The world of the direct response campaign, primarily on television, is established and well known by pretty much everyone. Originating almost 20 years ago, direct response marketing has been tried, tested and in some cases has gone on so long that the marketing campaigns became something remembered by entire generations their whole lives. There are few people now in their twenties, for example, who don't remember the Slap Chop commercials. Other good examples are any of Billy Mays' advertisements. Those long-form commercials stuck in people's minds. Couple that with the wide success of many of those products and the fact that, on average, between 3 and 15 units are sold at retail for every one sold by the commercial and you have a winning combination. Those products and many more became almost iconic to the generation that grew up with them.
Those are only two examples. How far back does direct marketing go?
Those recent successes are not alone. Perhaps one of the greatest examples of the effectiveness of direct marketing is David Ogilvy, a legend in marketing and advertising in the 1940s through 1980s. Ogilvy accomplished much, and always touted direct marketing as the superior technique. An example of his adamant stance can be found here. The question is, is direct marketing campaign advertising still worth it? That depends on who you ask, but SimplyCast certainly believes that direct marketing is most certainly worth it. In order to really answer that question, though, first one has to understand what direct marketing is.
Okay, what is a direct response campaign?
A direct response campaign is communicating directly with the customer. Unlike a TV ad or a newspaper ad, direct marketing requires interaction with the customer. Examples of direct marketing campaigns include direct television ads that require customers to call in to learn more about the product and purchase it. Long form advertisements are more informative and allow for more application of limited time offers. The more limited the time, the more prospective buyers will go ahead with the purchase. A better example of direct marketing is text messaging or email. These are typically done with a large database of customers who have been profiled as a part of the target market. The narrower the target, the more likely it will be successful in that target market. SimplyCast offers more channels for direct marketing than any other solution. SimplyCast allows clients to automate your marketing as well. This means that marketers are able to save time and money by setting automatic nurturing campaigns and tracking the progress to determine what stays and what goes.
What does direct response marketing do?
A good direct response campaign will generate more than just sales. It will generate ROI to be sure, but it will also generate word of mouth. The best thing a marketer can hope for is that the customers not only buy but also help spread the word. Direct marketing has been successfully implemented to make SimplyCast grow at triple-digit rates two quarters in a row, and direct marketing campaigns in other companies have been shown to prove very effective when compared to general marketing.
What does all that mean?
As marketing automation explodes and email, SMS, and other marketing mediums are used more commonly, direct marketing becomes more and more prominent. In fact, it looks as though David Ogilvy's prediction that direct marketing would become vital is true. Direct marketing is also the current front line, leading in innovation and causing a scramble that is exploding marketing automation as companies look for ways to engage customers personally. So to answer the original question, yes. Direct marketing campaign advertising is, in fact, worth the time and money. In fact, different forms of direct marketing can be effectively combined as they are in the SimplyCast 360 platform. Direct TV marketing is the most common, but there's no reason the other methods mentioned here can't be incorporated. To learn more about marketing automation, visit the SimplyCast marketing automation page.
