facebook newsfeed.
Let’s take a look at what direct response marketing has been doing well and what they have added to the service list to stay a prime choice for marketing plans. When it comes to small businesses with good but pricey merchandise, DR television is still an amazing choice. The DR method has decades of research and experience in hitting the target market just right when it comes to Television infomercial advertising. It’s not the number one ‘go-to’ for most products but the method does fill the niche better than any other.
Direct response mail still beats digital marketing hands down every day of the week. Recently a UK company sent out very unique personal direct mailers to over 2000 select marketing and media professionals. The response they had was overwhelming, and unexpected. The power of a physical device to deliver your message can be very effective, hitting many senses at once and staying fresh in the mind of the consumer. When it comes down to response rate direct mail can get anywhere from 10-30 times the response rate of a digital mailer. Over the years the overall effectiveness of direct mail has declined but it still remains a very effective method.
Direct response makes its debut in your Facebook news feed, and it looks pretty good. With the goal of not overpowering the user base with overblown ads that take away from the user’s experience on the site, Facebook has taken DR ads into your news stream in the form of apps. The ads appears in the same size, and composition as your standard feed updates, but they clearly say sponsored, and below have a link to take you into the app. This is direct response at its most digital. You see a picture of the item or service you desire on this glass screen in your hand, and with one touch of your finger you are in a position to purchase a Product. This method of direct marketing is by far the newest and for that reason cannot be assessed against the other methods for effectiveness yet. From the level of convenience it brings, there is a great chance it will prove to have a very high response rate.
Direct response has also started to take a chunk out of image marketing in the world of video too. It is however a very small chunk, but one eats the entire sandwich even if one takes smaller bites. Old spice is one of the most known companies for their YouTube branding campaign, and they have now integrated a level of DR marketing into it. You now get the option to click on a command at the end of the video to take you where they want you to go. This is definitely a hybrid example, but it illustrates that even brands with a stronghold on their image, also see the value in adding a DR angle to their campaign. How effective are 10 million you tube vies if you can’t convert them into paying customers. With adding a DR component you can immediately see the effectiveness level of your campaign. Direct response has evolved and grown into a powerful marketing method, don’t overlook it when thinking about your brand.