Direct Response Methods
“The beauty of an integrated DR campaign is that a well-designed set of print, Web and TV ads with well-planned
media buys can actually generate the higher results, both for
brand image and for actual sales, than a unilateral or non-direct
response campaign,” Lazkani says.
Anthony Raissen, president of InterQuantum, a retail
brokering and marketing consulting firm in Encino, Calif., says
InterQuantum has successfully used print and the Web to boost
DRTV product sales by incorporating a strong call to action
across all media.
“Today’s consumer is becoming well acquainted with all
available media and, in some cases, expects to be given multiple options so they can learn more about a product before making a buying decision,” Raissen says. “Capitalizing on multi-me-dia campaigns dramatically improves sales.”
He says by incorporating a Web
or print component into the creative
call-to-action for a TV spot, marketers
Super Bowl ads score little yardage at online integration. drive viewers to dedicated landing pages
or print vehicles to learn more about
Nearly 100 million folks watched Super Bowl XLII in February, making it a golden opportu- the product and to either order online
nity for advertisers to engage viewers with their brand and Web sites. or print a coupon or rebate to use when
But only a few scored, according to analysis by Send Tec Inc. The analysis tracked the buying.
ads to find which advertisers were best at integrating ads with their Web sites. Raissen says ALCiS, one of Inter-
The study found that 64 percent of advertisers included a Web site, but only 12 percent actu- Quantum’s clients, is a good example.
ally mentioned the site in the voiceover. Berchtold says ALCiS’ Web efforts
The losers: Doritos, Pepsi and Victoria’s Secret. Why? Either because their Web site was too now include getting consumers to
small and flashed by too quickly or they appeared lower than competitors in online searches. retail outlets with a $2-off coupon. But
But the winners — Tide, CareerBuilder and FedEx — all made good yardage. ALCiS is still using DRTV, just moving
❯ Tide: The spot asked consumers to share their own stories online. from long-form to short-form. The
❯ CareerBuilder: The tagline, “Visit CareerBuilder and Start Building” was a clear call to company’s ads are now mostly 15 and
action, and ads were easily found on searches for “Super Bowl commercial” and “better 30 seconds, with a sprinkling of two-
minute spots as well. “The DR helped
job.” us get to retail quickly, and that’s what
❯ FedEx: The ad featured a pigeon mail delivery system. FedEx had the first paid listing on we wanted,” Berchtold says. “And DR
searches for “Super Bowl commercial.” And the ad read, “See what happens when an is still helping us.”
office uses Carrier Pigeons for shipping — fedex.com/pigeons.” ALCiS is also starting an Internet
A consistent message carried throughout online and banner campaign and restarting print.
offline campaigns. “We know we need to do these because
we have discerning buyers in our category,” Berchtold says. Berchtold also
adds that ALCiS will tag its print ads
with the retail locations.
Moving into 2009 and beyond, Berchtold says he’ll focus
on heavy TV with radio, print in select publications and some
Internet advertising.
Berchtold also says the company will continue to hand out
samples at marathons, doctors’ offices and other special events.
“When we got into the DR business, we didn’t know what was
going to work but what we learned was to get the right partners
— call centers and marketing companies — and we learned to
test — diligently test,” he says. ■
was much greater for print.
And a key finding: Web advertisers must do more to attract
readers than print advertisers.
“To get brand-name recall on the Web, your content must
be impeccably placed and designed so that your ad is eye-catching without being intrusive, and 100-percent relevant to the
consumer’s current need,” Lazkani says. “Otherwise, the impression is wasted. Print is still a much more effective way to get a
consumer to remember your name and message.”
Additionally, in the CrossMedia study, campaigns most
successful at generating both positive brand awareness and
purchase consideration combined print and online advertising
most effectively.
But Lazkani says messages, imagery and branding need to be
consistent across all channels and that every medium is meas-
urable. “Playing mix-and-match with creative materials dilutes
the impact of all advertising, and not knowing your ads’ impact
can lead to waste in your marketing budget,” she says.
Multiple Options
Lazkani and others say DR print, DRTV and new media can
be combined in almost any way to achieve marketing and sales
goals, whether those goals revolve more around branding efforts or simply moving a large volume of product and boosting
return on investment.
