Infomercials entice viewers to place an order.
Infomercials are relatively low-risk direct marketing vehicles because the results are easy to track and measure. This simply can’t be done with traditional commercials because there is no direct correlation between the number of viewers and interested prospects, and it’s difficult to trace the impetus for a purchase back to a commercial campaign with any certainty.
Infomercials, also known as long-form television, are considered direct marketing vehicles because they have an intended immediate effect upon the viewer – that the viewer will pick up the phone or visit a website to order the product. In contrast, thirty-second commercials, also known as short-form television, are primarily used to increase brand awareness. This doesn’t mean there isn’t a place for commercials in marketing campaigns; infomercials are meant to complement existing campaigns and require minimal risk in terms of expanding an existing campaign.