There has been a recent increase in the use of direct response television (DRTV). While traditional television advertising levels remain flat, DRTV has seen a significant lift within the past year.

Buyers and sellers cite several reasons for the upswing in DRTV advertising, including cost, measurability, accountability and higher engagement. They also note the growing number of response platforms beyond the traditional 1-800 number call center, including various Web destinations and mobile sites. DRTV rates are on average about half the cost of traditional spots, buyers say. One trade-off: no audience guarantees. Also, sellers can preempt DR spots without notice if they get a better deal for the time. Adweek 8/25.

HEILBrice aggressively forged this territory several years previously with our client Piccadilly Restaurants. Piccadilly is a buffet style restaurant with units primarily in the South and Midwest. DRTV allowed us to purchase television more efficiently while providing the spot length needed to convey a quality in the kitchen message that resonated with both new and existing customers. Most importantly, sales responded.

Time will tell if DRTV is encroaching on traditional television ad placement over the long-term but it is clear that advertisers are being more creative with their DRTV applications thanks to new technology and some good old-fashioned media creativity.

Jay Drummond, Senior Vice President, Media Director

I recently read an interesting presentation written this past February for the Direct Marketing Association by Michael Saray that makes a fascinating assertion: The brains of Latinos are, in general, “wired” differently from those of other ethnic groups such as Anglo-Saxons.

According to Mr. Saray, Hispanics are more right-brained because of their cultural experience and, presumably, their history. This means that Latinos tend to be more emotional, intuitive, creative, “big-picture” and visionary. Left-brained individuals would, in contrast, be more intellectual, sequential, analytical, logical and accuracy-driven.

Although he does not cite sources, this generally echoes other information I seem to remember having read over the years and it certainly jives with personal experience. Having grown up in Mexico City, I know for a fact that Mexicans are far more preoccupied with emotional and creative concerns than with issues such as accuracy and a logical, sequential outlook on things.

For instance, take automobile buying. While the average Anglo or Asian prospective car buyer may give great importance to parameters such as reliability, performance, fuel efficiency, residual value, etc., and may spend countless hours poring over vehicle data and statistics, Hispanics often will choose a vehicle based simply on its aesthetics, features and prestige.

The car brand Hispanics choose is frequently a reflection of their personality and their sense of good taste and elegance. That is why European luxury automobile brands do extraordinarily well in Mexico, whereas their Japanese counterparts are hardly given the time of day.

Another critical cultural facet influenced by this affinity for right-brained activity is the Spanish language. According to Mr. Saray, “The Spanish language has not favored intellect over emotion.” This has very clear implications for an activity like direct marketing, where Spanish cannot and should not be expected to perform the same as English would.

All this brings to mind the old adage: “If you want to speak to your lover, do it in French. If you want to talk business, do it in English. And if you want to talk to God, do it in Spanish.”

Javier Corona is the director of Hispanic marketing for HEILBrice VISIÓNLatina, a leading Hispanic marketing and advertising agency that recently won a prestigious Silver Level Effie Award for Marketing Effectiveness from the American Marketing Association for its Hispanic Beef Marketing Toolkit developed for The Beef Checkoff.

The first round of Arbitron Portable People Meters radio ratings are in for Los Angeles. The winner is KIIS-FM. Long thought of as dominate in the LA radio market, Hispanic stations have dropped out of the top five on the list of 12 year old and older listeners. While the ratings won’t be official until October, they do point the way to a changed Los Angeles radio landscape.

The electronic meters have been proven to be more accurate than the antiquated diary method. People tend to default to the larger stations or their favorite station when filling out the diary. Especially true when it’s Friday and you have forgotten to fill out Monday-Thursday in your diary. Diaries also tended to show that people listened to one station for a long period of time. Meters better reflect the reality that we are a culture of button pushers.

Change is inevitable and accuracy is a good thing. As with other metered markets, whether it is TV or radio, we will all need to adjust to the new ratings. The way people listen to radio may not have dramatically changed but the way we measure it has. This in turn will force us to take a second look at the benchmarks we have used in the past. While it might be painful in the short term, over the long haul we will be better able to target those people we are trying to reach.

Jay Drummond, Senior Vice President, Media Director