The first, and perhaps the most important question to ask a DRTV agency when evaluating them for your next campaign is, just how much of their business is focused on Direct Response, and of that what percentage of it is devoted to Direct Response for Television.  Many Agencies take an opportunistic approach to winning new business, even if the work required isn’t their strong suit.  Few Agencies on the other hand, practice a narrow focus on the DRTV market.  The expertise required to deliver optimal financial results for a DRTV product or service is substantially different than the skill set required for brand-oriented TV campaigns.  That said it can be extremely costly when an Agency learns how to create and manage a DRTV campaign on your dime.  

2. Does the DRTV Agency have a clearly articulated and proven methodology?

In your search for a Direct Response Agency, you’re likely to encounter a wide spectrum of answers to this question, ranging from “we’ve been doing this for years, just trust us” to “the formula is always the same, there’s just five simple steps we need to follow.”  While both of those statements may be true, depending on who you’re talking to, it doesn’t assist you, the client much insight into what the engagement process will be, how your money will be spent, and leaves you without a common language that you as a client can communicate your priorities and expectations to your Agency with.  It is important to ask detailed questions, and ask for specific documentation as to how your Agency will get you the best results possible in return for a portion of your marketing budget.  For an example of a DRTV creative methodology, see GreyTV Direct Response Television Advertising Methodology  

3. Is the DRTV Agency’s production and creative fee transparent?  How much of the budget will end up “on the screen”?

As a client it is more than fair to ask your prospective creative Agency what percentage of the overall budget will go toward the production and management of the campaign, and how much will be put into the actual costs of producing the commercial or infomercial program.  As a best practice, Direct Response creative agencies should offer a sliding scale structure, offering a lower management fee for larger budget productions.  Conversely, it is also important to remember that the average cost of a broadcast quality short-form DRTV commercial (60-seconds) is approximately $75,000, including production management and creative fees.  Beware of Agencies who offer dramatically low bids, and of course be sure to ask plenty of questions when you receive a substantially higher bid.  

4. Does the DRTV Agency have pre-established relationships with seasoned Directors and Writers that have worked on DRTV campaigns in the past?

An often overlooked, but essential factor in the quality of your DRTV production is the relationships your Agency has with key members of the creative and production team.  Do they have tangible relationships with a variety of Directors and Writers?  Can you see who they partner with on their Website, and in their marketing collateral?  Surprisingly, many creative agencies only use one in-house director, and conduct searches for other directors only after they’ve been approached with a new DRTV campaign, which can compromise the quality of the final product.  It is essential to the success of your campaign that the Direct Response agency you chose to create your campaign has a wide range of experienced creative professionals across a broad spectrum of product/service categories.  

5. Does the DRTV creative agency provide flexible options for developing campaigns?  

There are many situations that may require assistance from a DRTV Creative Agency, but not a whole new campaign.  For example, in the course of Media testing, you may find that adjustments are required to your creative, including minor re-scripting, branding or changes in graphics.  Instead of re-shooting an entire DRTV commercial, prudent DRTV Agencies will offer you a variety of choices as to how to repair or optimize your creative, before opting  to start over.  In other cases you may want to use existing creative, or make your own pairing between a media agency and a creative agency.  The best DRTV Agencies will welcome all forms of collaboration that best serve you as a client.  For more on DRTV Repair, please see the article we published last week on Direct Response Television Repair Services (DRTV)