Wake Up and Smell the Infomercial

From design to concept, I have always been fascinated by the art of marketing.  Over the years, and as part of the industry, I have become more aware of how blindly we follow the guidance of strangers, especially those on television.

We know that nobody likes to be sold to...UNLESS, it is packaged with precision!  If it is a telemarketer, we quickly say, "not interested" and hang up. But, if it's an infomercial in the early AM hours, we either buy or, for whatever reason, we pause and a seed is planted to buy.  It is that pause that makes the product over a million dollars per broadcast in sales.

In recent years, companies have spent millions trying to capture the attention of a different market with their infomercials.  The coveted market are those who spend freely based on the recommendations of "experts". How do you reach those who would "pause but not purchase"?  You disguise it as a talk show and put it on prime-time TV!

Don't believe me? Let's test the strategy. We have a talk show with an audience of women over 30, the average viewer is overweight to obese, and they are lower-middle to upper-class. The "areas of expertise"vary but, each week, they dedicate an entire show to weight loss remedies and anti-aging. Every show mentions herbal supplements. Can you guess which daytime talk show this is? If you guessed "Dr. Oz", you are correct.
 
It's hard to believe, I know; but watch it; and by 'watch', I mean 'listen'.  Once you know what you're looking at, it becomes obvious that he has sold his name to endorse commonly unknown supplements and, as a result, both he and the supplement industry are making millions. It is the same concept as an athlete selling his endorsement to Nike. His show is the leading undercover infomercial of daytime television, which I call "brilliant marketing"!

Let's do the math.  His show has no less than 6 million viewers. An avid viewer will likely purchase several different supplements, based on his recommendation, at least once. Each supplement is no less than $6, prior to its mention on the show, and can then triple after the show. For this example, we'll say the average price is $10. If we assume that only half of his regular viewers will purchase and they purchase one supplement for $10, that would mean that the show would generate $30 million dollars in sales. With reruns and social media, that number is exponentially more.  Like I said, brilliant marketing.  

Don't get me wrong.  Just because the Dr. Oz show appears to be an infomercial doesn't make the advice provided less valuable or reputable.  He is a practicing cardiologist that is providing insight and answering questions that help many women. At the same time, we have to remember that the show is about sales.  The bottom line is, don't be so quick to purchase.



Disclaimer:  The content provided, which  is based on opinion, is for informational purposes only. The author is not responsible for the interpretation of the opinions expressed or the comments posted by readers.