BY:ISRAR AHMEDMUZAMIL QUADIR

TV INFOMERCIALS: A LEAP IN ADVERTISING INDUSTRY

What is an infomercial?

• Portmanteau of ‘information’ and ‘commercial’

• A television program that promotes a product in an informative and supposedly objective way.

• An extended commercial• Typically lasts for 15-30 minutes • Turns passive buyers into active buyers

Products sold through infomercials• Exercise equipment• Medicine/vitamins• Diet plans• Kitchen appliances• Work at home opportunities• Sporting goods• Household items tools• Fishing equipment

How is it different from traditional advertising?

1. Capture the viewers attention and keep it

2. Keep them watching while you present the benefits with emotion

3. Close the sale by getting the customer to take action

Why do people buy from television?

Over 51% of infomercial shoppers polled said there are two reasons they buy from infomercials:

unavailability of the productdemonstration

• Over 40% indicated that the infomercial accurately described the product they were purchasing.

• 52% indicated that they were satisfied with the quality of the product and speed of delivery.

• And a full 46% said they would definitely purchase from infomercials again.

source: Think Tek Inc

Why infomercials?

• Shopping without guilt• Time• Uniqueness• Impact

What makes infomercials convincing?

• Have a back story• Show the product in action• Use real testimonials• Make a specific offer• Give a reason to act now

Home shop18

Home Shop 18 did businesses which even well establish retailers would shy off. It closed 2009-10 with sales of Rs 330 crore, It accounts for 4.5 per cent of all digital cameras sold in the country, and is the largest seller of stainless steel dinner sets. No retailer sells more Reebok merchandise than it. Whirlpool has come out with a new range of refrigerators especially for it (source – Business Standard).

9 lessons to learn from infomercials• Consumers want to make smart decisions• Effective communication is a process• Product understanding generates far more value than

brand• Traditional creative approaches modified for DRTV

don’t make the phone ring.• Don’t do research listen it• Ask people to take action-------directly• Add impact through merchandising.• Don’t take a campaign off the air too soon.• Positive messages are more powerful.

SOURCE: DOUG GARNETT( ATOMIC DIRECT)

Advantages of infomercials

• Infomercials have a set audience as they are aired on television during off peak hours and have a captive audience.

• Infomercial sell products that can be bought on the phone from the comfort of your home.

• Most products sold through infomercials are promoted by experts like doctors, health specialists, beauty queens and son on. They endorse the products in such a way that television watchers eagerly buy the products.

• Most infomercials are hosted by popular talk show hosts who have a great fan following.

• Infomercials are convincing as they have people giving testimonials on how x,y, or zee product had worked wonders.

SOURCES

• Encyclopedia of small business – Arsen j. Darnay 2007

• wikipedia.com• Business Standard• Think Tek Inc

THANK YOU