Get Kerri-Anne On Your Sales Team | BTalk Australia

(7min 52) Advertorials are still a feature of daytime television in Australia. Do they work? Will a paid guest spot on Mornings with Kerri-Anne drive sales or devalue your brand?

Bruce Potter is the Creative Director at Streetwise Advertising. On today’s BTalk Australia he gives Phil Dobbie his firm view on the subject. Have a listen before you start your next advertising campaign.

What do you think? Add your comments in the Talkback section at the end of this post.

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• Today’s Transcript

Phil Dobbie: Hello I’m Phil Dobbie, and welcome to BTalk Australia. Today TV advertorials, a bit old fashioned, but are they still relevant?

Bruce Potter: Only from funeral parlours I believe Phil.

Dobbie: But he’s giving up his daytime gig on daytime TV now has he?

Potter: Thankfully, yes. 20 to 1 is about as good as Bert gets these days.

Dobbie: Yeah. That’s not too good is it?

Potter: No indeed.

Dobbie: So Kerri-Anne Kennerley though, she keeps on batting on with daytime TV with what’s supposed to be a bit of credible journalism interspersed with a few paid for bits.

Potter: Yes indeed, and she’ll be doing it in 100 years from now.

Dobbie: I think she’s been doing it for 100 years already. So these advertorials, just how do they work? There are a few minutes that you pay for, and it appears within a TV show doesn’t it?

Potter: Four minutes Phil. And the answer to your question, yes they do work. They work in spades. The audience, for example, in the morning is pretty proactive at this time of the day. And people want to be communicated to, which is what Kerri-Anne does, I want to sit back and get some message. These things are great for communicating a full message for new product launches. You get the messages right, and you get it out there first up. It’s also perfect for testing the initial message, maybe before a full campaign is launched.

Dobbie: Right, OK. So you give it a go and see what sort of reaction I’m in, and then tweak your main campaign.

Potter: Yes and from a cost point of view, it’s possible to reach a large audience, create sales, and build brand awareness all at the same time very cheaply. Because the Kerri-Anne show, for instance, goes nationally right around the country. And it goes to all the nooks and crannies and the tiny places. So if you have a budget that is a little bit skinny, but you really got to show the flag everywhere, it’s an ideal way to do it.

Dobbie: What sort of audience numbers are we talking about? And also what sort of cost? How much would it cost you for that national coverage?

Potter: Well five capital cities, you’re talking about 126,000 people plus regional markets of about 84,000 per se. Now it’s not too bad. Cost varies Phil, but count on about $14,000 roughly to screen one four-minute advertorial in a Kerri-Anne show.

Dobbie: Now does one work or do you have to be on there lots of times? Or can you successfully do it with one hit?

Potter: Look one will work, but I would like to maybe see some kind of a coordinated campaign. Anything up to four or five is probably better. But the thing is, direct response really, really works well. You give them a number and some kind of an offer at that kind of day, you do it a couple of times, and the response, the hit rate, the return rate, take it from me it’s pretty dang good. In fact, I’m a little bit, I don’t know, weary about giving out this information, because I like it better that it might pick up.

Dobbie: That’s right. The rates are going to shoot up next week after everyone hears this.

Potter: I think that’s right.

Dobbie: We’ve got almost a similar audience to Kerri-Anne on this show. So what sort of products are they suited to?

Potter: Anything you like really. I mean you can even get carpets, we’ll I’ve even got Golden Chain Motels, who have been using this advertising for quite some time, but food products, personal hygiene products, anything at all. And the good thing is you can have the founder of the company rather than the paid person. In fact, it’s better to have one of the real people from the company on camera. Because even though they might appear to be clunky, there’s a trueness about them, a complete honesty about them. And if they really loved their product or their company, that comes through. And people pick up on that by going, hey, this Phil Dobbie fellow I saw selling the widgets he’s for real, he actually believes in that rather than the person who is a paid actor selling the widgets. It’s a much more believable message.

Dobbie: Well actually fairly often isn’t it. I guess when it’s cosmetics, it’s fair game. But fairly often you find that they put an attractive woman on these things. And that probably loses a bit of credibility for that very reason, doesn’t it?

Potter: Well it does. And so therefore, a fellow with a receding hairline, bit of a paunch, who owns a pickle factory selling pickles is probably going to do a better job.

Dobbie: You’ve just described me there Bruce. So you’ve said that a few hits is good to build up an audience awareness. But can you keep at it? Can you keep on doing it month after month, year after year?

Potter: Yes, I believe you can Phil. You can. And what you do is, of course, these things are all pre-recorded. The Channel Nine people in the case of Kerri-Anne pre-record them. But what you’ve got after about four or five showings is go and do another one. Maybe focus on different parts of the business, or the product, or the service involved. But as long as it’s fresh, the audience will keep responding. And the audience does change too. And you’re talking about people who will get on the phone and ring up and log a call.

Dobbie: Right. And do you think there’s perhaps a little bit of snobbishness that goes on with some advertising agencies who say, oh look, this is going to cheapen our brand, we don’t want to be associated with it. And are there instances where that might be the right conclusion?

Potter: Yes, in answer to your question, there are agencies that think that. Mainly because the commitment involved should be writing film scripts or starring in a Hollywood movie. Our function in advertising is to sell products. And I wish all of the younger people in advertising, and this is my favourite hobby horse as you know, but wake up to the fact that we are a substitute for door-to-door selling. And you get any means at your disposal to get this message across. Kerri-Anne is a brilliant sales lady. Forget sales person, she’s a lady and she sells. If she sells well, use her. In fact Phil, I would use a pink elephant to sell if I had to.

Dobbie: So anybody who says, oh, this is going to damage our brand, they’re just talking crap are they Bruce?

Potter: I think so Phil, yes to be perfectly frank, yes!

Dobbie: And I guess there are well known brands, like I’ve seen Optus doing quite a lot of daytime TV and it clearly works for them. So they wouldn’t be spending the money if they weren’t’ getting a return.

Potter: Well, I would hope that these people at companies like Optus have market research divisions and companies coming out their ears. Everything they do is well researched. But in answer to your question, yes, they don’t foolish things. They fish where the fish are. And Kerri-Anne is one of the best burly throwers I’ve seen.

Dobbie: Now can you do this, and just this, if you’ve got a limited advertising budget, and you need to get that national coverage, would it be sensible to say, look let’s just sling all money into advertorials?

Potter: Yes it would, again without a doubt. If it’s a case of going national, reaching as many possible people as you can, and getting right around the place. And in some instances, with the people you may be advertising for there could be branch offices, or stores, or motels that need to see you’re out there flying the flag. So it has a duel purpose. It looks like a great morale booster. Gets people off their backside and pumps them up, and gets them out selling in their area, because hey, gee, that thing’s being seen here in Broome, that things been seen here in Catherine. You know, I’m going to get out there, I’m going to make this work, as seen on TV. As seen on Kerri-Anne.

Dobbie: Excellent. Thank you very much for your time. Thank you Moira, back to you Bert. I’ve always wanted to say that. Talk to you soon Bruce.