DTC National: The blind leading the blind
Apr/13/2007 01:25 Filed in: DTC
Environment
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More and more people are getting used to time shifting thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple. You see time is the new currency and consumer like watching things according to THEIR schedule not the TV Guide. More and more people are using DVR's and of those people most skip commercials (DUH!). Of course DTC marketers continue to pontificate the end of the 60 second spot and wonder what they can do to break through the clutter. Cialis commercials continue to run (yawn) as well as Neulasta (double yawn) and the competitors in the cholesterol category. Marketers continue to analyze the impact of these spots and manipulate data to show outrageous ROI's (400%?) to senior managers who all too often don't understand consumer marketing.
DTC Marketers Still Behind the Mainstream
As more and more premiere marketers, like P&G, allocate more money to the web and less to TV DTC marketers produce really bad DTC spots like Rozerem. I once asked why this was happening but after talking to a number of colleagues in phara marketing I think I have a pretty good idea as to what's going on. Here are the reasons that DTC marketers continue to ignore the web as I see them:
1. They don't understand the Web: The web is a pull channel and marketers just can't get that through their heads. They would rather expose you to TV spots on the website or lengthy videos that take a long time to load even with broadband. If consumers don't like what you say they are gone with a click of the mouse.
2. They don't understand how to measure the impact of online programs: Web analytics are getting more and more sophisticated. They can tell you how people are thinking when they come to your website and what information drives conversion. The key is that you have to have people who are eMarketers not IT people set up these measurement criteria because a basic understanding of consumer behavior is needed.
3. The budget drives the strategy: More and more marketers are spending a lot more online and with the basic laws of supply and demand premium placements on websites is becoming more and more expensive. Media planners don't know how to integrate the Web or measure the impact of online ads or purchased key words.
4. Once the website is launched I'm done: If anyone ever tells you that then you know they are talking from ignorance. As you learn more and more about your customers needs and what information drives conversion you need to continually optimize the website to make it more user friendly and drive business objectives.
5. TV is glamorous: When programs like American Idol are number one you know that TV programming has gone down hill. Lots of money very little ROI.
6. Hire eMarketing people who are passionate about what they do: I'll take a passionate person over a "competent" person any day of the week. I can't tell you the number of basic eMarketing questions I get from people that cause me to ask "what is going on here?".
OK, I've ranted enough but frankly how many more times do DTC marketers need to attend these events and listen with closed ears. Agencies continue to present compelling reasons to move more dollars online but marketers are either too stupid to listen or just don't get it. Maybe there should be a moratorium on DTC marketing so DTC marketers can have a chance to catch up on a consumer drive world that has passed them bye...
More and more people are getting used to time shifting thanks to Steve Jobs and Apple. You see time is the new currency and consumer like watching things according to THEIR schedule not the TV Guide. More and more people are using DVR's and of those people most skip commercials (DUH!). Of course DTC marketers continue to pontificate the end of the 60 second spot and wonder what they can do to break through the clutter. Cialis commercials continue to run (yawn) as well as Neulasta (double yawn) and the competitors in the cholesterol category. Marketers continue to analyze the impact of these spots and manipulate data to show outrageous ROI's (400%?) to senior managers who all too often don't understand consumer marketing.
DTC Marketers Still Behind the Mainstream
As more and more premiere marketers, like P&G, allocate more money to the web and less to TV DTC marketers produce really bad DTC spots like Rozerem. I once asked why this was happening but after talking to a number of colleagues in phara marketing I think I have a pretty good idea as to what's going on. Here are the reasons that DTC marketers continue to ignore the web as I see them:
1. They don't understand the Web: The web is a pull channel and marketers just can't get that through their heads. They would rather expose you to TV spots on the website or lengthy videos that take a long time to load even with broadband. If consumers don't like what you say they are gone with a click of the mouse.
2. They don't understand how to measure the impact of online programs: Web analytics are getting more and more sophisticated. They can tell you how people are thinking when they come to your website and what information drives conversion. The key is that you have to have people who are eMarketers not IT people set up these measurement criteria because a basic understanding of consumer behavior is needed.
3. The budget drives the strategy: More and more marketers are spending a lot more online and with the basic laws of supply and demand premium placements on websites is becoming more and more expensive. Media planners don't know how to integrate the Web or measure the impact of online ads or purchased key words.
4. Once the website is launched I'm done: If anyone ever tells you that then you know they are talking from ignorance. As you learn more and more about your customers needs and what information drives conversion you need to continually optimize the website to make it more user friendly and drive business objectives.
5. TV is glamorous: When programs like American Idol are number one you know that TV programming has gone down hill. Lots of money very little ROI.
6. Hire eMarketing people who are passionate about what they do: I'll take a passionate person over a "competent" person any day of the week. I can't tell you the number of basic eMarketing questions I get from people that cause me to ask "what is going on here?".
OK, I've ranted enough but frankly how many more times do DTC marketers need to attend these events and listen with closed ears. Agencies continue to present compelling reasons to move more dollars online but marketers are either too stupid to listen or just don't get it. Maybe there should be a moratorium on DTC marketing so DTC marketers can have a chance to catch up on a consumer drive world that has passed them bye...
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