07.11.07
Direct Response Marketing Can Solve CMO’s Problems – DRTV Article
Direct Response Marketing Can Solve CMO’s Problems – DRTV Article
04.23.07
Media Buying for Google’s AdWords
Google is now adding to there very lucrative adword buying system. Media buyers should jump on this opportunity to purchase “larger than life” ad’s to be displayed to prospective clients in key demographics. Below is an article that I came across recently.
Yesterday Google’s AdWords team announced they had been testing two new image ad formats. The first, a large 2560 x 1920 image is designed for advertisers who want to appear “larger than life,” according to AdWords Developer Arnold Ferguson. “Advertisers have been bugging us since November for a large-format image ad that can showcase photo quality 5-megapixel images. It’s a little bit larger than your standard banner ad, but I think if it makes advertisers happy, it will make our publishers happy as well.”
As part of the test, Google has been serving 2560 x 1920 ads on sites like ultrahighresolution.com for online digital camera retailers wishing to advertise unreduced megapixel-sized images.
The second format, a 1 x 1 pixel ad can be purchased in blocks of ten by keyword. “We’ve actually been working very closely with pixel ad inventor Alex Tew on this one,” said Ferguson. “After seeing all the aimless pixel ad sites out there, we knew we needed an original approach. Unlike all the copycat pixel ad sites, integration with our keyword bidding system will us serve pixel ads contextually on nearly any site in the AdSense publisher network.”
In order to supplement their six-billion dollar annual revenue stream, Google also plans to publish a pixel advertising site of their own in mid-April, and has registered the milliongooglepixel.com domain to display AdWords pixel ads. Google AdWords expects the new sizes to be available to all AdWords users in the next few weeks.
ADOTAS
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct, a leader in (DRTV) direct response television, online, print and radio media buying, marketing and campaign managment. With a Wharton MBA and over 25 years of marketing and advertising experience, Peter has helped Fortune 500 companies, small businesses and entrepreneurs develop direct marketing campaigns to increase profits.
04.18.07
Media Buying, Campaign Management and Optimization Utilizing MAPP™
Once the campaign commences, MAPP™ employs advanced tracking and reporting metrics to ensure ROI efficiency.
- MAPP™ can be customized to capture, track and measure a wide range of relevant information to effectively manage each campaign.
- MAPP™ includes a Geo-Demographic Response Analysis Module. MAPP™ produces concise maps, which track consumer response on many levels, such as nationally, by state, by DMA, by county, by city or zip code. In addition, this mapping module incorporates responses by network and station.
- MAPP™ also tracks response by demographic. For example, MAPP™ can ascertain the response rate for women 25-54, with an income range of $50,000-$75,000, by geographic location.
When applied to a national campaign, MAPP™ identifies “hot spots” of high response levels, while the campaign is airing. This might allow us to supplement the national media buy, with a local schedule, in areas generating the strongest response levels.
MAPP™ – The Technology that Makes Koeppel Direct’s Media Buying Campaign’s More Profitable
Koeppel Direct’s sophisticated MAPP™ technology provides us with the information and tools to formulate targeted media plans and to track and optimize results in real time. The bottom line is that MAPP™ allows us to produce more profitable DRTV campaigns for our clients.
04.13.07
Media Buying: Holding On, Buying Time
Times have been tough for DRTV media buyers in 2006, a year that has seen mortgage interest rates climb, gasoline costs soar and consumer sentiment wane after a multi-year boom in home-buying and consumer confidence. Despite record results in Response’s quarterly long-form media billings research, industry insiders say the second quarter hit particularly hard, leaving media buyers to go back to the drawing board to figure out how to obtain both long- and short-form avails at the best possible price.
“Everything went into the sewer in April,” says Barry Jacobs, executive vice president of E&M Impart Advertising in Los Angeles. He credits the high gas prices for essentially “shrinking” the buying public’s discretionary dollars, and says that led to low demand for high-priced items.
“When we put the $200 or $300 price points on infomercials, we’re just not getting the activity,” says Jacobs. “Instead, we’re using more $39.95 trial period offers that allow consumers to either continue the payments from there or return the product.”
But even the best offers in the world didn’t help buyers gain leverage in a crowded media market. “If we call reps up and tell them that the media time is too expensive, they tell us that there’s a line of other people waiting for it,” says Jacobs, who points out that results aren’t high enough to justify the rising media costs brought on by increased demand.
“It’s getting very difficult to make shows work on a consistent basis,” he explains. “We’re having to pass on some deals with networks that were historically our ‘bread-and-butter’ networks, or not deal with large packages because it’s all borderline right now, in terms of results.”
The decline in results has been significant, according to Peter Koeppel, president at Dallas-based Koeppel Direct, who says media buying experts were buzzing about a 25-percent drop during the third quarter. As cooler weather kicks in and the new fall TV lineup starts to grab viewers he says those results may return to some level of normalcy.
“TV viewing should creep back up, and that affects both long- and short-form performance,” says Koeppel. “As we go into the fourth quarter, I expect stations to ask for higher prices (as usual), but depending on performance, some of those prices may come down.”
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
03.14.07
Make Your Keyword Campaign Click
1. Know Your CPA/CPL (Cost Per Acquisition/Cost Per Lead)
Before you start any keyword media buying for your Web site, know exactly how much you are willing to pay for a conversion. This will be the basis for all of your keyword advertising and will allow you to spend your money in the most cost-efficient manner possible. You don’t want to spend $50 on keyword advertising to drive a customer that only brings in $10 of revenue, right?
2. Choose Keywords Wisely
Having a mix of broad and precise keywords will allow you to figure out exactly what works for you. Create separate campaigns, one for broad keywords and one for more precise keywords. A broad keyword, for example, is “cruise,” whereas a more precise keyword to also test might be “cheap bahama cruise.”
Each type of keyword – broad and precise – has its own benefits. Broad keywords will yield higher impression numbers but won’t necessarily prompt many conversions, while precise keywords won’t garner the same level of exposure but will likely result in a higher percentage of conversions.
3. Track Conversions
Whether you’re tracking pixels or a unique link for each keyword through your weblog, the important thing is to track your conversions! Online advertising differs from any other advertising medium in that you can – and should – track everything. The more granular at which you can look at your campaigns, the better you can maximize your advertising dollars. Knowing which specific keywords do and don’t work allows you to spend more on those projects that yield the highest ROI (return on investment).
source: adotas
03.08.07
FLBA Invention Showcase
ERA, in partnership with Future Business Leaders of America-Phi Beta Lambda and sponsor Koeppel Direct, a leading direct response TV media buying firm announced the winners of the Invention Showcase to find America’s best young inventor. Sister team Julia (18) and Caroline (16) La Roche from Farmville, VA won the $20,000 grand prize for “Flea Tea,” a natural herb remedy that kills fleas on cats and dogs without any harmful side effects.
Mitchell Duffy (16) came in second with “Butter Blaster,” a device that evenly distributes butter throughout an entire bucket of popcorn. Third-place went to Tyson Williams (18) for his “Floating Game Table,” a table-top with built-in drink holders and chip tray for game playing in the pool or spa. Christopher Messick (16) was fourth for the “Gesture System for Computer Interface,” a device consisting of two gloves which read all the movements of the hands and allows computer users to type, move the cursor and input entire phrases, all without ever touching a keyboard or computer mouse. The second to fourth-place winners each received $2,500.
The announcement was covered in more than 50 print outlets from Virginia to Las Vegas and was featured on a DC FOX news program.
I imagine some of you are reading this and saying to yourselves, “Great, but what did ERA get out of it”?
As you know, over the last three years, ERA has committed itself to enhancing and broadening the credibility of electronic retailing. The Association has worked on this objective in many ways and corporate social responsibility is one tool to help achieve this goal. It isn’t just about doing the right thing, it also offers direct business benefits.
“This program seemed a natural fit for our student membership,” said Jean Buckley, President and CEO of FBLA-PBL. “Today, they impressed us all with their innovative ideas produced by America’s most creative minds.”
The six finalists were also given the opportunity to spend time with contest sponsor Peter Koeppel of Koeppel Direct, a leading DRTV media buying firm who provided tips to success in product selection, effective direct marketing and promotion.
03.02.07
Use Your Company’s Image to Catapult Profits
Be Different
Obviously, one of the best ways to create a brand for your business is to invent a new product or service that nobody else offers. However, this is not always an easy task. The fact is that many companies offer very similar products or services. To stand apart from the competition, you may need to create a new category for your product or service, or you may need to focus on what’s unique about the way you do business. So think “outside the box” and get creative. What can you offer that no one else can? What makes your widget different from the other guy’s? Is it your commitment to service? Your speed of delivery? Your product selection? Whatever it is, identify it and use it in your branding and media buying techniques. Narrow the focus of what you do so people think of you first when looking for a particular product or service.
Keep Your Marketing Materials Focused
You want customers to quickly and easily recognize you, so you need to keep your marketing materials simple, focused and consistent. If you don’t have design talent, work with a graphic designer to help you create a recognizable identity that is a unique representation of your business. The logo you and your designer create must depict your company’s image without the need for lengthy explanation. Also work with your marketing department or a professional writer to create a catchy tagline that encapsulates the brand you want your company to have. Use both the logo and tagline on all of your marketing materials, letterhead, business cards and web site.
02.26.07
Media Buying and Marketing For Lawyers
Savvy media buyers know they must market at multiple organizational levels at larger firms and connect with as many influencers of the purchasing decision as possible. “Every partner is, in effect, an owner of the business, investing his or her own money in every product or service purchase,” Vermeulen said.
While smaller law firms may not have as many owners of the purchasing decision, the marketing process can be equally or more challenging, Vermeulen said, because the lawyers take on the role of purchasers.
But the extra effort involved in engaging smaller firms is definitely worthwhile. “Small firms-those with 10 or fewer lawyers-make up about 90% of the legal market today,” Vermeulen said. “And 50% of all law firms are solo practices. These firms have the same needs that every small business faces. … In the technology area, quality and support are often major issues, since support staff is often minimal or nonexistent.”
Lawyers at firms of all sizes are busier than ever, even more so than your average business owner, said Sadie Peterson, president of marketing agency SD MarCom. “Their time is very valuable, so any offerings that require a major investment in their attention span will most often be overlooked.”
Other ways to best engage lawyers in the workplace include advertising in legal publications, sponsoring e-mail newsletters and building Web microsites that not only market a product or service but also provide them with useful information for their jobs. “Lawyers continue to get more sophisticated about using the Internet, especially when it comes to research,” Koeppel said.
The best media buying approach with lawyers, however, is to make personal contact, said Barry Solomon, VP-general manager for the LexisNexis Martindale-Hubbell Network, a database of lawyers and law firms. “Relationships between vendors and lawyers are built on trust, and firms must trust that their vendors are reliable and committed to the legal marketplace,” Solomon said. “This might require very close hand-holding and relationship-building at the beginning, but putting in this face time with your prospective law firm customers … will go a long way in earning their business.”
Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct
02.23.07
Media Buying and DRTV Marketing to Boomers
Baby boomers are also interested in living longer. A Time article stated they fully expect to live to 100. They also want to live better, so when media buying for boomers it’s important to focus on wellness and understand that healthy foods and supplements are important to this group, according to Business Week. Boomers aren’t obsessed with being young again, so drtv ads targeting them don’t need to feature people in their 20′s. They are comfortable with aging, but they want to look and be healthy, and it’s important to communicate the health benefits of products boldly and precisely and to not to use vague advertising claims, such as fortified with vitamins and minerals or fast pain relief, according to Business Week.
DRTV products and services need to be adapted for boomers. For example, Best Buy realized that boomers are interested in learning about the latest technology, but that it may take them longer to adapt to that technology. So they created the Geek Squad, which is a 24 Hour Computer Support Task Force, which sends trained technicians to your home to help with computer and network support related issues. Boomers want to use iPods and the latest electronic gadgets, but they weren’t raised with the same technology as generation Y, so they need help understanding and using the latest high tech devices.
Boomers are comfortable with aging and media buyers need to understand this if they plan to effectively target this audience. DRTV marketers who take the time to research this lucrative audience will reap the rewards for many years to come.
Peter Koeppel is president of Koeppel Direct, a leading infomercial and direct response media buying firm.
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