Infomercials aren’t just on TV any more. They often run as broadband videos on the Web, with sales made online instead of via toll-free telephone numbers.
Livemercial, based in Valparaiso, Indiana, streams direct response advertising online for a range of companies. The infomercials, which originally ran on TV in long-form or short-form versions, appear on the Web in all their splendor, demonstrating the products and asking for a sale. The TV infomercials are repurposed slightly, with “Order Online” instructions replacing the toll-free number at the end.
The broadband infomercial for PackMate, CA, which can be seen here, features the program in a screen on top of the home page, with a Stack & Vac Demo in a smaller box on the left and a series of testimonials underneath the main screen that can be clicked to play.
“We developed our own streaming platform,” said Jeff O’Connor, VP of sales and media at Livemercial. “We’ve done 900 broadband infomercials and we currently host 475 Web sites. The products have a life cycle of 90 to 120 days and 85 percent of the sites have infomercials.
“The sites act as a place where they can view the infomercial, the testimonials and the product descriptions, and a shopping cart where they can make a purchase,” O’Connor said.
The broadband infomercials are supported by the TV versions, which are “tagged with a url so viewers can come to the site where the infomercial is restreamed with a call to action,” O’Connor said. “They can capture sales this way instead of a toll-free number. Half of all infomercials have it now.”
Jordan Pine, VP of marketing at IdeaVillage, Fairfield, NJ, said his company uses Livemercial and one of its competitors Permission Interactive, to run broadband infomercials. “We launch six to 12 products per year in retail categories like household items, tools and pet products,” he said. “The products have a short life cycle of up to two years and the Web site with the infomercial stays up for the full term,” he said.
Not all companies put their infomercials on line immediately, he said. “They don’t build a site until they run the TV commercial in a test phase for a month. They buy a few strategic cable stations and do a small media plan. If it’s a good response, they expand it, put up the site and run the infomercial. But we do it fast, so the site is up and running when we start. The percent who buy online varies by product and you don’t know how many sales you’ll get from the Web, but with some campaigns it’s higher than 50 percent, so we want to be there from the start,” Pine said.
Andrew Gordon, president of Direct Impact Group, a direct response firm in Newton, MA, that specializes in broadcast lead generation, said broadband informercials can be successful because they are fully watched. “Traditional TV infomercials are 28-1/2 minutes long and most people don’t watch the whole program, it’s not appointment TV,” he said. “So marketers are taking the programs and streaming them on their sites to refresh them and provide another viewing opportunity. In the old days, marketers were in control, but today consumers are, so this allows consumers to view them at their leisure.”
Beyoncé’s Halftime Show Highlighted Netflix’s NFL Debut On Xmas Day
Beyoncé provided more excitement than either game during Netflix's NFL debut on Christmas Day.
Riding into her halftime appearance on a white horse, the 32-time Grammy winner rocked her hometown Houston crowd with a nearly 13-minute performance on Wednesday.
She surprised fans by bringing along Shaboozey to perform "Sweet Honey Buckiin" and Post Malone joined her for "Levii's Jeans."
The action on the field didn't live up to expectations as the NFL showcased four of the AFC's top five teams.
Patrick Mahomes and Travis Kelce exposed a glitch in Pittsburgh's defense during Kansas City's 29-10 rout in the first game.
The broadcast itself went off just fine, quickly becoming the second-most popular live title on Netflix to date, according to NFL Media.
Lamar Jackson and the Ravens led C.J. Stroud and the Texans to 17-2 at halftime before Beyoncé stole the show.
Mariah Carey opened Wednesday's doubleheader with a taped performance of "All I Want for Christmas is You" and then the two-time defending Super Bowl champion Chiefs trounced the Steelers to clinch the No. 1 seed in the AFC.
There were no signs of any major streaming issues during the game after Netflix experienced minor blunders at the start of the pregame show. The broadcast opened with roughly 10 seconds of silence because it appeared studio host Kay Adams' microphone wasn't turned on.
Beyoncé's live performance at NRG Stadium was supposed to be the biggest test for the streaming giant and it seemed to go off without a hitch.
Mahomes threw for 320 yards and three touchdowns and Kelce had eight catches for 84 yards and one score as the Chiefs (15-1) earned a first-round bye and home-field advantage throughout the AFC playoffs. The... Read More