FAQ                        

                                  FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Are infomercials and direct response ads the same thing?

Messages designed to sell directly to consumers on television come in two types: Short and Long form. Long-form are more commonly called Infomercials and are generally 30 minutes in length. The Short-form, often called Direct Response ads are from 1 to 2 minutes in duration. Both types of messages are direct sales ads that offer a toll-free number to purchase a product and/or to generate a lead for the marketer. Long-form infomercials are scheduled as stand-alone programs in half hour slots that stations and networks will air in time periods that allocate to such paid programming. Short-form ads are purchased and scheduled to air during normal program commercial breaks. The Short-form can run at just about any time of day, depending on price paid and advertiser preference. 

Why should I do an infomercial?

It's been proven repeatedly that an infomercial dramatically boosts retail sales. Studies have shown that for every 1 person that purchases a product through the TV, there are another 7-10 other viewers who will buy this product at a later date at retail.

Statistics also show that a successful infomercial will instantly generate $2 to $3 in sales for every $1 spent on production costs.

Do I need a website in conjunction with an infomercial?

Many undecided viewers use websites to validate their decision to buy and therefore, websites can increase sales. On another level, the cost to process an order on a website is about $0.35 versus $6.00 using a 1-800 call center.

What is the cost of the production for a direct-response television campaign?

A two-minute commercial can range in cost from $15,000 to $50,000, depending on the creative approach and the quality of the commercial. The average cost of an acceptable quality two-minute commercial is approximately $25,000.

Of all the long-form infomercials produced today, the average production cost is approximately $125,000, but can be as high as $300,000. There is no evidence that spending more than $125,000 will generate proportionally more sales. Fawcett's average Informercial Cost is $89,000

Factors affecting this range include the use of celebrity or non-celebrity talent, a custom built set or existing location, the number of testimonials, quality of lighting, music and graphics.