Excerpts from "Operators Are Standing By!" by Michael Planit
The Infomercial
To shoot a commercial, you'll need a production company that knows how to create an infomercial (which will require a script, actors, a set and so on), a media buying company to buy the space on the networks (local and regional cable most likely), a telemarketing group to take calls from consumers and an order fulfillment center to actually fill those orders and send them out.
DR TV productions can be found in two style formats: short forms and long forms. Another way to put that is that an infomercial can be a 2-minute spot or a 28-1/2 – minute show.
Short-Form Infomercials
Also called spots or two-minute spots, short-form infomercials generally have the following characteristics:
Length. Two minutes. The time can be broken down further into 60-second and 30-second spots.
Product price range. $14.99 to $39.99
Purpose. These are great ways to introduce new products to the marketplace in a relatively cost effective manner, as compared to traditional forms of advertising.
Structure. These quickly provide information, show the product, demonstrate the product, provide great testimonials, make great offers, quote prices, give phone numbers and take orders.
Short-Form Infomercial Pros
These are relatively inexpensive to produce and to purchase the media for.
They can be viewed seven days a week, at various times during the day.
They offer higher visibility than long-form infomercials because of the broader availability of ad space.
They provide a quick approach to the market because they can be produced quickly and cost effectively. Thus these productions enable you to get to market quickly and expand rapidly in the event of a success.
A short-form infomercial can be positioned easily throughout local, regional and national cable channels, as well as network and syndicated TV channels, giving you the opportunity for widespread exposure for your product or just the same provide the ability to target specific demographic groups (for example, men only, women only, or sports enthusiasts).
They generate direct product sales, creating brand and product awareness for purposes of establishing retail distribution through mass marketers, catalogs and other venues.
Short-Form Infomercial Cons
The short forms may not allow enough time to really draw in the viewers, to "hook them."
The short form is not a good venue for high-priced products (very few priced above $19.99 do well).
The broadcasting time slots for short-form infomercials have become highly competitive due to large companies' entering the fray (for example, Sears, Home Depot and Sharper Image), making it harder to get noticed and pushing advertising costs upward.
Long-Form Infomercials
The long-form infomercials are generally what people think of when they hear the term infomercial. The long forms usually have the following characteristics:
Length. Usually 28-1/2 minutes long.
Product price range. $59.95 to $999.95. Higher-ticket items require more time to sell and explain so that the potential customer can understand and appreciate the value of the product.
Structure
Three 6- to 7-minute segments about your product.
Three 2- to 3-minute segments presenting the offer, price and phone number or the call to action (CTA). The offer is presented, and the viewer is invited to take action: "Call now...Operators are standing by..."
Purpose. Long forms are great for introducing a new technology that is priced higher than would be a short-form item. It allows for a complete explanation and time with the customer. Also, it allows time to build product value and create a sense of urgency for the viewer to make the purchase, time to create an emotion connection and time to show real-world benefits and emphasize the product's uniqueness.
Long-Form Infomercial Pros
Long forms generate direct product sales, creating brand and product awareness for purposes of establishing retail distribution through mass marketers, catalogs and other venues.
Long forms provide great opportunities for product demonstrations and testimonials.
Long forms provide ample time to reinforce the product's value.
Long forms provide time to build emotional connections between products and viewers.
Long-Form Infomercial Cons
Media time is usually late at night, though some great weekend day parts are available.
The cost can be prohibitive both because of the cost of production (the cost to produce infomercial itself) and the high cost of media. To gain visibility and product recognition, you have to run a show often. Over a long term, buying enough media time to gain a following and recognition can get very expensive, but doing so is a necessity to gain trust and sales.
