03.29.07
Where Do Leads Fit in Direct Response Media Buying?
I came across this article on eMarketer.com. Media Buyers should take heed the the multi-channel leeds are becoming the wave of the future with more and more media buying experts transfering money to online advertising.
Almost half of online marketers and media buyers are not doing enough to generate leads, according to a new E-consultancy study conducted by Clash-Media.
Only 44% of 400 UK B2C marketers surveyed thought that their companies were effectively using online lead generation. Nearly half (47%) said that their firms were not effectively exploiting online lead generation to grow business.
Multi-channel organizations fared better, with three-fourths of respondents working for such firms saying that their companies were generating leads online with the intention of converting them offline.
Paid and natural search got the most respondent approval, with 52% saying that paid search was “very effective” at lead generation and 48% giving natural search high marks for bringing in leads.
Search’s dominance can make mailing lists — even e-mail lists — seem behind the times, but the fact remains that e-mail is still an ubiquitous and effective marketing medium, and it is still considered a great tactic for lead generation.
Linus Gregoriadis of E-consultancy said, “The research found that online methods are deemed to be more effective than offline methods when it comes to generating leads in the B2C context.”
It’s tempting to dismiss the shortcomings of other markets and think that things are better here. But the E-consultancy study is not of an emerging market. The UK is as robust and advanced an Internet environment as anywhere outside the US. The results are worth considering in relation to US online marketing plans.
Direct response media buying has been the main focus of much online ad spending in the US, but some of that money will shift to branding through 2011, according to eMarketer. Gauged by growth rates this year and in the next four years, the relative spending for branding vs. direct response will remain about even or somewhat greater for brand-focused advertising.
eMarketer senior analyst David Hallerman summarized the shift.
“Forgetting for the moment that direct response and branding often blend,” Mr. Hallerman said, “such as with an auto manufacturer’s paid search ad that leads to a new model’s Web site or a bank’s video ad that leads to clicks and conversions, about two-thirds of online ad spending goes to direct response objectives.”
If lead generation tactics have not been fully exploited in the US, direct response still requires attention and effort, even as money goes toward branding. A focus on lead generation to support direct response doesn’t necessarily require more budget, but it does require focus.
eMarketer.com
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct
