HOW IS DIRECT RESPONSE DIFFERENT FROM TRADITIONAL MARKETING

HOW IS TRADITIONAL MARKETING DIFFERENT FROM DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING?
A Short Lesson

TRADITIONAL MARKETING

The purpose of traditional (or general) marketing is to create an "overall knowledge and general demand" for a product or service. There is no immediate transaction or response generated from a traditional marketing message. For the traditional advertiser, the transaction or sale will happen in the future (hopefully) at a retail location. The location can be a big box or traditional retailer (Best Buy, Target), a grocery or drug store (Giant Supermarket, CVS Pharmacy) or a specialized dealer (Lexus, Ford dealership). Traditional marketing relies upon Frequency (the number of times the advertisement is shown or displayed) and Reach (how many people actually view or hear the advertisement).

DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING FLIPS TRADITIONAL MARKETING ON ITS HEAD!

With direct response marketing, the sole purpose of the message or advertisement is to get a sale or inquiry now. So in a very real sense, direct response marketing is the flip side of traditional marketing. When your target customer sees (or hears) your direct response offer, they are asked to respond immediately through a Call To Action (CTA). A properly designed CTA has the sole purpose of getting immediate response. Here's a good example: “Call this number now to receive your own Pure Sleep device and stop snoring for good - Guaranteed! Call within the next 10 minutes and we will give you a second Pure Sleep absolutely free, but you must call now!” Direct response marketing works immediately. With additional frequency, response will actually increase but we must have the immediate response for success. To put it another way, unlike traditional marketing that changes attitudes slowly and may lead to a future sale, direct response marketing changes minds instantly for an immediate sale or inquiry. We must get the customer to respond impulsively - thus the name: Direct Response Marketing!

To better understand the differences, look at the following table:

TRADITIONAL MARKETING	DIRECT RESPONSE MARKETING
• Sells a product or service in the future	• Sells a product or service now

• Creates brand awareness and desire	• Creates immediate revenue

• Changes or instructs future buying behavior	• Models existing behavior and turning it into a sale

• Is emotional and broad: "The New Ford Mustang will make you feel young again"	• Is specific and factual: "This Auri ® Car wax offer is only available through this special TV offer so you must call or click now!"

• Message primarily based on image and feeling	• Highly functional message with the immediate impulse response as its end goal.

• Creates potential future sales and awareness	• Creates immediate customers and cash flow
• Has almost no idea what advertising is working, how effective the message is, and if it's financial sound to keep buying media.	• Knows to the dollar which message, offer and advertisements are working. Knows exactly and on a daily basis what media to keep buying and what to dump.
Success with direct marketing relies upon many factors but among the most important are:

The Offer: Is this a product or service with enough benefits for the target customer to spend his or her hard-earned money? The offer must convey enough tangible and intangible benefits to make the customer place an order. The consumer is constantly asking the question, “What's in it for me if I order this product? Will this product truly make my life better?” The successful direct response offer will always persuade the consumer toward an immediate sale.

The Price: Directly related to product benefits is the product’s price. Are the benefits perceived worth the price paid? Can your target customer find a similar product at a better price from another source? The target consumer runs a continuous test in his mind to determine if the product’s benefits equal or outweigh its price. Your message must pass this test.

The Positioning: The product must be properly positioned both in relation to competitive products and in the target consumer’s mind. Is this the first product of its kind available? If not, is the product and offer convincingly better than anything available on the internet or at the local retailer? Likewise, the offer must speak directly to the target consumer. It must have clearly stated benefits and demonstrate the actual benefits of owning the product.

So in summary, the most important difference to understand between Traditional Marketing vs. Direct Response Marketing is that an affirmative nod by the consumer just won't cut it in direct response. The target consumer must respond now or the marketing effort is a waste.

Don't rely on just any agency for your great idea or product. With over 20 years of hands-on experience and proven success, call the 440 Group - The Results-Driven Marketing Professionals now at (703) 739-9472.

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