NEW YORK— The letters “TV” have been inseparable from the As Seen
On TV business and its steady growth for decades.
But with the television industry confronting radical change as younger viewers lean more toward streaming and social media-accessed video content, the future of broadcast and cable television as a primary direct-response marketing outlet is somewhat murky.
Leading As Seen On TV marketers are already adapting their marketing models to account for this future. DRTV remains an instrumental medium for driving consumers to retail, especially for short-form infomercial items geared toward older consumers who have yet to “cut the cord” on traditional TV. Marketers report, however, that social media campaigns on platforms such as Facebook and Instagram, combined with blogger and online influencer programs, are now key factors in driving awareness and retail sales for some items.
Here’s what some As Seen On TV executives had to say about adapting to a future where the letters “TV” might not be so inseparable.
Scott Boilen
CEO
Allstar
Products Group
“TV still is such an important component of this business. It’s still driving overall awareness. It’s just not the only component.
Millennials, according to some research I’ve seen, need seven touch points. A lot depends on products. A lot of things the As Seen On TV business introduces are not geared toward 25 year olds. A lot of products are still catering to the 40-and-over crowd.
We have situations where we created a heavy digital campaign with lots of social media, but it wasn’t until we turned up the TV and got it all working together that sales started flying.
You have to find where the interested eyeballs are for a given product. But TV is still a critical component. Until you put it on TV, you’re not getting full bang for the buck.
The leading direct response companies are extremely well suited to this challenge. They are big enough to have the financial wherewithal to drive huge products, but also entrepreneurial and nimble enough to move around to where the opportunities are.”
AJ Khubani
CEO
TeleBrands
“We’re all adding social media to hit the younger demographic, which is profiled as not watching as much TV. We’re finding that social media can supplement TV. But something that performs well on TV won’t necessarily perform well on social.
At this point, everything says we have to have a strong TV strategy, but I feel the transition is coming where we will do a pure social campaign that drives retail.
We’re not there yet. We haven’t figured out the formula yet, but it also took some time for this industry to figure out the TV-to-retail formula.”
Craig Jordan
SVP/Sales
And Customer Solutions
Ontel Products
“Reaching people where they are looking has always been the core of this business.
Today, I wouldn’t say that if you have average results on TV and stellar results on the web, I wouldn’t launch that item. Previously, super results on TV were the tell-all and end-all.
Every platform available needs to be key to a program. Even Facebook is becoming an old venue already.
The reality, as in any consumer product business, is you have to understand where the consumer is migrating to, find them and educate them.”
Bill McAlister
President
Top Dog Direct
“For many of Top Dog’s products, our consumer right now is 45 and older, and TV is still the most effective way to reach these consumers.
Younger consumers in general are not buying off of TV and these kinds of commercials, nor are they the target consumer for these products.
If you want the younger consumer, you will need to be on social media. We’re all of starting to look at different ways of reaching younger consumers. It can’t just be with traditional commercials.
Bloggers and influencers— that will be the future of getting to that consumer. These consumers may not believe it when they see something on a traditional commercial or a two-minute infomercial. But they’ll believe it if Kim Kardashian says she likes it on Instagram.”