While researching an upcoming DRTV feature I’m working on, I came across this article in AdWeek which takes a look at a study put out by TNS Media Intelligence on the surprising growth of DRTV spending in 2007.
According to the study, there was a 36% increase in spending on DRTV spots in ‘07, up to $4.5 billion. Interestingly enough, traditional TV media spending is down 2%, to $64 billion.
It seems in the slumping economy, marketers are choosing DRTV over traditional media because of its obvious tracking ability. The article cites increased response platforms beyond 800-numbers (Web sites and mobile platforms) for the increase. Is DRTV really a better investment? While DRTV spots are cheaper than traditional ads, the article says the downside is that there are no audience guarantees and that “sellers can preempt DR spots without notice if they get a better deal for the time.”
Regardless, more and more big brand marketers are turning to DRTV as of late. So you may be able to expect this trend to continue at least until the economy is on an upswing.
