Which is Better: Direct Response or Image Advertising?

Should your growing business use direct response advertising or image (also referred to as “awareness”) advertising? Steve Cuno explains the differences.

As Steve points out, it depends on your goals. But budget also plays a big part. Most small businesses do not have the budget it takes to do an effective image advertising campaign.

It’s better to build your business with direct response because we can test media and copy quickly and adjust as we go. Once you’ve grown to a certain size, it makes sense to spend money on awareness campaigns on mass media.

TV and radio offer tremendous opportunities to build your brand. Some people say old media is dying but that is laughable. Not only will “old media” survive, it will be better for viewers and listeners because they will be forced to be more personal and customizable.

But you still need a healthy budget to make a dent in “awareness” through these media. That “new business” package the TV station sold you won’t be enough.