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On July 1st Vintage Cash Cow launch their new DRTV advertising creative in the UK produced by the full service specialist DRTV advertising agency, SmartResponse, to drive immediate lead generation for the innovative brand that buys vintage items and provides a convenient digital platform for their fast growing customer base. The new three minute DRTV advert creative, shot exclusively on location, clearly explains the Vintage Cash Cow consumer concept and buying process and is targeted at their mature target market. Vintage Cash Cow, based in Leeds, has been operating since 2016. SmartResponse has been retained by Vintage Cash Cow as their specialist DRTV media buying/planning agency since January 2024 and they have been on air every month since delivering consistent results throughout the last two and a half years from their DRTV campaigns. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse, commented: “We are excited to launch the new three minute DRTV creative for Vintage Cash Cow in July who have been a pleasure to work over the years, and we are delighted to retain them as a DRTV media buying/planning and creative client. Vintage Cash Cow is a quintessential DRTV brand with a great story to tell and consumer offer and it has been fantastic to see the company grow so rapidly in recent years with their unique buying and selling formula”.

Attended by over 1,000 marketing professionals on April 29th in London The Future of Brands conference conveyed how the world of marketing and media planning for brands continues to evolve at pace with AI representing many concurrent opportunities and fundamental challenges in a world where the vast majority of media platforms (bar linear TV) are now not independently audited. The key take aways for SmartResponse: In 2002 95% of all media in the UK was audited by independent joint industry currencies (JICs) including BARB for auditing linear TV airtime. With the rise and dominance of social and digital monolith media platforms over the last two decades (that manage their own reporting that is not independently verified) this JICs figure across the marketing industry is now only 16% with linear TV and a small number of the SVOD platforms maintaining their presence on the independently audited BARB panel. Connected TV still does not have a unified independent auditing audience measurement system other than Netflix and Prime who are on BARB (YouTube decided last year BARB was not for them!). Some brands have seen their search/PPC costs rise by up 250% in the last five years whilst their conversion rates have depleted with AI forecast to exacerbate inflation looking ahead. ChatGPT is now the fifth most visited website globally as the use of AI has become normalised for the worldwide population in the last few years. Targeting younger early adopting audiences has become increasingly fragmented across multiple platforms. The death of linear TV in the UK, as often reported in the press, is gravely overblown with independent research forecasting that linear TV audiences in an ageing population will reduce at an annualised compound rate of 3% over the next five years. Thanks to the team at Adwanted and Sam Tidmarsh for another excellent event.

On June 1st, 2026 leading hygiene and healthcare brand, Freshwipes, launched their inaugural DRTV advertising campaign in the UK promoting their award-winning innovative product range with a new 60 DRTV advert creative. The new DRTV advert for Freshwipes was produced by SmartResponse Media with all DRTV media buying/planning and dynamic campaign analytics and optimisation managed by the London based specialist full service DRTV advertising agency. The new DRTV campaign, targeting a predominantly 65 years+ indexed core audience, will broadcast across 13 nationwide TV stations for the initial test campaign in June over the course of a month. Commenting on the activity, Liz Barnes, CEO and Founder of FreshWipes, stated: “We are very excited to now trial DRTV advertising to promote Freshwipes to drive both sales and increased market share in the UK and are delighted to be working with SmartResponse as our retained specialist DRTV agency on this exciting broadcast project”. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded: “We are delighted to have been appointed by Freshwipes to promote their excellent personal hygiene products and look forward to making DRTV advertising a great success for their brand looking ahead”.

On May 18th, 2026 leading in-home brewing brand Pinter launched their inaugural DRTV advertising campaign in the UK promoting their innovative product range with a new 60 second TV advert creative campaign with all TV media buying/planning and dynamic campaign analytics and optimisation managed by specialist full service DRTV agency, SmartResponse Media. The new DRTV campaign targeting a predominantly 40 years+ male audience will run across 12 different TV stations for the initial test campaign in May and June over the course of a month. Commenting on the activity, Duncan Gordon, interim Chief Marketing Officer of Pinter, stated: “We are very excited to be extending our marketing in the UK to now include DRTV advertising which we see as an ideal platform to convey the essence of the Pinter in-home brewing concept in a new and engaging way that resonates with our target audience and demographic“. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with a market leading brand like Pinter via DRTV advertising and are excited to see the results from the initial test”.

On March 26th the Campaign School Reports 2026, that lists the top 50 media buying agencies by billings in the UK, featured SmartResponse Media for the first time ranked at number 45. SmartResponse Media, founded in 2015, is an independent specialist full service DRTV agency producing DRTV adverts fully in house from 'script to screen' and delivers specialist DRTV media buying/planning underpinned with dynamic in-campaign optimisation to drive immediate and scalable return on investment for their diverse client base. SmartResponse’s DRTV creative and media buying/planning services span all DRTV advertising lengths from 30 second linear media to 30 minute ‘teleshopping window’ airtime. They offer bespoke creative and DRTV advertising solutions for the wide range of sectors their customers operate in including travel, food, fashion, legal, mobility, health and beauty, household and garden products, recycling and financial services with one common commercial goal – delivering an immediate and incremental profitable new direct sales channel via their bespoke DRTV creative and media campaigns for all their clients. Commenting Pete Mills, their cofounder and Managing Director, stated: “We are delighted and honoured for SmartResponse to be included in the Campaign School Reports list for the first time in 2026 based on our rapid year on year growth and are very grateful to our highly valued clients whose success in DRTV is our daily motivation. We would like to also thank our very talented and dedicated staff for delivering such strong results and consistent ROI from our fully managed DRTV campaigns for our growing client base which fuels our continued company growth”.

At the Connected TV World Summit this week in London over 600 broadcast media industry attendees from across the globe were rightly focussed on delivery of effective ‘audience reach’ in the ever-evolving world of television advertising – or in non-industry jargon terms the cost-effective ability to gain unique viewers for TV advertising regardless of what channel or platform they are watching. Linear TV in the last 10 years, driven by seismic changes in the UK broadcast landscape, now generates a distinctly mature viewing audience profile as the 16-24 year old ‘early adopter’ segment has moved away substantially driven by the huge rise in social media and online content consumption. According to the last published OFCOM Media Nations 2025 annual report this younger audience now watches on average just 31 minutes per day of TV - in 2019 this figure was 90 minutes. To continue delivering younger target audiences the key traditional UK TV media owners - ITV, Channel Four and Sky Media - have become increasingly reliant on their Broadcast Video on Demand (BVOD) airtime packages as a solution to this systemic, and some argue, longer term existential challenge. The cost of BVOD and Subscription Video on Demand (SVOD) airtime, however, depending on the media owner, is between 15-40 times more expensive than linear TV airtime. If, like most DRTV advertising clients, your focus is on immediate monetary return on investment from TV campaigns it may not be a surprise to hear that BVOD and SVOD do not often appear on DRTV media plans where monetary ROI is often the key priority. The fundamental issue for all TV advertisers, and in SmartResponse’s view, the far bigger issue at hand in the current broadcast environment, is not just the comparatively high cost of SVOD and BVOD TV airtime, but the often very poor consumer viewing advertising experience often delivered via these on demand platforms. On SVOD and BVOD platforms audiences will often witness the same TV adverts being broadcast in consecutive advertising breaks typically from the UK’s largest media spending brands presumably targeting maximum audience reach outside of linear TV airtime inventory - but at what cost and what ‘effectiveness’? SmartResponse watched a film on one of the larger SVOD platforms in March and saw the same brand advert broadcast in 10 consecutive advertising breaks! This then begs the uncomfortable question that the TV advertising industry seemingly refuses to engage with regarding BVOD and SVOD airtime inventory. At greatly enhanced media prices coupled with targeting audience technology (a key component to justify inflated media yields, but this strength is also their weakness) will there ever be enough variety in an advertising breaks on either SVOD and/or BVOD platforms to make this a viable medium for TV advertisers seeking an immediate measurable monetary return on investment, or indeed the pursuit of cost-effective audience reach? Surely one cannot be achieved without the other. The static growth in BVOD TV airtime in the UK at circa 14% of all viewing in recent years, according to OFCOM, suggests an obstinate ceiling in terms of demand. For SVOD, the introduction of third-party adverting remains a relatively new development but based on the latest consumer viewing offering it would appear to be going down the same flawed highly repetitive advertising route as BVOD. The broader question therefore remains for all TV advertisers – what is more important for your brand; effective audience reach or the consumer’s viewing experience? The latter seems to have been badly overlooked this week at the Connected TV World Summit in the endless pursuit of reaching younger viewers at all media costs for advertisers. Based on these fundamental challenges, substantially driven by generational change in viewing consumption, what does the future potentially look like for the TV advertising industry as we progress through this decade and beyond? SmartResponse assert consolidation will become inevitable for some of the newer players who are clinging on to the advertising funded business model to survive – CTV and FAST channels look particularly vulnerable without the additional commercial benefit of subscription revenue enjoyed by the main SVOD players who augment their market dominance with eye watering content budgets. According to various research presented this week at the Connected TV World Summit Amazon Prime, Netflix and YouTube will dominate the CTV space in the years to come with smaller players falling to gain meaningful share in the next five years. Normalisation of all TV media pricing across BVOD and SVOD platforms surely must be required in due course. This would drive wider demand from those incumbent TV advertisers who have successful businesses but are currently reliant predominantly on ROI driven by linear TV airtime investment as the more cost effective and much more sophisticated in delivery and measurement ‘older sister’ in AV broadcast advertising. Many brands, including most DRTV advertisers, would clearly like to expand into SVOD and BVOD inventory respectively to reach younger audiences. If the media cost was viable, this would enhance the consumer viewing experience via an increased variety of advertisers airing, making these platforms both cost effective, and as importantly viewer friendly and ultimately would drive overall growth for the broadcast sector for both brands and media owners alike.

Oakhouse Foods, the quality frozen food home delivery brand, on January 1st , 2026, launched on TV in the UK their new 30-minute infomercial with all production and longform DRTV media buying/planning undertaken by the specialist full service DRTV agency SmartResponse Media. The 30-minute Clearcast approved infomercial shot on location in a kitchen studio with TV presenters features and complemented by high quality DRTV advertising content promotes a range of delicious dishes from the Oakhouse Foods extensive range and highlights the key consumer benefits of the brand promoting a discounted special introductory TV offer of seven meals for £20.00. The infomercial will initially air on 14 TV channels during January 2026. Oakhouse Foods launched their first three-minute DRTV advert with SmartResponse Media in December 2024, which generated excellent direct sales and new customer acquisition the outset, and led to the brand being 'always on’ with DRTV throughout 2025 and which will continue to underpin their DRTV marketing activity into 2026. Briar Holdsworth, Acquisition Marketing Manager at Oakhouse Foods, commented: “We are very excited to see how the extended format of a 30-minute infomercial works for our innovative brand following our highly successful launch into three minute DRTV, that has driven excellent volume and growth for our business in the last 13 months, we are delighted to extend our working relationship with SmartResponse as our specialist partners in DRTV advertising for both creative and media buying/planning”. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded: “We absolutely love working with Briar and the team at Oakhouse Foods - DRTV has proven itself to be a very powerful medium to date for their excellent brand and we anticipate by adding 30 minute infomercials to their marketing armory for 2026 this will further enhance their commercial success looking ahead".

SmartResponse Launches Fischer's new Three Minute DRTV Creative and Media Campaign in March. On March 1st Fischer Future Heat launched their inaugural three-minute Direct Response TV (DRTV) advertising campaign promoting their innovative home electrical heating system range on national TV in the UK. The DRTV advert creative production and TV media buying/planning was undertaken by SmartResponse Media – the specialist London based full service DRTV agency. Commenting on the activity, Tom Nurse, Marketing Director at Fischer Future Heat - “We are delighted by the impact our three-minute DRTV advertising campaign has delivered, as managed by SmartResponse, in terms of overall consumer response and new customer leads. The longer format of DRTV allows us to fully showcase our brand and the extensive product range at Fischer to our target audience to clearly explain the features and benefits of our state of the art domestic electrical heating systems”. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded - “We are delighted to have the opportunity to work with such a great and respected brand like Fischer. We felt immediately that three-minute DRTV advertising would be a great medium to promote their services and to grow their market share in a highly competitive marketplace”.

There are trade shows and then there is Ambiente - the annual monolith that takes place in very cold Frankfurt every February and is credited with being the world's largest consumer product trade fair. Attended by over 140,000 trade visitors, manufacturers and brands from across the globe to showcase their new houseware products and to understand the forthcoming sector trends. I think this is my 20th attendance of Ambiente and still exciting to meet new companies, touch base with old friends from the International Direct Response TV (DRTV) industry (still dedicated after all these years!) and to understand what is going on in the world of multichannel retail - this is one not to be missed...

SmartResponse Launches VYBZ True Wireless Earbuds with Three Minute DRTV Creative and Media Buying/Planning Campaign in June. On June 1st SmartResponse Media launched the inaugural UK DRTV campaign for VYBZ True Wireless Earbuds distributed by JTB Products based in West Chester, Pennsylvania in the United States. VYBZ True Wireless Earbuds encapsulate the latest audio technology delivering outstanding premium sound quality, available in six different distinct and impactful colourways and have many technical features and benefits including Bluetooth technology and active noise cancellation for an optimal consumer listening experience and are being sold at an extremely competitive price as part of their introductory UK exclusive ‘TV Offer’. Tyler Canfield, Director at JTB Products, commented; “Based on our commercial success achieved to date with selling our VYBZ Earbuds in the US market we are excited to now launch this unique audio product in the UK and were delighted to appoint SmartResponse, the specialist DRTV agency, to produce our new DRTV advert and to manage our DRTV media buying/planning and dynamic campaign optimisation”. Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded; “We are extremely pleased to have signed JTB Products to launch these exciting new VYBZ Earbuds in the UK and look to emulate the outstanding results already achieved in the US”.

SmartResponse are delighted to announce a new DRTV Media and Production Client - Mobility Plus+ Three Minute DRTV Creative and Media Campaign in May On May 12th the leading mobility brand, Mobility Plus, launched their inaugural three-minute DRTV advertising campaign promoting their innovative range of walk-in bath and showers on national TV in the UK. The DRTV advert creative production and longform media buying and planning has been undertaken by SmartResponse Media – the specialist London based full service DRTV agency. Ian Davis, Chief Commercial Officer at Mobility Plus+, commented; “We are excited to see how DRTV advertising performs for our brand and are delighted with the DRTV creative execution that SmartResponse have produced on our behalf. This longer format of DRTV advertising allows us to fully convey the extensive range of products Mobility Plus+ have on offer and our competitive advantage“.   Pete Mills, Managing Director of SmartResponse Media, responded; “We are delighted to have been appointed by Mobility Plus+ to manage their DRTV advertising account – their brand and mature audience is ideal for our specialist DRTV marketing services, and we look forward to delivering great results for them from this new campaign”.

We are delighted to announce that SmartResponse Media is 10 years old today. We founded the company in May 2015 with the intention of offering our clients the ‘full service’ covering the four overriding principles that we had found to make DRTV work in our previous careers on client and agency side: 1.        Script to screen advert production creating DRTV adverts that sell 2.        Specialist DRTV media buying/planning 3.        Thorough in-house analytics 4.        Continual in-campaign optimisation to drive performance for our clients This is all managed in house with the overriding vision to deliver our clients a far greater attributable return on investment from their DRTV advertising campaigns.  In short, from day one of trading we were making SmartResponse unequivocally responsible for every element of our client’s DRTV campaigns. SmartResponse Media Driving Responsive TV Campaigns for 10 Years: We have stuck to our principles throughout the last 10 years, consistently advising our clients to ‘spend as little as possible, to find out as much as possible’ for their test DRTV campaigns, to grow their businesses with care and attention and always with a client view at the core of our recommendations, and  always  to be 100% transparent with all our activities. As we reach this important milestone of a decade trading, we want to thank all the key stakeholders in making this happen; our highly valued clients, the media owners and our excellent staff who have stuck with us as we have encountered many ups and downs, not least the existential challenges of COVID.   We would also like to thank our families and friends who backed us in 2015 to launch SmartResponse and have done ever since – we could not be more grateful. On the back of the performance and ROI delivered to clients from our DRTV campaigns, we have grown significantly in recent years and the future looks very bright for SmartResponse as we start our 11th year in business on May 1st, with further substantial growth forecast for the next 12 months. We very much look forward to working with our incumbent client base and new clients who want to employ our specialist services in DRTV advertising, to establish a new and profitable marketing and sales channel for their businesses – what we wake up early every morning to deliver to the very best of our abilities. Thanks again for all your support.