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NEWSLETTER
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Volume 21, 2002
The Vibrassage™ Story -- Getting to the Right Place at the Right Time
"I was in the right place at the right time." How many times have we heard how important this is to success? Being in the right place at the right time is also a critical factor in Direct Response TV success. The field of DRTV includes a wide array of TV venues and formats that may or may not be the right place at the right time for your product. How do you know whether your product will capture viewers' imaginations if it is shown on a 30-second TV spot, a 60- second TV spot, a 30-minute infomercial or on one of the many Home Shopping Channels?
Is there a "natural" chain of events through which a product progresses making its way through different formats until it becomes recognized and famous? Or is each product on its unique path to stardom? Are there rules to this game of getting to the right place at the right time or is it luck? Should you go it alone or will you be better off with professional guidance?
A closer look at one InfoWorx success story gives us answers to some of these questions. The "Vibrassage"™ foot sandal is the case in point. Have you seen it on TV? Have you seen it on QVC? Or on the Internet? This is the sandal with a vibration system built-in to the heel of the shoe. It relaxes and soothes tired, aching feet. And it's been a huge success. InfoWorx helped shape the marketing strategy that was behind this success and guided the process from concept through production to venue selection. As Ron Perlstein says,"We shepherd each project through many major decisions to make sure we get the best results for our clients."
The Vibrassage™ campaign started with a 2-minute television spot designed by InfoWorx. This spot was so successful in several media markets that Perlstein presented the product to QVC where he has worked with producers in the past. He received a Purchase Order for Vibrassage within a couple weeks. "This is where it really pays to have a middle man," says Perlstein. "We were able to do in a couple weeks what could normally takes months or longer when entrepreneurs go it alone with a home shopping channel. Without us, new products could sit on someone's desk waiting for attention. We get face time with buyers, planners and producers because we have ongoing relationships and have brought them successful products in the past."
This speedy turnaround with QVC meant that Vibrassage™ was able to capitalize on its successful infomercial and reach greater audiences very quickly. "We created a new video for QVC which showed great testimonials and people who used this foot massage system and loved it. It made a real difference to their quality of life," adds Perlstein. "One success translates to another!"
After a successful run at QVC, "Vibrassage"™ migrated to the Internet. At their Web site, you can download and view the video that was made by InfoWorx for QVC. "The video works in many venues," says Perlstein. Visitors to the Vibrassage™ site have the same opportunity to see real life testimonials as they would in an infomercial. And it's the testimonials from others suffering from the same distress that create the impulse to buy. "It makes perfect sense to allow visitors to the Web site the chance to see the video as well as to order the product. We're just capturing some of the synergy that exists when a product is available in a variety of formats and venues. Once you have succeeded in creating an "As Seen On TV Success", you can capitalize on this in all future advertising campaigns - no matter what the format."
The Vibrassage™ is a wonderful example of a good product, good marketing and a good middleman. The product migrated successfully from the initial infomerical to home shopping to the Internet, taking with it to its next stop the ingredients that made it successful early on. And the success keeps on giving: Vibrassage™ recently signed a deal with HSN to market a line of slippers based on their successful technology!
InfoWorx continues to be key to the success of each marketing effort. Seeing the potential of the Vibrassage product, they created the initial video and placed the spot judiciously. This success led to presenting the product to a larger audience at QVC. The Web site gave another opportunity for viewers to visit and order online. And now on HSN. "We created a winning video and a winning overall strategy for this product," says Perlstein.
"The Direct Response TV waters can be tricky to navigate," says Perlstein. "You can go it alone and you might get lucky but most likely you will get stuck somewhere in the process. We know these waters. We can be the captain of your DRTV ship," he adds. "We can make the system work for you rather than you discovering that it's an obstacle course. There's a huge difference!"
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