Online business publication TheStreet.com, New York, plans to roll out 30-second and 60-second DRTV spots on national cable stations in February to promote its Web site. The Web publication, which was founded by hedge fund manager and financial columnist Jim Cramer, targets major investment firms and consumers who trade portfolios.
“People around Wall Street know Cramer and the company has built brand awareness in an ad campaign, but now they are going to sell subscriptions directly to consumers,” said Adam Batt, media account director for Direct Resources International, New York. “Selling this will be a lot like selling a magazine subscription.”
TheStreet.com has quadrupled its subscription base since November of last year and wants to continue that growth.
“We have a well-established brand name and target audience,” said Sean McLaughlin, the company's vice president of media relations. “This ad is going to have a stronger call to action.”
A subscription costs $9.95 a month or $99.95 a year, with a free 30-day trial period.
“Our product is for the thoughtful investor,” said McLaughlin. “Our online format allows us to get our stories online very quickly, and we have very high quality writing that is livelier than other business publications on the Web.”
“This is the first DRTV spot for them,” Batt said. “It will also be harder to track their results because they only have one 1-800 number and that is a vanity number, but we will be able to see bumps from different cable stations. We have had success with other publications and we do expect the same results here.”
