That’s a Wrap People!

It’s been a long and interesting run this semester but it’s time to wrap up all of the product placement we’ve encountered and discussed the past couple months. Two months seems so short but think about all of the things we’ve discovered. I guess it just goes to show how much product placement is evolving and how effective marketers are finally realizing it is.


Ofcourse, I had to keep everyone up to date on my favorite shows because this is where I most readily spot placements. I started off with the Real Housewives, which I must sadly say has ended its season. In it, we found many luxury and high-end items from Range Rovers to Tiffany diamonds… surprise surprise. Another reality show, which I have recently discussed, was MTV’s Inferno 3 which had only a few but quite relevant and prominent product placement of both T-Mobile and Schwinn gas scooters. I also found that cooking shows are a product placement heaven. Both Take Home Chef and Rachel Ray’s talk show featured several brand named food items. My favorites, ofcourse, were the prime time dramas and comedies. What can I say, I’m the typical college girl. I loved spotting brands in the Black Donnelly’s (which was cancelled too soon if you ask me), Desperate Housewives and HBO’s Entourage. I must say Desperate had the most effective PP by associating each main housewife with their car. In the episode I commented on, Bree and her family were shown many times driving her Chrysler 300C. A few movies were also worth mentioning, particularly Premonition and Blades of Glory who featured some more service-oriented brands such as Nationwide Insurance and Orbitz online travel assistant, respectively.



Lucky for me, this semester landed smack in the middle of the award season. Both the Grammy’s and the Oscars had very little product placement. This is a shame because with the Hollywood presence and celebrity appeal, many high-end brands would have fit beautifully within the star-struck guests.

Another major point that I liked to touch upon were the recent trends surrounding product placement. The one I mentioned like a broken record was ofcourse DVR: my love of it, and the need for more integrated marketing such as product placement because of it. Then there was reverse product placement like Bubba Gump shrimp from Forrest Gump and Wonka candy which began as brands within the movie and soon enough became real brands. Also, Nielsen launched their new PP ratings system, and companies like VideoAnalytica are developing technologies for “dynamic product placement” which will allow marketers and content owners to switch brands in certain placement slots. Video games have become a popular vehicle for product placement, especially to reach the young adult male market. Companies like Ford, Nike, T-Mobile and Jeep have begun utilizing in-game product placement.

Suggestions and forecast also seemed to become a theme of this blog with posts such as the one about the new iPhone and the possibilities for placements. Also, within my product placement spotting and analyzing I seemed to find and relay many instances that would have been perfect for certain brands. Such neglected opportunities should be given a second look by marketers.

Aside from my own active observations and analysis, certain publications such as Mediaweek and Brandweek helped to keep me up to date on all that is product placement these days. Other sources of PP news were the recently discovered MediaBuyerPlanner.com and the creatively named Product Placement News.

Finally, we’ve discovered companies like 1st Approach who work as a kind of third party to brands and marketers to help place their products in the most innovative and effective vehicles. If PP keeps up at this pace, companies like 1st Approach might have their work cut out for them in the near future. Clearly, product placement is only getting bigger and in all directions. It has become almost necessary and as marketers realize this I can guarantee we will be seeing more it in our favorite shows. So keep a lookout… where it is, how it’s evolving, and who’s using it. For those of us who are thinking about getting into the marketing field this is a must!

Check Out Some HOT Product Placement on MTV’s Inferno 3

Once again, I’m back to reality shows for spotting some good product placement. This time it’s one that appeals to a younger generation, which is actually kind of perfect. The show is MTV’s Inferno 3 which is competition between two teams comprised of past members of MTV’s the Real World and Road Rules shows. It airs Tuesdays at 10pm. The target audience for this show, and most MTV programming, is typically males and females 13-25. I say the target audience for this show is kind of perfect because with the increasing use of DVR, which I’ve mentioned multiple times, and the busy multitasking lifestyles of teens and college students product placement is sometimes the most effective way to market to them.

To start off, the show/competition is set in South Africa. At first I was thinking what kind of branding can you find in South African? Pretty much in the middle of a subtropical and secluded area. My next thought was the only product placement I might find would be placed by MTV and for the MTV network. Well I was half right. The majority of the signage and clothing had either the MTV or the Inferno 3 logos, which was expected. But MTV did a good job of incorporating and placing other brands within the show as well.

The host of the show is BMX champion TJ Lavin which is relevant to the show as most of the challenges are pretty extreme. This brings up an association with BMX dirt jumping and such competitions as the X Games which Lavin currently holds titles in. Next is the T-Mobile Sidekick phone which serves as the players’ sole form of information as to what their next challenge will be. The phone is showed each time the team finds out about a new challenge along with the sound of the T-Mobile signature ring tone, so at least once an episode. Also, the T-Mobile name and logo are always zoomed in on when it is in use. Sometimes members even announce that they “just got a message on their T-Mobile Sidekick phone.”

In this particular episode, the winners of the challenge received a Schwinn motor scooter which was both shown prominently and referred to at the beginning and end of this week’s challenge. Coincidentally, TJ was wearing a t-shirt and a hat with the Schwinn brand name and logo throughout the entire episode.

The Newest in Product Placement!

A new media company, VideoAnalytica LLC, is introducing dynamic or switchable product placement. If you’re like me and unfamiliar with this concept, VideoAnalytica describes dynamic product placement on its Web site as, “a low cost way of transforming product placement from a one time event, done during filming, to a series of slots that can be sold like traditional 30-second spots.” This new video technology allows media owners to sell product placement "slots" in their video content as if they were traditional advertising slots, which can be based upon time period, region, production run, computer hard drives and different customer profiles.

Aside from reduced production costs and efforts of brand marketers and content owners, and its ability to produce more targeted and therefore effective placements, VideoAnalytica also offers a list of other benefits offered by dynamic product placement. Its Web site lists them as:

1. Increased revenues from existing content where product placement can be inserted, experimented with and changed.
2. The ability to capture more value from video content that has been more successful than anticipated.
3. Updating of product placements where the product is no longer available or looks dated, e.g. with consumer electronic products.
4. Improved targeting in international campaigns where international consumer packaged goods (CPG) companies wish to promote different products in different markets.
5. Reducing the cost of product placement by enabling smaller audiences as a potential offering to advertisers.

Due to the increasing use of DVRs and skipping of television commercials, VideoAnalytica seems to be arriving at the perfect time for advertisers. While the technology for dynamic product placement, provided by VideoAnalytica, is still patent-pending, I’m sure many marketers are anticipating its arrival. For more information on VideoAnalytica and the services it will soon be offering go to its official Web site or its “informal” site where it offers insights into the realm of product placement.

“Blades of Glory”: Another Ferrell-Product Placement Winning Duo

A couple weeks late I know, but the fact that I had time to catch a movie at all is a wonder, particularly this time of year with 100 end-of-the-semester projects to work on. Anyways, this past weekend I was able to see “Blades of Glory,” where Will Ferrell and Jon Heder play two rivals in the world of professional figure skating. After getting into a fight at the world championships, the two are banned from men’s figure skating, but then return as a pairs team. You probably remember Heder best as the socially awkward Napoleon Dynomite. And ofcourse we all know Will Ferrell from everything from SNL to my favorite, Old School, to the product-placement-smothered Talladega Nights released last year.

“Blades of Glory” certainly comes in as a close second when it come to brand placement in a feature film. First and foremost, Orbitz premiered for the first time in theatres as it sponsored the sporting event where Ferrell and Heder made its first appearance as a pair: The Orbitz Winter Sports Games in Montreal. Aside from the sponsorship, Orbitz appeared in signage, screen text, and references by commentators. Other instances of brand placement using signage in sporting venues includes Xbox 360, Subway, Crest Whitestrips, Verizon, TrimSpa, Footlocker and Nationwide insurance. More tangible placements were of Skittles candy, CapriSun juice pouches, Captain Morgan’s rum, Froot Loops cereal, Google and Trojan condoms. Perhaps it’s the whole sports sponsorship scenario, but both Talladega Nights and Blades of Glory are two examples of relevant and effective product placement, even though it wasn’t particularly subtle. While Blades seems up to par in terms of product placement, comedy-wise it still has a lot to live up to compared to the legendary Old School.

More On In-Game Placement: Four Major Brands’ Plans

Last week, I talked about the increasing popularity and effectiveness of in-game product placement. In the latest news, four big brands have initiated a 3-month in-game advertising trial. These four global brands are Ford, Nike, Unilever’s Sure for Men, and Samsung. The ad spending for these brands will be committed to game placements compatible with the Nintendo Wii, Sony Playstation, Microsoft Xbox Live, and PC. Expenditures are also limited to advertising in the UK.



While Nike, Samsung and Unilever are aiming their trial placements in shooting games, Ford has different plans. In support of its new Fiesta ST model, Ford bought ad space in various racing games including “Need for Speed Carbon” and “Trackmedia Sunrise.” In such games, players can race around in a Ford Fiesta ST as well as view ads and signage for the brand throughout the game. Other promotional activities for the Fiesta ST include campaign sites on MSN and ads on Windows Messenger live as a result of a deal with Microsoft. Microsoft can also be credited for supporting the in-game initiative with its reported research findings that the in-game ad market was worth $56 million in 2005 and is estimated to reach $1.8 billion by 2010. Such figures have helped to encourage many brands to enter the gaming world as a profitable source for marketing. More about this newly announced in-game initiative is discussed by New Media Age in its article, “Ford and Nike join in the biggest trial yet of in-game advertising.”

Getting the Gamers: Brand Placement in Video Games

According to a recent article in Mediaweek, “Let the In-Game Ads Begin”, product and brand placement in video games are an effective way to reach the average gamer. Mediaweek describes this segment as “professional males with high disposable income.” Marketing to this segment in-game is key because they are also likely consumers of such things as DVR and interactive TV, and frequently engage in multitasking. All of these factors have also been known to hinder the effectiveness of traditional advertising. Some brands that have entered the gaming world include Intel, T-Mobile, Jeep and Red Bull. These, and other, brands can be incorporated into video games in various ways… all of which are effective if placed strategically and in the right context. Some brands develop in-game billboards advertising real-life products. Mediaweek reporter Justin Townsend also discussed another increasingly popular possibility: “fully integrated, interactive product placements, where a product can be used as an integral part of the gameplay.” This can mean a Coke purchased and consumed in-game by your player, or characters in the game driving around in particular auto brands. These opportunities allow gamers, or their characters, to experience certain products and services in-game, increasing their curiosity and awareness of the real-life brand.




These in-game placements result in not only visibility and exposure, but trial and relevance to gamers’ needs and interests. The Mediaweek article continues to discuss the effectiveness of in-game product and brand placement, including how it can be quantified and measured for effectiveness using ROI and market data, as well some do’s and don’ts of in-game advertising.

Entourage: Promoting Brands in the Fake Real Hollywood Scene

I don't know about you, but last night was an occasion I've been waiting months for: new episodes of Entourage. A continuation of season 3, the episode premiered after a 7 month hiatus on the normal Sunday 10pm timeslot on HBO. Guaging the popularity among college students, particularly apparent in our little Entourage "party" last night where almost 20 of us crammed into my neighbor's apartment living room to watch, it can be assumed that product placement within the show was exposed to many Gen Y viewers. On a side note, this return of one of my favorite shows has made me regret overlooking HBO when signing up for our cable plan earlier in the semester, an investment that may have been as, if not more, crucial than our DVR purchase.

Anyways, I was so excited for the premiere last night that I had forgotten to grab a pen and paper to jot down any product placement I spotted. And ofcourse there was no leaving in the middle of the show. So here are some placements that I recall strictly from memory. And if you think about it, my ability to retain them from last night's episode only goes to show how effective they were. First there was the Lakers basketball team and their home court the Staples Center in LA, which Vince and his "entourage" were shown attending as a birthday present from his new agent. Then ofcourse, Turtle sported his NY Yankees hat pretty much throughout the entire episode; a red one this time. As for Drama, he was cast in a new TV drama "The Towns". His subplot focused on the billboards for the show and his attempts to guage how much attention they were receiving and if passer-byers would recognize him from them. The product placement for this instance was the NBC logo placed on each of "The Towns" billboards and ads throughout the show. Lastly, the episode ended with Vince's birthday party, sponsored by Victoria's Secret, a brand name that was shown prominently and multiple times throughout the scene. Not to mention two of the famous VS Angels posing with Vince at the party. Many will recognize them from real-life VS commercials and print ads. Skyy Vodka was also present at the party, with its blue bottles shown being poured, labels out ofcourse.

Some of the brands shown more discretely were a Smuckers jar at the breakfast table and both Visa and Mastercards which Turtle maxxed out. However, the big players for the night were definitely the Lakers, Victoria's Secret, Skyy Vodka and the other sponsors of the party. For more episode and program information on Entourage, HBO has an entire site dedicated to the largely popular show. Unfortunately, there's no free video streaming of the episodes on this site. Guess you better have HBO on Demand or at least a friend who has it if you want to catch last night's premiere: a lesson I learned the hard way.

Rachel Ray: Queen of Branded Entertainment

So last week I explored the idea of cooking shows and DIY programs as a great place for companies to place their products. They can easily be incorporated into the recipe of project depending if the content matches, and they be displayed continuously and in a positive helpful light throughout the process. Last week, we talked about Curtis Stone and his cooking show Take Home Chef and all of the regular opportunities for placement throughout the show. This week, I used Rachel Ray. From cooking shows to travel shows to cookbooks her own talk show, Rachel Ray is all over the place these days. Whether she's promoting certain ingredients or recommending particular restaurants and dishes, Rachel is surrounded by brand names.

On today's episode of the Rachel Ray show, a combination of both cooking and lifestyle topics, a couple segments stood out as particularly branded. In one segment, Rachel had rapper and actor LL Cool J as a guest. Just by being there, LL promoted himself. Not that his attempts to promote his upcoming album and newly released book "LL Cool J's Platinum Workout" didn't help. LL also sported a Yankee hat, mentioned his favorite movie Scarface and favorite rap song Rapper's Delight, adding a coolness factor and celebrity association to the items. At the end of the segment, LL and Rachel faced off in a game of "Strip Air Hockey," nothing too controversial though. Throughout the game the side of the air hockey table reading BMI Gaming along with its Web site was prominently displayed.

In the last segment, Rachel cooked up a healthy meal, as she always ends the show. Before cooking, she promoted the Healthy Snack of the Day, "Grandpa Po's Original" Crunchy Organic Popcorn Snack with Soybeans. The actual meal she made however, was a "Sorta Soba Noodle Bowl" based on Tokyo Cafe's version of the Soba Noodle Bowl. Ofcourse she had to mention the NYC restaurant. Within the recipe each ingredient was shown in its container, label facing out. Unfortunately the channel was blurry on my TV and I couldn't jot them down quick enough, but among the branded ingredients were some sliced carrots, whole wheat pasta, chili powder, coreander and cayan pepper. With guest stars and two cooking segments almost daily on her morning talk show, Rachel Ray takes advantage of every opportunity to brand-name-drop. Good for us and good for the placed brands. Call it product placement, call it branded entertainment, call it shameless name dropping, or call it just plain Rachel. Any way you put it it beats those intrusive 30-second commercials that we usually use to pour ourselves a cup of coffee anyway.

Nielsen Ratings: From Television Ratings to Product Placement

So we’ve been talking about product placement for a few weeks now: where it is, what it is, why it works and doesn’t work, who else is talking about it. But how do we know if it is effective or not? Sure we can all spot it, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’s doing what marketers intend it to do. Advertisers can do all the right things: make sure the placement isn’t too intrusive, match the brand to the content of the vehicle, target the right audience. But they haven’t had a concrete way to measure its effectiveness.

…Unit now. Despite the right planning, results must be monitored to evaluate the success of placements. That’s where Nielsen Media Research comes in. You might recognize Nielsen for its TV ratings and audience measurements. This time, Nielsen has come up with a new rating system: for product placement. The new service, Place*Values, is a Web-based product placement performance assessment tool. The tool evaluates past placement performance and predicts the success of new placement opportunities. An article in Brandweek about Place*Values describes it as delivering “performance scores on brand recognition, attitude toward a brand and purchase interest.” Advertisers hope this new system will help to standardize pricing for product placements and other brand integrations.

As explained by Nielsen’s Product Development and Marketing Director Annie Touliatos, “Place Values assigns product placement scores based on what percentage of the audience will recognize the brand, what percentage will feel good about the brand and what percentage will be interested in purchasing the brand.” Index scores are also assigned to different levels of placement effectiveness compared to that of a 30-second ad, with a score of 100 indicating that they are equally effective, a score above 100 meaning it is more effective to the excess degree, and a score below 100 meaning it is less effective to the excess degree.

To find out more about Place*Values, read this Brandweek article, or News Release issued by Nielsen on its new service.

Promotion is the Name of the Game

While I hope all you out there in cyberspace who read my blog regularly enjoy my views, updates in the pp world, and personal pp sightings. But I think its time to find new ways to promote my blog. With the controversy and buzz surrounding product placement in various media spheres, one more blog on the subject can't hurt. In the book, "Blogging for Business: Everything You Need to Know and Why You Should Care," author Shel Holtz gives several ideas on how to successfully promote your blog in Chapter 9.

This book focuses on blogs created for small businesses and others in the business world. It discusses what we already know: how blogging can can benefit a business by creating interactivity with its customers. However, I believe these same promotional methods can also successfully be applied to my personal blog. Afterall, there are plenty of companies out there that want to know what consumers are thinking in terms of strategies they are employing and topics they all have interest in. Promoting this blog also gives readers like you a chance to explore the topic of product placement and its role in a media planning world, a topic they might otherwise not have a clue about.

One of the first things I've done this week to promote my blog is add the URL for it on my Facebook profile. This way friends in my network, particularly ones in my major who have similar interests, have a chance to view my blog on product placement, a topic they presumably have interest or at least knowledge in. I have also commented on other blogs. I have commented on the blogs of other students in my Audience Research class whose main subject is also product placement. I also found other blogs dedicated to product placement or at least with posts on product placement using a Google search. On a post from "This Blog Sits at the:" about product placement, I discussed my contrasting views and left my blog URL as a comment for both readers and the blog's author who may want to explore another alternative to the author's cynical views on product placement. Lastly, I went back to some of my favorite posts and added labels to them. This tagging tactic will make my blog more easily accessed and identifiable when readers search for information on the subject of the post or product placement in general.

TLC: The Likely Candidate… for Product Placement

TLC, which ofcourse really stands for The Learning Channel, has plenty of do-it-yourself-type programs from Trading Spaces to What Not To Wear. With both reality and DIY elements, plenty of product placements can be found in almost every frame. In the process of building, shopping and sometimes just living, brands are thrown all over the place. Another likely vehicle for placement is cooking shows. Food brands that want to be recognized can simply pay to get their products placed in any cooking show or meal they want to be associated with. This method is targeted, allows for frequent appearances, and can help to establish a desired brand image.



Put these two vehicles together and what do you get? Take Home Chef: a reality/cooking show on TLC. In this show, Chef Curtis Stone (a tall, handsome, blonde Aussie I might add) enters a grocery store and picks out an unsuspecting shopper. After initially shocking the guest, Curtis comes up with a menu, buys the groceries, and goes home with them to cook them a dinner. Typically, Curtis chooses women who are cooking for a husband or boyfriend that they want to surprise. Not only is it fun to watch but there is product placement galore, in every episode.

Today’s episode was no exception. Like every episode, it began in Gelson’s supermarket; one that I’m assuming is regionally limited to the West Coast as each episode is set in one California city or another. Since Curtis and his guest are followed around the store by a camera crew it’s hard not to pick out the brand names on the shelves. Today, Tide laundry detergent, Pam cooking spray, several boxes of Betty Crocker dessert mixes, and Evian bottled water particularly stood out. Then there’s the ride home. Curtis always catches a ride home with the guest, making her car stand out. Today’s guest drove a white Land Rover… not bad. Not to mention all of the cars that were passed in the parking lot like the Jeep Cherokee and the Mitsubishi Spyder parked across from hers. Curtis then always has the guest take him to some sort of home store where he buys her some sort of kitchen appliance or tool. Today, the store was not shown prominently but in the past Crate and Barrel has been known to make an appearance.




When cooking the actual meal, this episode was a little bit different. Not many brand named foods were used, as the guest had a complete vegetable and herb garden in her backyard. The one brand that did standout in this episode, however, was C&H sugar, both granulated and powdered which were used for the Peach Melba dessert. Lastly, the guest used her blue Motorola Razr phone multiple times to call her husband and make sure the dinner would be a surprise. With similar formats for each episode, Take Home Chef poses several opportunities for Gelson’s, products placed on grocery store shelves, foods used to make the meal, cars, cell phones, home stores and appliances. Honestly, so much is placed in this show that sometimes I’m paying more attention to the brands constantly flashing across the screen than the progression of the show itself. And for that, I give both TLC and marketers props. If they can get me to watch Folger’s Coffee cans more closely than a cute, blonde, Australian chef… they must be doing something right. Take Home Chef airs Mon-Thurs at 5pm and 5:30pm with new episodes Friday at 7pm.

In the World of Celebrities, Product Placement Opportunities Are Everywhere

I recently found a great product placement source, and I feel kind of silly because I’m not sure how I missed it before. Not having much luck (or the attention span) of my own in spotting any new product placement in the past week’s TV shows or new movie releases, I decided to search out some secondary sources. Like most other Gen Y blogger, I went right to Google to see what’s been going on in the product placement world. After searching keywords “product placement,” I found this useful site appropriately entitled, “Product Placement News.” It came up as the third result after Wikipedia and Howstuffworks.com. Again, I’m not sure how I haven’t run into this one before. I’m almost embarrassed to call myself a product placement fanatic.

Anyway, this site is set up like a blog and contains articles on everything product placement, with Jeff Greenfield as the primary author. Articles range from films to events to music, and cover several different angles of product placement, pretty much any branded entertainment in the Hollywood sphere. My blog is simply amateur compared to this one… not that I ever claimed it not to be. But hey, I’m just a girl with a passion.

One of the more recent topics that caught my eye was about Wolfgang Puck. Apparently, it has recently been discovered that one of his caterers has Hepatitis A and may have exposed several celebrities to it. Greenfield estimates that the infected employee has worked 14 celebrity parties catered by Wolfgang in the past month, the most recent being a Sports Illustrated party celebrating this year’s swimsuit issue. To me, this screams crisis management, but the geniuses at Product Placement News found a way to put a relative spin on it. Ofcourse no one would want to place any Wolfgang Punk branded products in their show or film now, but what about the placements that have already taken place? Now media vehicles with Wolfgang Puck products may find the opposite effect of placement. In essence past product placement efforts of the celebrity chef are now worthless. A subsequent article suggests that marketers use Twinrix, a vaccine for both Hepatitis A and B, in product placement endeavors to offset the controversy and take advantage of the buzz surrounding it. Lastly, the site named Wolfgang Puck the “Worst Product Placement of the Week.”

Product Placement on the Big Screen

So I may have taken a week off from blogging, but I still did my homework. For the most part I steered clear of television during break- except ofcourse for the new episode of Grey's on Thursday. Instead I spent most of the week relaxing, traveling, and um other things that college students do on spring break. So I didn't have many opportunities to spot many placement opportunities. Luckily for you, but certainly not for me, I got stuck in an airport for 5 hours in Baltimore on St. Patricks Day. Needless to say, by the time I finally got home I was in no mood to do anymore running around. So I skipped out on the St. Patty's Day festivities and settled for a more low key night and saw the new movie Premonition which had just come out to theaters the night before.

At first, product placement, blogging, and any type of marketing work was far from my mind... but by the middle of the film I realized the Ford logo had flashed in front of me at least 10 times. At this point, I was actively looking for it. Sandra Bullock's character drove a Ford Explorer which was in the movie almost as much as she was. Her husband gets in an accident driving a Ford Taurus. All of this can be explained when Sandra's character visits her husband at work- a Ford dealership. Ofcourse the camera panned a line of cars in the dealership lot and a few more in the showroom while she was there. I'd say Ford got what they paid for. Another big shot in the movie was Nationwide Insurance which is frequented a couple times while the couple seperately make sure the husband's life insurance policy is sufficient in case Sandra's premonition really does come true. When the husband leaves the second time, the company window with the Nationwide logo is shown prominently. Maybe I was experiencing some product placement withdrawal but these placements really stuck out for me. As I watched the movie and kept a look out for these instances I kept thinking I can't wait to post about this! Ofcourse it was no Talladega Nights, but the placement efforts were enough to make me sit up, notice, and abandon my no-work policy during break.

A Change of Pace...

Ok so I took a week off for IC's spring break- much needed. Hope you didn't miss me too much. Not to continue disappointing any product placement enthusiasts out there but we're going to continue this break and get a little off subject for this post. So for my Audience Research class, I was assigned a group project where we need to pick a brand, target it toward a segment of college students, and design an effective media plan for it. My group picked Pinkberry, a relatively new chain of all-natural, fat-free frozen yogurt. Another major component of this course is the use of Second Life to explore its use as a marketing platform for various real world and in-world companies.





Due to the press coverage and buzz being created around SL it would be a good idea for Pinkberry to get in on this marketing opportunity while it's still fresh. I would suggest that the brand build a single shop at first to sell its products to avatars. It would also be beneficial to include a link, in or around the building, to the company's Web site. That way consumers can order Pinkberry products to be shipped to them in the real world, or at least find out where they can find real world locations. Currently Paper Couture, a clothing store for fashion-forward avatars, has a similar shop with a link to their Web site but with a focus on clothing and accessories rather than food. However, as a strictly in-world company neither shop or the Web site have anything to offer for consumers' real world counterparts. Pinkberry's shop should have an obvious purpose and prominent presence in SL, like Paper Couture. The accompanying link will simply serve as an added marketing tool to leverage real world success from in-world efforts.

If this first shop proves to be successful in terms of sales and awareness, Pinkberry should continue building shops thoughout SL. However, I do not think the brand should rent or build an island as it is not yet well established and therefore may not be able to promote an entire island with relevant and brand-related material and buildings. Two SL islands that come to mind in terms of inefficiency are the real world ad agency Leo Burnett and the fan-built island Kawaii Ku. While both of these companies are very different they both share one common aspect in terms of their SL presence. Neither of their islands seem to have any real or related purpose- no HQ with a brand name or logo, no employees to talk with, nothing that really could be recognized as associated with any specific company at all. In fact, if I hadn't been told the names of the islands and their owners I never would have known where I was or why. Now I have to admit I'm not an SL expert at all, but there's plenty of us newcomers out there, and if we can't find or even recognize a brand that has established a presence in SL then that could lead to wasted efforts or losses for the company. Since I'm not sure Pinkberry could create an island with a clear purpose and enough relevant buildings and activities on it, they should probably stick with a single store with a link to its Web site. Expansion in SL should depend on expansion in "first life."

To explore SL first hand, and take a stab at staking out the plethora of marketing efforts it serves, visit the Second Life Web site and sign up! Also if you have time check out the Leo Burnett site and its island in SL. See if you have better luck at finding a connection between the company and its island's purpose.

The iPhone Should Be Ringing Ideas for Marketers

The new iPhone by Apple… yea let’s talk about that. Since it’s not coming out until June there’s obviously not any product placement of it yet, or any that I’ve seen anyway. And since TV networks mostly show repeats over the summer, I’m expecting to see a lot of the iPhone in the movie theaters in the coming months. Even though the product hasn’t hit markets yet I wouldn’t put it past Steve Jobs to allow the film industry access to it for sets that are currently taping or have recently finished. What a great way to get the early adopter market. Not to mention distributing them on the Hollywood scene where the product could also be seen in celebrity tabloids and entertainment updates. But by next fall I can see the iPhone on every sitcom, drama and reality show on TV. This goes double for NBC’s Heroes which is already known for their use of iPod product placement in this season.

An article in a daily California newspaper gave a great review of the commercial that is currently being aired. I must admit I’m a big fan. I know this isn’t an ad blog but the creative and execution behind the commercial is genius. By following the history and technology of the telephone in the film and television industries, the various clips of well-known characters answering the phone in this “Hello?” ad is sure to appeal to both Hollywood buffs and the tech-savvy. The commercial can be found on YouTube.

The Black Donnellys: A New Place for Manly Products

So last night I was watching the second episode of the new series The Black Donnellys on NBC. I kind of found it accidentally last week and fell in love with it. It kind of reminds me of The Sopranos with a Boondock Saints twist. Basically, it's about 4 Irish brothers living in New York City. Since they were younger, they were always getting into trouble. The series follows them into adulthood where they are slowly getting themselves in trouble with the Italian mob. It's a little intense for TV but is softened by the love and loyalty the brothers have for each other. We learn that they would pretty much do anything to protect each other which is ironically what gets them all into trouble in the first place. Plus the main female character is Tommy's love interest Jenny. The two have liked each other since they were kids, but finding this out too late she is engaged to someone else. You might recognize Jenny as Alex from the O.C. who played both Marissa and Seth's girlfriend. How could you forget that one?

Most of the clear product placement in last night's episode were of products that would probably appeal to, and be recognized by, a male audience. All of the cars parked on the street were shown from a front angle with their logos prominently up front such as the red Ford Mustang parked outside the bar owned by the Donnellys. Also, the Donnelly's signature car is a beat up Ford van which is shown when Tommy and Kevin have to move a dead body from the bar's dumpster. To get even more morbid, Tommy enters a hardware store to buy a mallett to fit the body into a barrel- I'll spare the details. During this scene, a shelf full of Black and Decker tools are in the background. Lastly, in the bar scenes there are many shots of the fully stocked bar with liquor bottle labels facing forward. Unfortunately, I didn't have my glasses on and couldn't read the labels clearly, but it seemed like a product placement buffet. I'll be prepared for next week. Like ABC, NBC also streams full episodes of their shows on their Web site. So if you missed it last night you can watch it here. My advice is to DOO IT!

1st Approach, 1st Choice for Effective Product Placement

In my recent media investigation of all-things-product-placement, I came across 1stApproach.com, a strategic marketing firm that specializes in product placement, branded entertainment and internet marketing. The company and its innovative strategies have been mentioned in several publications including Brandweek, C21 Media, and MediaPost. However, its Web site does not list any of its clients. While it does provide a few photos of its past endeavors including a Black & Decker Auto Tape Measurer in the once-popular Pamela Anderson sitcom, “Stacked,” and Country singer George Strait with the “Baby Bandolier,” without a solid list of clients achievements it is hard to associate any brand’s success with the firm’s work.

1st Approach’s overall strategy is to increase buzz for its clients with an ultimate goal of increasing sales: “1st Approach develops powerful celebrity photo opportunities, personal appearances and product showcasing that can establish your company as the choice of today's hottest celebrities.” Its plan uses 3 basic steps. Step 1 is “The A-list Events,” in which the firm promises to put your products in the hands of A-list celebrities in which it has connections with at such events as the Country Music Awards (CMAs), the Grammy’s, and the Academy Awards. Step 2 is where product placement comes in. In this step, 1st Approach puts your products on over 100 TV sets and 20-30 feature film sets in Hollywood. When your products are used in filming 1st Approach sends their clients regular reports and video footage of the placements. The last step is Internet marketing where the firm takes strategic steps to put their clients at the forefront of the Internet using search engine marketing, message boards and newsgroups.

Although 1st Approach doesn’t give a list of market-leading clients, it does give a list of credible publications in the media industry that have found them worthwhile to talk about. Its strategy also seems interesting and consistent with today’s new media marketing trends. For these reasons I suggest staying on the lookout for this company and where it will go next.

And the Oscar goes to...

Still deep in the award show season, I ofcourse had to watch the 79th Academy Awards on ABC last night. And yes, I did say last night. No DVR action this time. However, I must admit I don't have the greatest attention span, which probably explains my love for DVR and the power to fast-forward. So although I did watch the Oscars live, I can't say that I watch the whole 3 hour plus program start to finish. But in the select periods that I did tune in I was able to spot a few instances of product placement.

During the pre-show, "The Road to the Oscars 2007," there were plenty of shameless upcoming movie plugs and designer label publicity. Ofcourse, all of the A-list celebrities walking the Red Carpet were stopped by E! personalities and did the usual name-dropping. The typical "Who are you wearing?" question was answered with Calvin Klein, Versace, Vera Wang, etc. Matchbox Cars were also credited for being Leo DiCaprio's first commercial opportunity. Hundreds of other companies and films associated with the attending celebs were also mentioned over and over, aside from the nominated films.

The actual show, however, was pretty standard. I waited and waited to spot just one glimpse of an Aquafina water bottle or a pair of Nike shoes, but no such luck. But around 10:15pm I hit the placement jackpot when host Ellen Degeneres entered the audience and struck up a conversation with actor Clint Eastwood. In the comedic clip, Ellen asked Director Steven Spielberg to take a picture of her and Clint for her MySpace page with... dun dun dun... a Sony Powershot digital camera. Like hitting two with one stone. A few moments later, actress Gwyneth Paltrow graced the stage to present the award for "Best Cinemotography" in which she credited "YouTube" as making it possible for almost anyone to be a cinematographer these days. Aside from these satisfying few moments during the show I didn't note any more product placement. But there was probably about an hour of content that I missed, so I'm certainly not the end-all-say-all, which is fine with me. That 10 minute occurrence was enough to last me through the rest of the award season, but we're not done yet so stay tuned...

How To Reach The "Ad Averse"

As an active member of AAF (American Advertising Federation), I get the pleasure of receiving the daily e-letter AAF SmartBrief. Now usually I just scan the headlines and then move it to the trash, but today something caught my eye. The title of the newsletter, as well as the Breaking Story, was “Who’s not watching your ads?” This top story of the newsletter summarized a study conducted by Microsoft and Starcom, a brand communications group, called “Lifestyles of the Ad Averse.” At the end of the summary AAF reveals the source of the article, Mediaweek. The full article can be viewed by clicking the link.


In this article by Mediaweek’s Mike Shields titled “Study: Ad ‘Avoider’ Demo Tracked, Profiled,” it is revealed that 10-15% of adults aged 17-35 can be categorized as “ad avoiders.” This group generally finds all types of advertising just plain annoying, regardless of the creativity and relevance put into them. It seems that advertisers have little to no chance of winning over these media consumers. According to the study there are two types of ad avoiders: active and passive. Passive avoiders, typically women and parents, prefer activities that don’t provide advertising in the first place. Active avoiders are characterized as young male who are technologically-inclined and strategically choose media that has no ads: satellite radio, iPods and, of course my favorite, DVR! Some possible solutions to reaching this target group, as mentioned in the article, include customizing messages and making marketing tools interactive. But why not product placement? Sure it may be a simple answer and it may not be something new, but it does the trick in reaching those who purposely avoid ads. If it’s subtle enough it’s not likely to be considered intrusive and annoying. And if its relevant to the media that this group is already actively choosing to watch then it still gets the message across.

Desperate for Chrysler!

Here we are at another week, with another one of my favorite shows to report about. This week's pick "Desperate Housewives" on ABC. Now originally this show airs at 9pm on Sundays, but the roomies and I decided to wait until today to watch it, on DVR ofcourse. Why this time? Well first off, two of my roommates had a dance rehearsal, and with "Desperate" being one of our weekly rituals, I didn't dare tune in without them. Plus, I must admit we love having the luxury of skipping all of the commercials. We want the dirt on Wysteria Lane right away! Could be short attention spans- who knows?

So I must begin my report with that fact that I almost failed miserably in spotting any product placement in this week's episode. In the first, umm, 10 minutes? my roommate Sarah spotted a newspaper which we could just barely make out "The Wall..." on. We assumed it was a Wall Street Journal, but I'm assuming it was not strategically placed for marketing purposes. If it was I can bet WSJ may have a few complaints about that one. There were also certain products which appeared to be brand names but I couldn't be too sure. The lack of clarity, again, led me to believe these were not paid-for placements. For example, at one point Susan's now-fiance Ian held up what looked like a Swiss Army knife, but with no logo or name shown one cannot be too sure. In fact, if either of these were product placement they were way to subtle to even be worth the investment.

However, just as I was about to give up, I noticed Bree's son driving a silver car. Being the avid product placement spotter that I am, I rewinded the show to the beginning and after scanning through the entire episode once more I spotted the car at least 5 times. I could make out the Chrysler sign, but not being too car-saavy I had no idea what model it was. Turns out it was a Chrysler 300C. And after doing some google-searching I found that it has been the Van Dekamp family's primary car throughout all 3 seasons. For those familiar with the brand, the Chrysler 300C has gotten more than its fair share of prominent product placement throughout every episode, particularly this week's if you're alert enough to notice its presence in several of the scenes.


One last thing to notice is ABC's advertising of their Web site at the end of the show, in which you can watch full episodes for free. Curiously, I checked it out. The episode began by announcing that there were limited commercials in the online episode, which was sponsored by Sprint. Similar to DVR, you can fastforward and rewind through the show... except for at 3 mandatory commercial breaks (all Sprint) in which there is no way of getting around. Trust me- I tried. Even when you try and fastforward through the commercial, there is a timer, forcing you to at least see the brand for 30 seconds. Ofcourse this is not product placement, but it is another new media marketing tactic that I believe to be worth noting.

ABC Most Effective in Placing Products

In terms of generating positive brand opinion, it has been determined that ABC has integrated product placement most effectively in its programming. The data, produced by IAG Research, was presented in an article posted on MediaBuyerPlanner.com, a source of information and news events for people working in various media platforms. In the article, IAG names the 5 most effective product placements of 2006. Of the top 5, two of them were programs broadcast on ABC, with the number one most effective placement being ABC’s “Miracle Workers.” “Miracle Workers” was a reality show broadcast following patients undergoing major surgeries. According to IAG, CVS Pharmacy’s coverage of medication costs in the program generated the most positive audience reaction out of any other program last year.

Number two on the list was “ABC’s Extreme Makeover: Home Edition,” another reality show in which a team of builders and designers completely renovates a home for a family in need. By providing necessary items for the makeover, from furniture to appliances, Sears generated high audience perceptions for the program. Numbers three, four, and five on the list, respectively, were GM automobiles in “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” on Bravo, 7-Eleven convenience stores in NBC’s “The Apprentice,” and Saturn automobiles in Bravo’s “Project Runway.”

What’s interesting to note is that each of the top 5 winners are reality shows. This may be something that advertisers and media planners should keep in mind when planning their next investment. However, positive audience response and brand opinion are only one way in measuring the effectiveness of product placement. Others can include increased sales associated with product placement, or brand recognition. Still others argue over the definition of product placement. Some might argue that the “product placement” in the top 2 ABC spots are more sponsorships. With that said, I’ll be staying on the lookout for other “Most Effective Product Placement” lists for 2006.

Product Placement in the 2006 Grammy Awards

Last night marked the 49th Annual Grammy Awards. It was aired at 8pm on CBS. Unfortunately I was unable to watch it live as two of my weekly shows were on at the same time: Desperate Housewives at 9pm and Brothers & Sisters at 10pm, both on ABC. Instead, my roommates and I DVRed the Grammy’s and watched it the next day (today). Since we didn’t watch it live we had the option of fast-forwarding through all of the advertisements. Aside from recognizing a few familiar brands, commercials and celebrities while breezing through the breaks, advertising during the Grammy’s was pretty much ineffective for my roommates and me, and not to mention all of the other viewers who watched the award show through DVR.

Assuming that advertisers and media planners would anticipate this, I expected to spot a lot of product placement throughout the Grammy’s. Instead there were only a few instances where brands were displayed or mentioned clearly enough to be noted. First, singer/actor Jamie Foxx said, “That joke would’ve killed on BET,” after a weak response to his introduction. Samuel L. Jackson was shown in the audience wearing a Kangol brand hat. While accepting his award for Best Rap Album, Ludacris gave shout-outs to a number of radio stations, by name, in Atlanta, Georgia that played his songs. During Chris Brown’s performance of “Run It,” he and his backup dancers stomped on stage wearing Timberland boots. Lastly, and perhaps most significantly, while accepting their award for Best Rock Album, Red Hot Chili Pepper’s bass player walked on stage while sipping a bottle of Fiji brand water. Listing them off may make it seem like the Grammy’s was filled with product placement, but in a 3.5 hour show this is almost nothing. Plenty of time for strategic product placement went neglected. With the increasing popularity of DVR and the large audience base, you would think more advertisers would take advantage of this vehicle. Maybe next year…

The Future of Reverse Product Placement

One of the hot topics in the product placement world is the idea of reverse product placement. What is it exactly? It’s creating fictional brands in fictional media vehicles – such as films, video games, and television shows – and then launching them into real life. If you think it sounds crazy you might want to take a look at the Willy Wonka brand candy or the Bubba Gump Shrimp Co., both of which began as fictional food brands in the movies, Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory in its original book version) and Forrest Gump, respectively. With the idea of reverse product placement behind it both fictional brands became real and are still well-known in the marketplace today.

Reverse product placement is gradually beginning to make its mark. Every now and then we are introduced to new brands originally created for TV and video. Recently the Harry Potter movies inspired a new candy brand. Marketers now want to expand this idea and make reverse product placement a more comment aspect of new product launches. The video game market and virtual worlds such as Second Life have become viable options for possible reverse product placement. Tom Wasserman of Brandweek believes this may be because the products are already familiar to a wide audience and are to some extent already “real.” People already know their name, logo, features, etc. By introducing them first in a fictional setting, marketers can monitor the effectiveness of launching it for real. This may be a more cost effective way to innovate, research, and even market new products before actually launching them. It seems like a great idea, so stay on the look out for it.

“Real Housewives”, a Real Product Placement Opportunity

I must admit these are my favorite kinds of posts: keeping you updated on the product placement I spot during my favorite shows. The show I tracked this week is “The Real Housewives of Orange County”. It’s a half hour reality show aired Tuesdays at 10pm on Bravo, and it’s based on… you guessed it… real housewives who live in Orange County, California. It’s almost a cross between “Laguna Beach” but with a more mature twist, “The O.C.” and “Desperate Housewives” but based on a reality rather than scripted drama and comedy. With these ladies’ lavish lifestyles it’s almost impossible not to spot the expensive brands they flaunt in our faces. How much of it is actually placed for marketing purposes is another issue.

This week, characters carried their typical Coach and Louis Vuitton bags, cruised in their Range Rovers, Mercedes, and Bentleys, and sported their oversized Tiffany platinum and diamond jewelry. And viewers must admit they’re impressed, and some even try to imitate (whether they can afford to or not). Successful advertising? Definitely. Actual paid-for product placement? Maybe not. What was interesting, though, were the sponsors of this week’s show and the commercials for the products that aired directly after. From iTunes to Maybelline, these brands were definitely relevant to the show and advertised strategically. But some might say the show itself – product placement or showing off – is the strongest advertising medium in the 30 minute time slot.

Reaching Your Target

With the surge of new technological advances, the constant changing of media habits, and the time-crunching lifestyles of most consumers, marketers are finding it more difficult to reach their target audience. An article in OMMA, Market Target: Hispanic Women, states that marketers "must do their homework"! Its not enough anymore to cover the mass media with your media messages. These days marketers must find out where their target market is, what they are watching, and what messages associate with their values. The OMMA article discussed the huge market that exists in the US Hispanic population, specifically Hispanic women who tend to purchase the majority of items for the household. Many advertisers are beginning to realize this, spending approximately $3.6 billion dollars to reach them. By observing and studying them, marketers found that Hispanic women tend to be price conscious but brand loyal, and that the use of Internet in Hispanic households is increasing dramatically. As a result, many online servers are beginning to add Spanish language components and Hispanic lifestyle sections to their platforms. Young males are another target market that have become difficult to reach. An article from the online newssource Media describes them as "highly selective media consumers." Therefore, marketers must find ways to make them come to the brand, rather than waiting for the brand or ad to get noticed. A popular trend in reaching the young male market has been product placement in video games, as gaming has begun to overshadow TV ad their primary media use. Additionally, marketers know that men respond well to sex and humor, and so place ads in vehicles such as Comedy Central, Maxim magazine, and Desperate Housewives. Its knowing your audience that leads to effective placement and identifiable messages.

Podcasting: The Future of Business?

These days, new media seem to be emerging every which way. It can be pretty hard to keep up with. To be honest, I wasn't exactly sure what a podcast was until a few days ago. In fact, I didn't even know how blogs worked until I started this one! Well in order to catch up I did a little research on these so-called podcasts, and here's what I found:

I was first directed to the Edelman site, a company specializing in PR, and listened to a couple of the episodes from the site's podcast. The first one consisted of soundbites of Nora Gamin Barnes discussing her study on blogging. The study explored bloggers who write about business-related topics ,and their perspectives on the new media and its effectiveness. Another episode discussed a number of Edelman employees who volunteered in the clean-up efforts for the aftermath of Katrina. Both of these podcasts were completely audio. It was as if listening to a radio show. I found this podcast useful because unlike a radio show you have the option of listening to it when and where you want it. The Edelman Web page had lists and lists of possible podcasts with varying PR topics to choose from. Your pick! It also had the option of an RSS feed so that those interested would be notified of any new content published on that site that they might find interesting. Some of the features I found most useful were the option of sending in comments, either e-mail or MP3, giving the podcast an interactive and more personal feel, as well as the display of a timeline stating the topics to be discussed and the exact second they begin. However, being solely audio it could be hard to keep listeners' attention. I even found myself zoning out or doing other activities while listening to it, and was unable to give my full attention throughout. Not to mention the cheesy background music.

The next podcast I explored was hosted by AdAge.com. The podcast I found most interesting was "Why It Matters" hosted by Hoag Levins which discussed various hot topics in advertising. Two of the episodes I listened to talked about branded entertainment and consumer-created content. Each talked about different examples, how they evolved, how they are affecting traditional marketing and media, and what will they bring? I found these a bit more interesting to listen to, perhaps because it was an enhanced audio podcast rather than solely audio. However, the only added element of this podcast was the presence of accompanying still (and a few animated) photos; no video. But somehow having something visual to refer to made it a bit easier to tune into. It did lack a timeline, though, giving points to the Edelman podcast.

I mean sure they both lacked some useful element, but each had several bonus features that you can't get from traditional media: more control, convenience, interactivity with a business or industry. Ofcourse traditional media and information sources are far from becoming extinct, but new media like podcasts and blogs are definitely here to stay.

Seth Godin's Marketing Advice for Google

So I recently watched a video of Seth Godin speaking at Google. As the author of "All Marketers are Liars", which has recently inspired its own blog, as well as a man named one of the "21 Speakers for the Next Century" by Successful Meetings Magazine, Seth seems like a perfect choice for Google to invite to come inspire and advise its employees. What's funny is that Seth is the founder and CEO of a marketing company that has been acquired by Yahoo!, one of Google's main competitors. While Seth makes many references to Yahoo! in his presentation, he continually praises Google for its innovative ideas and technology, and ability to seemingly stay ahead of Yahoo! in the market. In fact he begins his speech in a humble tone, telling his listeners that he is "intimidated" to be standing in front of them and that he has "no business telling [them] anything".

The main message of Seth's presentation was that Google has found ways to exceed their competition and become a household name. He praises them for what they have done, but he also warns them of the dangers of success. With that said, he gives them tips on what he thinks will keep them at the forefront of the market. These main tips included building a platform for organic growth, the power of word of mouth, and the importance of offering products and services that are "on the edge," things that people choose to talk about. He then explains to them that these people they want to talk about them are just a tiny group of people within its millions of users. Its up to Google to "slice" the group to find these people who will in turn spread "idea viruses." THAT is how Google will stay great and continue to expand its success.

But blah, blah, blah, right? If you wanted to hear about any of this you'd go to a marketing or WOM blog. But we're here to talk about product placement. And as a enthusiast of product placement, the thing I found the most interesting about Seth's presentation was his emphasis on permission marketing. Make your ads personal and relevant. Send out your messages to people who want to hear them, when they want to hear them, and in the way they want to hear them. To me, this sounds like the epitomy of product placement. If the products being placed are relevant to the film, music video, TV drama that they have been placed in then the "ad" is being sent to the right people, in the right place. And, perhaps more importantly, it is not interrupting their media experience, and in that way it is precisely in the way people want to receive marketing messages. Maybe Seth's presentation was secretly praising product placement? Maybe someone at Google attuned to the same message I did while watching the presentation, and maybe product placement will become the cornerstone of Google's future marketing success? Maybe I'm completely off. But I knew you'd appreciate these insights. If you didn't you probably wouldn't have read this far into my post. What I do know, though, is that I will be on the lookout, more than ever, for the product placement of Google.

Hey There!

Hi everyone! Welcome to my blog. For the next few weeks I will be discussing the marketing tactic of product placement. As an Integrated Marketing Communications student for the last 3 years I have explored a number of different advertising and marketing strategies, but I have found product placement to be the most interesting. Because of this, I have found myself more prone to spotting and analyzing them in all media contexts. This blog will give me the chance to finally share my findings and opinions with others who find product placement as intriguing as I do.

Where is it? Who sees it? It is effective? And if so how do advertisers measure its effectiveness? These are all things that I hope to explore in the coming weeks. Please feel free to comment on any of my posts. I would love to know about any topics you think should be discussed, as well as your own thoughts and observations. Look out for my next post in the next couple of days!