NEW YORK— Nearly all consumers recognize the longstanding As Seen On TV logo, yet most are neutral when it comes to the logo’s influence on purchase decisions, according to a recent online consumer survey.
Direct-response marketing consultant Jordan Pine, who writes The SciMark Report examining As Seen On TV marketing developments, teamed with consumer marketing executive Ellen Leikind, founder of women’s empowerment initiative PokerPrimaDivas, to survey more than 140 consumers on their attitudes regarding the As Seen On TV “brand” and logo.
Noting that DRMetrix reports more than $316 million was spent on short-form direct-response advertising for consumer products in 2016, Pine, in a recent blog for the Electronic Retailing Association, concluded from the survey that “As Seen On TV is a strong brand— and yet it doesn’t have the selling power we would expect from such a well-established mark.” Pine continued, “While known for bringing new and exciting products to consumers, [As Seen On TV products] aren’t known for leaving them with the kind of customer satisfaction that is required to build brand loyalty.”
Nearly all (93%) of the survey respondents reported they are familiar with the As Seen On TV logo; and 72% understand the As Seen On TV designator refers specifically to DRTV/infomercial products.
TeleBrands claims to have originated the design of the ubiquitous As Seen On TV logo with its familiar white type inside a red television-shaped box. The subsequent widespread use of the logo and variations of it throughout the DRTV and retail marketplaces by numerous resources preempted any trademarking of the brand and logo.
The survey indicates 82% of respondents don’t know if one company, several companies or no one owns the As Seen On TV brand; and 64% believe companies have to license the logo to use it.
With regard to the As Seen On TV logo’s selling power, the survey found that 47% of respondents said they purchased an As Seen On TV product in the last 10 years; and some 89% report to have purchased an As Seen On TV product during their lifetimes.
Of the respondents, 60% were women, 58% were age 45 or older; and household income and geographic location were evenly distributed.
While 64% of respondents indicated they think As Seen On TV products are just as good as other products, nearly three quarters reported they are unaffected or neutral when it comes to the influence of the logo on their purchase decision.
Common positive descriptors of As Seen On TV products by survey respondents include such words as “useful,” “innovative” and “fun.” “Cheap,” “gimmicky” and “scam,” are among the most common negative descriptors by respondents.
“Despite ‘cheap’ and ‘gimmicky’ being the most common negative words people associate with [the As Seen On TV]brand, only a third of people think the products are worse than other products, and less than a quarter say the As Seen On TV logo makes them less likely to buy,” Pine wrote in his blog. “In other words, most people are neutral toward the brand.”
The contradiction of the logo’s extremely high awareness and neutral selling impact indicated by the survey caused Pine to ponder the potential for someone, perhaps a collective of companies, to more actively police the As Seen On TV “brand” in an effort to prevent companies with low quality standards and unethical selling practices from damaging its reputation.
“I’ve asked these questions of industry leaders before, and the consensus was always that it wasn’t a worthy undertaking,” Pine wrote in his blog. “The DRMetrix [advertising expenditure]figures and our research would suggest otherwise.”
