Direct Response Ad 2

Proactive Solutions

Launched:
2009

Media used:
Television

Appeal:
Rationale & Emotional

Analysis:
The analysis section first begins with identifying the commercial's target market.
In my opinion, the commercial targets men and women of all ages due to the participants used in its advertising. It was also observed that most customers' testimonials talked about being confident after Proactive Solutions solved their skin problem, thus implying that the commercial is aimed towards an extroverted group of consumers.

Secondly, it was noticed that the ad runs more frequently during the night. A possible reason for Proactive Solutions to choose this time slot is because of the customers characteristics. For example, generally speaking, most extroverts would prefer to socialize and thus, is normally out of their homes during the day. However, these segment of the market normally comes home at night, exhausted and just wanting to relax. Therefore, it can be assumed that the advertisement is viewed by a larger number of the intended target market during the night, thus explaining the frequent appearance of the ad on screens during the later hours of the day.

The third topic discussed is the persuasive method used by the ad.
"This commercial markets the brand and its products well." (Jiang, T. personal communication, May 7, 2011)

In further examination, the statement above most likely referred to the use of testimonials by everyday people and celebrity endorsements (in this ad, Jessica Simpson) to persuade sales and increase consumer's awareness of the brand products.

Well-known endorsers are influential due to their attractive and likeable qualities that is already perceived by consumers (Atkin and Block, 1983 as cited in Kamins, Brand, Hoeke & Moe, 1989). Besides that, a research done by Martin, Bhimy and Agee in 2002 reported that the use of celebrities and customer testimonials is an effective technique in both DRTV and long copy direct marketing.

However, like all other infomercials, the advertisement faces a problem with credibility. A survey done by Wirthlin Worldwide reported that 42% of consumers completely distrust infomercials as compared to that of information published in news articles, which had a 5% of non-believers (The Gale Group, 2006). This flaw commonly found in infomercials was covered using persuasive sentences such as "Number 1 best selling acne system in America" and "Over 15 million customers around the world" in the advertisement.


References:

1. Kamins, M.A., Brand, M.J., Hoeke, S.A. & Moe, J.C. (1989). Two-Sided versus One-Sided Celebrity Endorsements: The Impact on Advertising Effectiveness and Credibility. Journal of Advertising, 18(2), 4-10. Retrieved from Business Source Premier.
2. Martin, B.A.S., Bhimy, A.C., Agee, T. (2002). Infomercials and Advertising Effectiveness: An Empirical Study. Journal of Consumer Marketing, 19(6), 468-480. Retrieved from Emerald.
3. The Gale Group (2006). Emerging Industry Overview: Infomercials. Gale Emerging Industry Overviews. Retrieved from WARC.