Is DRTV right For You?
By Tara Borakos

Do you have a product that can sell Millions on TV? Are you sure?

Products that work well on TV are those that can get the viewing audience excited enough to make an impulse buy. They are generally new products that are highly demonstrable, make life easier and solve a problem (such as kitchen gadgets like the EuroSealer or EggWave). Or they are products that sell instant gratification and can make your dreams come true (such as weight loss products like the Lean Routine or The AbDoer).

Before beginning any DRTV campaign you should "Ask not what your product does, but what your product can do for your audience". Always sell the dream, that's the sizzle that makes people buy. And do your homework, chances are a product or a similar product has been done in the same category.

Finding out if the category is successful or not can save you lots of money in the long run. Often, I will see a product in which a DR commercial was already produced and it was not successful on TV. This does not mean your product won't work, but you must analyze these commercials to find out why it didn't sell, so you can make yours sell better. The same is true if your category is proven. Take a look at similar commercials and ask yourself why they were successful and make sure your product has the same ingredients for success.

Questions to ask to determine if your product is right for DRTV:

1. What problem does your product solve?
2. Is your product easily demonstrated?
3. Does your product have a mass-market appeal?
4. Does your product have a 5-1 mark up?
5. Does your product have like extensions or other products in a similar category that can be offered as upsells or as a bonus that will create the urgency to order?
6. Do you have strong testimonials to support the claims of your product?
7. Has this category been successfully done before, why or why not?
8. Does your product have a proven sales record? Has it been sold successfully in print, home shopping channels or in direct mail?
9. Do you have studies; can you prove it's better then any other product on the market?
10. Do you have an amazing demonstration that will stick out in your audiences mind and become instantly associated with your product via TV and retail?

What format should I use-Long-Form or Short-Form?
The price point and time to sell usually determine whether your campaign should run as a short-form commercial or a long-form infomercial.

1. For short-form the magic price point is either $19.95, or $29.95. (Hook N Hang, Snap Hook, Flavor Express). Although there have been instances, usually in the beauty category (as people are likely to spend more money on vanity) that prices have been 4 payments of $19.95/$29.95. You can also successfully test a 2-minute with a high price point if there is a successful infomercial already running for the same product, because your viewing audience is now familiar with it. (AbSlide). A higher price point, means you need more sell time to convince your audience of the need, thus doing a long form format makes sense.

2. The second criteria is the amount of time you need to sell your product. Can you successfully sell your product in 2 minutes? 1 minute? Are they demonstrable? Or do you need a well-developed pitch to tell the story and sell your product. (Anthony Robbins) If you need more time then you should choose the infomercial, and increase your price point. For example if it's a car wax that needs a ô hour to sell, then add car wheel cleaner, new car smell, etc to get the price point higher and make the offer more valuable.

Doing both formats can be successful as well. For example Hook N Hang, a closet organizer started as a successful 2-minute spot. We then increased the offer and made it a closet system, raised the price point and it became a successful ô hour show. And vice versa. AbSlide is a successful ô hour it then became a successful 2 minute show, keeping the price point the same.

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