TV pay-per-call ad trend revealed for 2005

Beware: Many advertisers who use Internet performance-based programs are turning to other media channels wanting similar guarantees. Television's largest broker of performance-based advertising sees significant changes for its industry in 2005.

"New advertisers are discovering pay-per-call on television," says Joseph Gray, a 15-year veteran of television advertising and CEO of RevShare. "And they're experiencing tremendous efficiency and volume that mediums like direct response television can provide in comparison to what have become saturated and overly competitive Internet pay-per-click models."

Home-based business opportunities and dating services are perfect examples of web-based business models that have recently migrated from the Internet to television with a great deal of success. One of the largest businesses that have tapped into the power of direct response television advertising is the pharmaceutical industry.

"The pharmaceutical industry is looking to reach the mass market to generate leads and to build brand awareness for services or products that have universal appeal such as allergy or high-cholesterol medication," explains Gray. "Other companies with these objectives are perfect candidates for pay-per-call programs which reach consumers through many diverse types of television programming."

RevShare distributes 12-15 offers per quarter to its network of over 600 TV stations and cable nets. A consumer response test determines which commercials make the cut. Theoretically, offers that have universal appeal and application should generate sufficient response to qualify for pay-per-call placement, says the company.

"In 2005, new pay-per-call advertisers might be first-time television advertisers too," adds Gray. "The Internet has been a catalyst for increasing the demand for performance marketing."

Seasonal trends also play an important role in pay-per-call TV ad success. Already testing offers to run in the second quarter of

2005, Gray notes that home improvement/financing, health/fitness and tax-related offers typically perform well April through May. RevShare brokers guaranteed media on over 600 stations, the majority belonging to ABC, NBC, CBS, and Fox.