INFOMERCIALS – DO NOT DO ONE!
While we have worked on many Direct Response (Infomercial) products over the years, I more often than not advised those with new products who come to us . . . “DON’T DO AN INFOMERCIAL!” To some (especially many companies in the “DR industry”) this seems like very strange advice, coming from someone who earns his living helping people create infomercial campaigns.
First of all, most people new to the Infomercial industry are not aware (or worse, don’t believe) that a Direct Response (DR) campaign is an expensive, high-risk and if managed properly, a very long-term process. The days of cheap air time and very inexpensive productions are long past. Years ago the stations and networks realized how valuable their “off peak” airtime was, and because of increased demand, dramatically raised their prices. Also, the viewers have come to equate high production values with high quality, credible products and services, so production costs have risen as well.
Secondly, even with a great Infomercial, there are many “back-end” elements that are equally critical to the success of a DR campaign. In addition to the obvious manufacturing issues, these include merchant accounts, credit card processing, fulfillment, media buying, call center selection and management, to name a few.
The DR Industry over the years has attracted many “sharks” – some are even “household” names in the industry who only knock-off other people’s products. There are others who provide funding for a (usually very large) “piece” of the sales or equity in the company. Some even claim to be responsible for the success of campaigns that they had little or nothing to do with.
While everyone has heard of the Infomercial “hits” over the years (Ronco Products, Ginsu® Knives, HealthRider, Bowflex®, Little Giant® Ladders, Cash4Gold and etc.) many have not heard of the hundreds of failures.
My advice to most companies who, despite all warnings, are still thinking of embarking on an Infomercial campaign: be cautious. Be very cautious.
About Infomercial Consulting
Infomercial Consulting provides full service consulting on all aspects of national and international direct response marketing, manufacturing and sales. For more information visit http://www.infomercialconsulting.com.
