photo by ebayinkPhoto By: ebayink
DRTV advertising has been around for about 20 years. Over that time, the internet has completely changed the commercials game. Now brands have what seems like an endless amount of TV channels and an endless stream of distracting websites to compete with, it’s no wonder that even the big brands are struggling to keep a loyal customer base and keep consumers interested in their product.
However even if this your first ever attempt at making a DRTV advert, there are still some key principles to keep in mind to ensure that your commercial is rip-roaring success.
Make it Memorable
By ensuring that not only the advert, but also the brand is memorable within your TV commercial will increase the likelihood of the audience connecting with and remembering your product. In 2012 Nielsen found that 59% of American consumers were more likely to connect with Ocean Spray’s “Men in a cranberry Bog” advert, because it closely tied in with the product.
Exhibiting brand linkage within your advert can be achieved, according to Nielsen, in the following ways:
• Use Visual Brand Cues often and early within the commercial
• integrate the brand into the storyline, so viewers can relate to the story and then see your product as the answer to their dilemma
• Create a signature character or theme that is unique to your product or service.
Call to Action
Creating a compelling call to action at the end of your advertisement will be central to your ad’s success. There are many different ways in which you can interact with your customer via mobile apps, online, by phone or via QR apps. However, it is important to remember that many viewers watch television with some form of internet browser in close range, be that on their phone, tablet or laptop, so it is vital that your brand delivers on this message and provides a good follow-up experience, whatever that may be.
Also bear in mind that the customer may not directly follow your call to action and may instead search your company name online or check out some reviews of your product or service. Be prepared for this and ensure that your site is, for example, mobile optimised and has brand pages on social media sites etc… to make it as easy as possible for any potential customer to find out more about you.
At the ad planning stage as well, ensure that the language you use in your script is effective and demonstrates clearly and succinctly how your product benefits the customer and solves their ‘problem.’ Using action-orientated, second-person verbs like “learn,” “download” and “discover” help, so does cutting out adjectives and excess ‘flowery’ language. To use an example, in terms of how you should think about advertising copy; imagine that you have just climbed a mountain and your best friend is at the top of it and you only have one breath of air left in your lungs in order to tell them your brand message. What is the most convincing and succinct way in which you can put that message across in order to provoke your friend to take action?
Keep the Message Simple
You only have say 20, 30 or 60 seconds of airtime, which isn’t very much at all. So make sure that your message is simple as well as clear and compelling. There is no point trying to cram in as much information as possible because people won’t remember it or identify with your ad. You’re much better off sticking to one storyline that evokes a strong emotional response from the viewer, or failing that, contains characters and ideas that are likeable and that the viewer can relate to.
Consider Making Different Versions
Creating a few different versions of the same advert with the same TV commercial Production Company is a good way to develop a consistent theme within your ad campaign and it helps keep production costs down. By filming say, three different versions of the same ad at the same time, you don’t have to then recall the cast and crew for a second shoot. You can also increase the longevity of your campaign and keep the message feeling fresh as well as track the versions that elicit a better response in order to understand which channels and ideas are working for you.
If you have any more tips for increasing brand engagement in your DRTV campaign, please share them below.
