Why Use an Infomercial?
AT&T. Black & Decker. Ford, McDonald’s, Pepsi, Procter &
Gamble. Sears, Target, Visa, Wal-Mart. You may not have guessed it, but
all of these respected companies have used long-form “infomercials” to
sell their products. Despite the lingering image of infomercials as low budget
productions, infomercials are increasingly being recognized as an
excellent tool for selling products through multiple channels, and more
importantly to major corporations, as a major driver of retail sales. OxyClean®, BowFlex® and the Bose Wave Radio® are all hugely
successful products that were launched using infomercials. But success
is certainly not guaranteed (1 in 10 make money) and the financial risk
is high. In general, your product may be a candidate for an infomercial
if it:
- Has mass appeal
- Priced under $100
- Can be easily demonstrated or explained
- Not easily explained in print or with a few pictures
- Has a markup of at least 4 to 1
- Good potential for upsells
Infomercials come in various formats.
But they aren’t suitable for every product or company. Well executed,
they can form the backbone of your integrated marketing efforts and
boost response to direct mail, online, print and Point of Purchase
retail marketing efforts. A carefully crafted script, good pacing and a
strong call to action are critical features of a successful
infomercial.
Imagine having the opportunity to put one of your salespeople
with a customer for a half hour. In that half hour, you explain product
features, benefits, anticipate and answer questions and even share
stories from real customers who already know and love your product and
service, and better yet, your customer can relate to them. By the
close, your customer is sold. They’re ready to buy right then and
there. Now imagine that that one salesperson can talk to millions of
people all at once. We can shorten your sales cycle, contact us to find out how.
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