I ran across a report by Seth Stevenson at Slate about how he ran a TV ad on FOX from his home computer using Google TV Ads.

Here’s the video showing how he did it.

Google TV Ads aren’t new to me. I’ve had a few clients try this, though I can’t report that any of them has hit the jackpot with this inexpensive service.

However, the concept is interesting. While you still have to create your own TV commercial, this nifty service makes the media buy convenient, quick, and cheap.

This is simply part of what we’re seeing all over the Internet, with more tools to lower the barrier of entry for marketing, publishing, and communication.

Is this a good strategy for your business? Why not? If you know how to write and produce a good commercial, and you know how to schedule and test wisely, there’s no reason not to try it. Though don’t expect overnight success.

Here’s a video showing how to get started.

In case you’re curious, here are a few Google TV Ads success stories from businesses that have tried it.

If you’ve tried it, let me know how it turned out.

No related posts.

When I first saw this mock commercial on Family Guy for the Wacky Waiving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man, I nearly fell off the couch. It reminds me of my days as a TV producer for an NBC affiliate where I created some commercials that were nearly as outrageous.

Warning: If you’re at the office, turn down your audio a bit.

This is pretty close to the sort of ads you see on local TV stations. And most professional advertisers just roll their eyes at things like this. But don’t discount “wacky” TV ads too quickly.

Yes, many are a waste of ad money. But many work. And not only do they work, they work like gangbusters. Why? Because they break through the clutter, get your attention, and present an urgent offer. A little humor doesn’t hurt either.

More than anything, TV ads like this serve up an enthusiastic, simple, and unpolished message that people will remember. Some are so outlandish, they create a viral effect and viewers tell their friends.

Every town has a business that runs wacky ads. Everyone laughs and says how ridiculous they are. But when a crowd shows up at the advertiser’s place of business, do you think the owner cares how disparaged his ads are?

As always, ads are about what works. Not what people “like.” Heck, I’m wanting to buy a Wacky Waiving Inflatable Arm Flailing Tube Man right now!

No related posts.

When you think of generating sales leads, you probably think of direct mail or telemarketing. But any medium can be used to generate sales leads, including TV ads.

Watch this TV ad I wrote for Sunbelt Software and then I’ll give you the 3 key tactics used in ads like this.

First, let me say that Sunbelt is a top-notch company with a  superior product. So that gives them a big advantage with any marketing effort in any medium.

Here, we wanted to test a TV ad to generate leads for a computer malware program. The ad is directed to IT managers and system administrators. It’s a tough group to convince, so the idea was not to sell the software but to let them try it free.

The formula is simple:

1. Present a problem.
2. Solve the problem.
3. Offer free information.

One big “pain point” with malware and anti-virus programs is that they can be a little buggy and hard to manage. It’s a major irritant, so we used this to get attention and generate interest.

The answer is, of course, our software. By providing benefits and details of the product, we presented a solution to the problem.

The call to action was an offer to try the program free with no cost or obligation. Since we knew the product was superior to competitors, and because tech guys are such a hard sell, the idea was to let the program sell itself.

That’s it. Problem, solution, free information. This formula works in nearly any medium, but it works especially well for TV because you can dramatize the problem and solution.

You can see the same formula at work in nearly any direct response TV ad selling mops, diet pills, or any product. Watch this Billy Mays commercial to see problem / solution in action. The difference is that these TV commercials seek to sell the product directly rather than generate leads. So the formula is problem, solution, direct sell offer.

I didn’t produce the spot, so the final ad deviated from my script a little. Most notably, I would have preferred that the Web address stay on the screen throughout the spot. This is standard practice for lead generation because you want people who are interested to respond even if they’re not entirely sold yet.

In a direct sell spot, you generally save the Web address or phone number for the end of the spot to avoid time-wasting inquiries. People who watch a TV ad all the way through are more likely to be sold on your product. If they respond too soon, they’ll tend to ask questions and require selling on the phone.

Related posts:

1. Sales lead call backs: strike while the iron is hot
2. Free shipping: Does it actually boost sales?

Given the “love him / hate him” response to my post on Billy Mays, the king of direct response TV, I can only imagine the response I’ll get from this piece on Vince the ShamWow guy.

If you think you see a lot of Vince the ShamWow guy now, buckle up. I recently saw Vince in a new spot selling a kitchen gadget called the SlapChop. His full name, appropriately enough, is Vince Offer. And I think you’ll be seeing a lot more of Vince.

Why? Because Vince has a natural gift for the pitch. He’s quirky, cocky, glib, and quick. While he might drive you nuts if you had to spend an hour with him, he’s perfect for short form TV ads.

Most importantly, you can’t take your eye off the guy. He grabs and holds your attention.

As I pointed out in my post on Billy Mays, it really doesn’t matter if you like the commercials. What matters is what works. And Vince the ShamWow guy works.

Okay, let me have it. I’m a fan of Vince. Are you?

No related posts.

Billy Mays is the king of direct response TV ads.

Don’t know who Billy Mays is? Yes you do. Watch this video.

Everyone knows Billy Mays. And for good reason. While direct response TV commercials are all designed to get your attention, Billy Mays is the one pitchman who can grab your attention even if you’re in another room.

Mays started his selling career right out of high school pitching products on the Atlantic City boardwalk. He honed his craft at home shows and state fairs around the country. He became famous after meeting the founder of Orange Glo International, a manufacturer of cleaning products.

Orange Glo hired Mays to promote their various cleaners, including OxiClean, Orange Clean, and Orange Glo. Sales soared. This success propelled the company into the top 10 privately owned companies from 1999 to 2001, according to Inc. Magazine.

What makes Mays’ pitch so effective? Enthusiasm, directness, and authority. A Billy Mays pitch is packed with nonstop energy. He’s pleasant, but doesn’t joke or clown around, always getting right to the point. His voice is loud and commanding, a style perfectly suited to selling on a busy boardwalk, but also perfectly suited to breaking through to preoccupied TV viewers.

I think few would say they “like” to watch a Billy Mays commercial. He’s considered obnoxious by many. But that’s irrelevant. Just as people say they dislike catalogs while continuing to place orders, they say they don’t like Mays’ in-your-face style while emptying the store shelves of the products he pitches.

In marketing, you should learn from what works, not from what you like.

Related posts:

1. The 25 most popular articles of 2009

I want to start this rant by saying I think most people in the direct marketing business are honest people. Most ads in most media adhere to most of the ethical principles of the Direct Marketing Association. And in working with more than 200 clients in a variety of industries, and getting calls from thousands of potential clients, I’ve run into only a handful of cheats.

That said, I’m angered that so many of the direct response TV ads I see are dishonest. I used to be a television commercial producer in a former life and this medium is near and dear to my heart. There are certainly scams in just about every medium, but as a TV and movie fan, I can’t seem to escape the ones I see on the tube.

What sort of scams are we talking about? Here are a few of the most popular:

• Spot reduction myth. You’ve seen this one a hundred times. “Just use the Super Duper Ab Master for 34 seconds a day and turn that flabby tummy into six-pack abs in a week!” Sounds good, but it doesn’t work that way. You can’t target a part of your body for weight loss. When you loose weight, it comes off all over. And those highly-defined six-pack abs come only with strict dieting and hard training.

• Miracle weight loss lie. I have a 1902 edition of the Sears and Roebuck catalog and it’s chock full of phony elixirs. So this scam isn’t exactly new. The promise is rapid weight loss, reinforced with before and after photos of supposedly real people. In the small and unreadable print at the bottom of the television screen, however, you’re told that the pill or potion should be accompanied by healthy eating and exercise. Does it work? Sure … if you eat right and exercise.

• No sweat workout promise. Some of the worst rip-offs are for exercise products, mostly because people want to be in shape but don’t actually want to get off the couch. Many exercise devices are specifically designed to make you feel like you’re working out without actually taxing your muscles, a prerequisite for effective exercise. Notice how many of the devices you see advertised in those TV infomercials allow you to sit, requiring only gentle twisting or light arm or leg movements. That’s fine if you’re 80. But getting a useful workout for an average body is nearly impossible.

• Get rich quick scheme. It could be buying and selling real estate. Or trading stocks. Or selling on the Internet. They all work the same way, promising great wealth with little effort, which should make you dubious right away. If it’s that easy, why tell others about the system? Because the road to riches is actually in selling the system, not in following it. And what about those testimonials from “ordinary” people who claim it works? They’re either friends of the scammer, paid actors, or “special” students who have been given extra attention and assistance so they can succeed and appear in the commercial. The disclaimer at the bottom of the screen: Results not typical.

• Get “bigger with a pill” trick. You have to love this one. It’s not so much a rip-off as a play on words. Sure, you can get bigger with a pill. But it’s all about what you mean by “bigger.” There are legitimate products that help men achieve … I’m searching for my words carefully here … more firmness. And that necessarily means being “bigger.” But it doesn’t mean an increase in maximum size. Follow me? So what men mean by “bigger” isn’t what the seller means by “bigger.” It’s a good, solid, law-suit proof lie.

• Free forever ploy. This one sounds too good to be true and it is. Here’s how it works: You see a commercial for a revolutionary new shaver. Not only is it a great price, they also promise free blade refills forever. The catch? The shipping and handling includes the cost of the blades. You could pay $10, $30, or more for a dollar’s worth of ordinary blades. And you might be enrolled in an automatic shipment plan that dings your credit card every month for shipments you didn’t request. If they’re really aggressive, you could be subject to what’s called a “load up,” getting a year’s worth of razor blades in one shipment with a massive shipping and handing charge dumped onto your credit card.

• Basic bait and switch. That exercise bike looks great on TV. Solid construction. Heavy material. Nice paint. But when you make the call and order, what you get delivered by the friendly UPS guy isn’t quite as nice. In fact, it’s a hunk of junk. Flimsy. Maybe cheap plastic. Ugly paint job. And you can’t always believe what consumer reviews say either, unless the product is ordered anonymously for the review. Sometimes, the manufacturer sends the nice version to the media to encourage enthusiastic reviews. A variation on this is when they send you a used or refurbished product when you’ve paid for a new one. Even some of the more honest sellers do this. My wife ordered a watch from a reputable TV shopping channel recently and the item she received was scratched and worn.

• Refund rip-off. To help sell a product on TV, it helps to provide a money back guarantee. Most people won’t bother to return a product even if they’re not happy with it. That’s fine. But some TV ad scammers won’t risk even a few returns. If you have a 30-day money back guarantee, they might start the countdown when you call to order, not when you receive your order. And of course, they’ll take up to four weeks to ship the product, running out the clock before you have a chance to try the product.

• Customer service hide and seek. This scam involves two phone numbers, one that works and one that, mysteriously, does not. Call the phone number for buying stuff and you’ll always get through. However, the person answering your call will only take orders. If you have a problem or want a refund, you’ll get referred to another number. Call that number and no one answers. Or you get a cheerful voice mail message telling you to leave a message, which never gets a response. The same setup works on the Internet, where you can order just fine, but the customer service e-mail never seems to reach anyone.

• Out and out theft. This one is not at all subtle. You pay for the product, but it never arrives. The company swears they sent it. The ballsy scammers might even suggest you’re trying to rip them off!

This only scratches the surface. There are many, many more scams.

What you need to understand about direct response TV is that it’s a rough business. Only a handful of products will sell via TV commercials. And only about one in 20 tested products succeed. Even if a product is successful, it often has a short lifespan of a few months because of quick market saturation or fast and powerful competition by those who want to ride the coattails of a profitable idea. Worse, the economics of TV products requires a profit margin of about 500%, so that $25 widget can only cost $5 to manufacture.

All of this leads people who might otherwise do honest business to use hardball tactics to turn a profit.

How do companies selling on TV get away with these scams? Simple. They know most products will fail. But when that one magic product comes along, it will earn them millions, often tens of millions of dollars. This is the product that will likely attract attention from regulators. So when the lawsuits hit and the fines come down, they write a check. It’s just part of the operating cost.

Now let me say again. Most direct marketers and many, many TV advertisers are upstanding business people selling good stuff people want. People like Ron Popeil have made massive fortunes selling innovative products with sometimes surprisingly high quality.

But the scams persist. And it makes everyone else in the direct marketing industry look bad. Worse, it often seems like regulators are far more concerned about wardrobe malfunctions or celebrities with a potty mouth than actual lawbreaking.

The one satisfaction I have is that some of the people getting ripped off deserve it. If you think you can look like a model without hard exercise … or make a million dollars in three days sitting at home in your underwear … or get free products for the next 30 years by the good graces of a friendly company … you’re a sucker. You have a lesson coming to you.

No related posts.

Do you remember those Ginsu knife commercials from the 1970s? They were brilliant. Watch the video below to refresh your memory. This is the original TV commercial.

Yeah, people have made fun of them over the years. But there’s a lot of great technique to be learned here no matter what medium you work in, especially in the way the offer is presented. It sells you on the idea of the knife then adds bonus after bonus until you can’t help but want to order. Today’s television ads may be a little slicker, but most direct marketers still use essentially the same formula.

I’m in the process of collecting videos related to direct marketing and advertising. So if you find one, let me know. What I have so far is mostly just fun stuff.

No related posts.