Infomercial. The word alone is enough to make any traditional ‘Madison Ave’ creative shop cringe.
When you think about branded entertainment or brand content, you don’t think about Infomercials – even though the entire model integrates content and brand marketing. Mostly known for cheesy & cheap production values, unknown products and midnight showings, the segment delivers on a core metric that most brand marketers expect but struggle with – direct ROI.
This September the largest convention in the US dedicated to the infomercial and electronic retailing and tracking (ERA/D2C Expo) kicks off in Vegas. If you want to talk about direct ROI against content, this community has a solid track record. Few marketing mediums match the ROI of the informercial back to direct sales.
Brands ultimately know a lot more about their niche consumer than any traditional television network does. Imagine if we evolved the format to include a deeper connectivity between the brand and their consumer with the type of story or information that they are hungry for. Imagine if you are a camper and would love more in-depth content around camping and a larger outdoor adventure. Who would you trust to bring you this content? ABC, Fox, ESPN or Patagonia?
There is no doubt in my mind that there is opportunity here. Right now it is far from sexy or glamorous, but few opportunities start out that way. It may not end up looking anything like what we currently know as an infomercial, but the segment is ripe for change and the producers of the format continue to laugh all the way to the bank.
The topic is top of mind for me and BCA (Brand Content Agency) as we look for unique and untapped opportunities to help our clients.
Research report on who is watching and buying across the Direct Response Television Market.
Korean TV dramas give Asian shoppers urge to splurge
The export success of South Korea’s TV dramas has spawned a hard-selling world of branded entertainment that uses product placement to push everything from smartphones to lipsticks.
