VERIMARK: But wait, is there more?
Times have changed since you called a number on the TV to order something, but Verimark is still in the business
The curtain has not closed on direct-response television if Verimark’s latest results are anything to go by. Believe it or not, but the 1980s jingles — "If you call now!" and "As seen on TV!" — still have a place in today’s fast-paced and competitive retail landscape. After a dismal showing last year, the company reported a 200% jump in full-year headline earnings, to R25.9m. "About 20 years ago, we would flight a commercial and the only way to get the product would be to call the number on the screen at the end of the ad," says CE Michael van Straaten. "Now it’s totally the opposite. Less than 1% of our sales are through a call centre and we are tenfold to a hundredfold bigger than we were then." Though the call centre concept may be dated, the group’s marketing strategy remains the same: at the end of an ad consumers are directed to visit their nearest store, or the company’s website and order.
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