DRTV Media Buying Blog

That is her Alpha Mom moment. She ought to know: She created the label to describe moms such as herself.

An Alpha Mom typically has money to spend, and — key for marketers/media buyers — she is, as the label implies, a leader of the pack who influences how other moms spend.

If your product or service passes the Alpha Mom test, it’s gold. That’s why the nation’s biggest marketers, from Procter & Gamble to General Motors to Nintendo, are focusing on this remix of the modern mom.

“She ignites markets,” says Michael Silverstein, consumer guru at Boston Consulting Group. “She’s a hyperactive purchasing agent.”

There’ve been other moms before her at the forefront of cultural shifts. They, too, were highly sought after by marketers as “influencers” — people whose brand preferences are followed by others. There were the Soccer Moms lugging kids to sports fields in their minivans and courted as key swing voters by presidential campaigns. They were culturally ousted by the Yoga Moms who made time for themselves and made millions for marketers and media buying agencies who wooed them.

usa today

Peter Koeppel is Founder and President of Koeppel Direct

It is not enough to acknowledge change. We are living in sink-or-swim times where learning to swim requires a deep understanding of what has changed, as well as a tactical plan for succeeding in the new environment.

Many media buying marketers are devising strategies (for better of worse) that leverage the social nature of the Internet. Much to my surprise, it appears that many paid search engine marketers are not as quick to embrace “the conversation” as fellow marketers operating in other interactive channels. The abundance of irrelevant and untimely paid search results makes it apparent that many search marketers rely heavily on automated tools to control much of their search processes. While many of the automated tools on the market provide the search marketer with tremendous value, it is apparent (when analyzing a paid search results page) that these tools leave some marketers in a complacent state.

The result is that media buying marketers are missing many opportunities and leaving money on the table. This complacent nature can be dangerous. Search is a conversation, and conversations require two parties; a keyword (the query) and either paid or natural results (the answer). If a marketer does not learn to actively listen to consumer questions in real-time, she will inevitably be left out of many conversations.

source: adotas

Specialty Catalog Corp. is launching a new direct response television campaign created by Northern Lights Direct Response Television. The 60-second spot promotes Especially Yours, a mail order catalog that offers stylish and versatile wigs, hairpieces, weaves and extensions for African American women, including designs by celebrities Star Jones, Diahann Carroll and Naomi Sims. The campaign is set to rollout this month in the United States on channels like BET, BET J, Black Family Channel, TV One and WB100. Gotham Direct, New York, handles media buying.

Williams Worldwide Television announced the global launch of Dr. Grosso?s Back Relief Belt, a custom lumbar support that utilizes a hidden pump to create exactly the support level you need. In the upcoming weeks, Back Relief Belt will be available for purchase to TV audiences across Europe, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America.

USN Corporation announced a new partnership with Interactive Television Networks Inc. (ITVN), an Internet Protocol television (IPTV) company. The partnership adds USN’s “Ultimate Shopping Network” to ITVN’s current content offerings, which makes USN one of the early home television shopping networks to sell products to consumers through instantaneous remote control purchase. USN will provide a variety of unique interactive options. Consumers will be able to watch a USN show or product demonstration at their leisure and instantly and securely purchase a featured item with the “Buy It Now” key on the ITVN remote. Consumers will also be able to request more product information through their TV or e-mail, see demonstrations of other products and be introduced to similar products based on their purchase history. USN will be available in July, as part of ITVN’s basic Entertainment Plus bundle.

Northern Lights Direct Response Television and Columbia House have completed production of a new DRTV campaign to promote the Columbia House TV on DVD club. TV on DVD is a rapidly growing category capturing close to 15 percent of the total DVD market. The new DRTV campaign was designed to highlight Columbia House’s Science Fiction and Family Classics television series on DVD. Koeppel Direct, Dallas, TX, is handling media buying for the Columbia House TV on DVD campaign.

Entrepreneurs and business executives always strive to gain a competitive advantage in the marketplace. They want to outsell the competition, be known as a solutions provider to customers, and have those in their field perceive them as the market leader. Those are certainly lofty and admirable goals, but are they achievable? Yes! The secret is to create a brand for your company that gives you “top of mind awareness” to all who think about your industry, product or service.

The fact is that to be successful, you want to be the first name or brand people think of when they need the particular product or service you offer. The best way to ensure consumers think of your product or service for their needs first is through strategic and effective media buying and branding initiative.

What exactly is branding? Many definitions exist. In its simplest form, branding is a process you can use to differentiate your business from competitors. This is important, because unless customers view you or your company as somehow different than competitors, you will become nothing more than a commodity. And we all know that commodities rarely stand out in people’s minds.

Building a brand is not always easy, nor is it an exact science. In fact, what works for one company many not work for another. However, following are some strategies that will enable you to begin creating a brand that stands apart from the competition. That’s when you’ll experience the rewards of increased name recognition and higher profits.

Start Branding Your Company Today

Many people mistakenly think they can only brand their business after it reaches a certain dollar revenue or length of time in the marketplace. Nothing could be further from the truth. If your company is in the startup phase, you may not have the funds to invest in branding, but you still must do it. Start the branding process from day one, even if you have to start small. The earlier you start, the better your results will be.