I am frequently asked about the best
way to test DRTV creative. The answer is simple. Put the program
on the air and see how well it works.
“But wait . . . isn’t there a way to test it before
the expense of buying media?” Unfortunately, no, there
isn’t. The only way to accurately gauge the effectiveness
of a direct response campaign is to broadcast it and then
analyze the results.
“What about focus groups?” Well, let me put it
this way. If you chose to adapt your DRTV creative based upon
information gleaned from a focus group, you will probably
destroy any chance your program has of being successful. And
the reason is simple. What focus group participants will tell
you they like in a direct response commercial is not what
makes them buy from a direct response commercial.
For example, people in a focus group will invariably say they
prefer a commercial with a softer, rather than a harder, sell.
Well, no kidding! We all prefer the soft sell. That way we
don’t feel compelled to act. We would also prefer that
panhandlers didn’t ask us for money on the street. But
if they didn’t, what are the chances we would go over
and offer it to them?
The same principal holds true with DRTV commercials. No matter
how many times consumers tell you they prefer the softer sell,
the truth is that the enthusiastic sell always outperforms
the softer sell. Always!
Here’s another example. When you show a really good
infomercial to a focus group, they will almost always tell
you that the callto- action, – that’s the commercial
within the infomercial that contains the price and the 1-800#,
– appears too late in the program. But guess what happens
when you move the call-to-action up earlier in the program?
You got it! Response rates drop like bad stock.
Why? Because when people say they wanted the call-to-action
to appear earlier, what they’re really saying is that
they wanted to find out how much the product costs so they
could justify not watching the program anymore. What they
don’t tell you is that the longer you withhold the call-to-action
and the price, the longer they will watch. And statistically
speaking, the longer they watch, the greater the likelihood
they will respond.
I’m not suggesting that people in focus groups deliberately
lie. In fact, they are more than happy to tell you what they
honestly like and dislike about every aspect of your commercial.
BUT, keep in mind that what they would like to see in a commercial
and what will motivate them to buy from a commercial are two
very different things. Our job is not to produce DRTV commercials
that consumers enjoy watching. Our job is to produce commercials
they respond to.
Now, before I get calls from every research and focus group
guru in the nation, let me make one thing clear. I’m
a big believer in research. In fact, when I’m preparing
a DRTV campaign, I want all the research data I can lay my
hands on.
I want to know everything good, bad and indifferent about
the product I’m selling. I also want to know everything
about the people I’m selling to. I want the basics like
age, gender and income. But more important, I want to know
what a customer thinks about the product I’m selling.
Even if the customer’s perceptions are inaccurate, off-base
and contradictory, which they often are, I still need to know
what they’re thinking. To make a good commercial I need
to know what they believe the benefits of the product are,
and what they like or dislike about the product, about us
and about our competitors. I need to uncover those preconceived
ideas that lurk in the customer’s mind because I must
diffuse those before I can even begin selling.
Diligent, disciplined, insightful research is imperative and
without it, we would be lost. But its value lies in helping
us craft the commercial. It is of no value after the fact
and no amount of focus groups will tell you if your DRTV commercial
will actually make consumers pick up the phone and buy the
product.
The best way to do that is to take a good long look at your
commercial and then ask yourself the following questions: |
