Jan 27

Response January: The Rock and the Role of the Consumer

The January issue of Response hit the web and began delivering to mailboxes late last week. The issue includes a cover story on Prudential, features on the sports-and-fitness and rehab center markets, and the first in our four-part series on the consumer journey. Our first issue of 2017 is chock full of great information. How’d it come together? Read on:

  • The initial outreach for what became the cover story on Prudential and its head of brand marketing and advertising, Niharika Shah, came from Sheila Kulik of New York-based PR agency Prosek Partners in October. Sheila sent over a release about the company’s new TV and print campaign for its rebranded investment management business, PGIM. After reaching back, Sheila connected me to Pru’s VP of global communications, Discretion Winter, who expertly shepherded the interview and photography process with Niharika. By mid-November, I had the interview — a phoner — with Niharika in the can. Not only is she a deeply thoughtful and analytical marketer, but Niharika was also one of the more open interviewees I’ve spoken with in recent months. Not afraid to share in-depth thoughts on how Prudential wants to reach consumers — what its brand should mean and how performance-based methodologies can help make that happen — Niharika’s insight and personality made for an enjoyable conversation. If you missed the link to the story above, here it is once again: Rock On!
  • The consumer journey. The consumer experience. The customer journey. The user experience. Whatever your team is calling it, it’s become the buzz for marketers dealing with more empowered consumers. In the latter part of 2016, as we looked at creating content for our upcoming Response Expo in San Diego (April 25-27), it became clear that centering our education on the theme of the consumer journey made all the sense in the world. At that point, we created the trademarked “Consumer Journey Map” at right. With a five-step journey featured at the show, we decided to wedge a series of stories into the first four issues of 2017 discussing those steps with leading marketers and setting the stage for the educational sessions at Response Expo. Key freelancer Nicole Urso Reed is handling the series through April. Step one is awareness. In case you skipped the link above: Catching Looks
  • Our annual look at the sports-and-fitness space trains its eye on the fitness part of the equation. Our Doug McPherson spoke with a number of leaders in that space, including TV fitness legend and DR Hall of Famer Tony Little, about the changes wrought by younger consumers, new media options, and more. Here’s that story link again: The Pulse of Fitness
  • With nearly 23 million Americans in need of or receiving treatment for substance abuse, it’s been no shock to see both rehab centers and referral networks expand their marketing efforts. But marketing these services is — as you’d imagine — a very delicate line to walk. Our Bridget McCrea spoke with leaders from a center and a referral network about the challenges facing marketers (and their clients) in this burgeoning space. This story is the first in a planned recurring series about emerging markets for performance-based tactics. If you missed the link above, click here: Rehab Centers and Referral Networks Go Direct
  • Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings return to the long-form DRTV sector for third-quarter 2016 results. A second consecutive quarterly decrease — this time, 10.6 percent — leaves long-form billings about 3 percent shy of their total during the first nine months of 2015. The culprit in 3Q 2016? Lower pricing, especially in the satellite and Hispanic outlets: overall, the average cost of a 28:30 block of time dropped by more than 15 percent. For a full look at 3Q 2016 long-form DRTV media billings, click here: Pricing Decrease Keys 3Q Long-Form DRTV Billings Decline
  • Other key items in this month’s issue include:
  • Finally, my Editor’s Note column welcomes you to the consumer journey focus the magazine and Expo will have for all of our performance-based marketing readers and attendees during the first half of 2017. And — as always — I ask for your feedback on not only the story, but on your idea of the consumer journey, as well. If you missed the link above, here it is: Join Us to Explore the Consumer Journey

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!

Dec 31

Response December: Subaru’s ‘Love,’ Programmatic Pragmatism, and TV Media Highlights

Response December Issue On the last day of 2014, I have some free time to pull together one last Response issue recap post. Our December issue went live online the weekend before Christmas and features a cover story on a major automotive marketer using direct, digital and data-driven tactics, as well as our new 2015 Media Timeline. While most of you are rightfully celebrating the holiday season (as I’ve been for most of the past week) and haven’t had the chance — or even the inkling — to check out the issue, here’s some of the back story on what’s inside!

  • Late in the summer I received an outreach from Diane Anton, corporate communications manager for New Jersey-based Subaru of America. The note was about the debut of the new Outback and the marketing campaign surrounding it, including a pair of new TV ads. Anytime a marketer as big as Subaru directs outreach to Response I know two things: 1) our message really is getting out to the right marketers; and 2) I will respond to that note ASAP. After a couple of calls with Diane — who was just a great pleasure to work with throughout the process — we were set for a cover feature with the automaker’s vice president of marketing Alan Bethke. With an interview and cover photo shoot that came together during the fall, the Subaru team was on top of everything we needed and was rather open about how crucial the digital and data-driven aspects have become in their successful “Love” campaign. If you missed the link above, here it is again: The Greatest ‘Love’ of All
  • Programmatic. If you work in marketing and advertising, 2014 was the year that you suddenly could not escape that word. And while it’s become a huge factor in digital media, there is still a lot of speculation on how programmatic media buying will affect the television industry. Heck, there is still a lot of speculation about what the word (and the concept) “programmatic means. We pulled together four experts from various sides of the television media world to give their insight on what to expect in 2015 and beyond. If you didn’t click the link above, here’s another chance: Programmatic Proliferation
  • During a breakfast in New York City in June, Dick Wechsler, leader of DR industry media buying agency Lockard & Wechsler Direct, first planted the seeds of a possible 2015 Media Timeline in the pages of Response. His thoughts — and those of Eddie Wilders, the LWD vice president who eventually worked on the piece with us — about the annual TV events that affect the average media buyer’s day-to-day efforts eventually evolved into the 4-page spread you see in this month’s issue. We’d love feedback on this piece, as we are considering making some version of it an annual occurrence in our pages. If you missed the link (to the opening spread in our digital edition — the best way to display the feature online), click here: 2015 Media Timeline: Following the TV Trends
  • Our monthly direct response TV and radio media billings update focuses on second-quarter 2014 DR radio results. After an outstanding second-quarter one year ago, DR radio’s 2Q 2014 results took a step back, more closely mirroring results in other recent April-June stretches. The network radio outlet faltered heavily during the quarter, leaving it almost wholly responsible for the $2 million total loss during the measured timeframe. To take a deeper look at 2Q 2014 DR radio media billings, click here: 2Q 2014 DR Radio Media Billings Slip $2 Million
  • Using January’s huge CES show (and our annual December feature on the consumer electronics space) as a jumping-off point, my Editor’s Note column talks about the divide between supporters of traditional — and even older forms of digital — media and the true believers in mobile media outreach. As usual, in any black-and-white debate, the truth about what will work best for marketers lies between. To read the column, here’s the link once again: Finding the Grey Areas Where Successful Campaigns Reside

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response! Happy New Year and all the best in 2015!

Apr 24

Response April: The Energy of Qunol, Legendary Wisdom and Laurels for Long-Form

Response April 2013The April issue of Response has been available online since early this month, but with the wear and tear of Response Expo, followed closely by last weekend’s run to the Coachella music festival in the desert, time’s been tight for updates! However, the April issue did feature an up-close look at a supplement marketer that’s gone from invention to top-5 in-category at Wal-Mart in just five years, as well as personal thoughts from six of the nine inductees in the inaugural class in the Direct Response Hall of Fame – among other stories. Let’s take a look at those and some of the other key pieces in the issue:

  • Our cover feature on top-selling supplement Qunol and its parent company’s leader, Peter Boutros, was part of a true package deal for attendees at Response Expo earlier this month. While working on a special panel on using DR to create retail success with Lockard & Wechsler Direct‘s Dick Wechsler, he mentioned Boutros as a possible speaker. Peter graciously accepted and, after learning more on the background of Quten Research Institute and its use of DR to drive retail – and retail only – for Qunol, it was clear that this was the perfect combination of product and person to highlight in this new era of direct response. In the coming days, when the audio from each Expo session becomes available at ResponseExpo.com, I’d urge you to seek out his session. Until then, here’s the link again, if you missed it above: Energizing Qunol
  • We were extremely proud to induct our inaugural class into the brand new DR Hall of Fame on April 4 in San Diego. As part of the coverage, we were able to catch up with six of the nine legendary members of the class in a very special Q&A about their histories in the business, what makes direct response marketing special and their thoughts on where DR goes from here. This story is a “can’t miss” for anyone who fashions him or herself a DR expert. If you missed the link above, click here: Pearls of Wisdom
  • In DRMA news, the newly rebranded Monarch Direct Response is in the Spotlight this month. Since leaving Mercury Media to form Media Stream Direct a few years back, industry stalwart Eitan Cohen had built his company into one of the most competitive DR media agencies in the biz. To reflect that growth – and the level of service his clients have come to expect – Cohen and his team decided to rename and rebrand the company last month. If you missed the link above to the Spotlight feature, click here: A New Reign
  • Our latest analysis of the DR industry’s quarterly media billings results circles back to long-form DRTV billings’ 4Q 2012 results, which were cause for excitement, as the quarter’s negligible loss helped the final overall total reach $1.05 billion, marking the first year-on-year rise in the long-form space since 2006. Healthy competition for half-hour space, and the continued rise in 30-minute pricing – especially in the cable world – were the main drivers for 2012’s long-awaited results. For a full look at all the categorical and outlet results, here’s the link: 4Q 2012 Results Clinch First Annual Jump Since ’06
  • Finally, my Editor’s Note welcomed our 3,000 attendees to San Diego for Response Expo 2013, which was in full swing just three weeks ago (it already seems so long ago). We’re so thankful to all of our, advertisers, readers, sponsors, exhibitors and attendees for making the magazine and the Expo the consistent successes they’ve been over the years. From our operational perspective, the 2013 Expo was the smoothest ride yet in the seven years we’ve hosted the event – and much of the credit for that goes to our small but committed staff. We hope that your experience – if you joined us – was not only glitch-free, but fun and fruitful. And we’re looking forward to doing it all over again next April 29-May 1! If you missed the link to my the column above, here it is once again: Who’s In? At Response Expo 2013, Anyone and Everyone

Thanks again for reading and interacting with Response!