The original DRTV pioneers were entrepreneurs who couldn't get their products into retail, so they did the only thing they could think of: sold them directly off TV. Their unconventional approach to advertising proved so successful that it soon caught the attention of Fortune 500 companies and brand advertisers, who began to look for ways to harness this new medium for themselves. Since then, more and more brand advertisers have made DRTV an integral part of their marketing mix.

Today, traditional advertisers continue to embrace DRTV for two reasons. First, it works, sometimes phenomenally well. Secondly, it is measurable, which allows advertisers to more efficiently allocate limited resources.

Some of these companies have learned the discipline of direct marketing extraordinarily well and have become industry leaders. Unfortunately, many others are producing DRTV commercials that are not as effective as they could be. And, equally important, they are not managing the back-end of the campaign in a way that minimizes the risks and maximizes profits.

So, for those brand advertisers who wish to improve the effectiveness of their DRTV campaigns, here are four rules for producing powerful DRTV spots.

There are a lot of DRTV spots on the air right now that look exactly like brand spots with a 1-800 number glued to the end. Unfortunately, despite the fervent wishes of creative directors everywhere, throwing a 1-800 number on your commercial will not make the phones ring, anymore than gluing wings on a car will make it fly.

Like it or not, if you want to produce a DRTV commercial that consumers will watch, remember and respond to, it must be built upon proven, time-tested DRTV techniques.

This does not mean you have to plaster it with oversized graphics or over-the-top announcers. However, it does mean that the 1-800 number must be up long enough for the viewer to read it and write it down. It also means that the benefits of the product or service must be plainly and repeatedly articulated.

The offer – if there is one – must be clear and compelling. It also means that you must tell the viewer what you want them to do and what will happen when they do it.

In the world of brand advertising, focus groups are an effective way to determine which ideas resonate with consumers and which do not. Unfortunately, this is not true in the world of DRTV.

The reason is simple: what people like in commercials is not what makes them respond to commercials. If you build your commercial based upon what people in a focus group tell you they enjoy, you will almost certainly remove the very elements that make them pick up the phone and respond.

Traditional media is bought on the basis of reach, frequency and demographics. In DRTV, the variable that has the greatest impact on the “cost per call“ is not demographics or reach, but rather the price of the air time itself.

As a result, some air times that might not work for brand advertising work quite well for DRTV, and conversely, times that traditionally work well for brand spots may not be cost-effective for DRTV.

This doesn't mean you have to abandon all your usual methods of purchasing media, but it does mean that you should take into account that the rules governing DRTV media are different that than those governing brand media. Not better and not worse, just different.

It takes time and effort to set up the infrastructure to accurately track the results of your DRTV spots, but if not done, you have no way of knowing what is working and what is not.

Every campaign should, at the very least, provide information on the cost per call, cost per lead and cost per sale. You should know what channels, what times and what offers consumers respond to most enthusiastically. It is precisely this data that gives direct marketers the ability to launch campaigns that continually surpass expectations.

As so many companies have proven, brand advertising and direct marketing are powerful allies, and a good DRTV spot can generate a significant response while simultaneously protecting and enhancing the brand. However, these commercials will only be effective if they are built upon proven DRTV principles.

It takes tremendous courage for brand advertisers to move into the brave new world of Direct Response Television. But for those willing to make the journey and live by the rules of direct marketing, the rewards are immense. Good luck!