[Remember that great scene from the movie “E.T.”, when E.T. was eating Reese’s Pieces? Or how about that great episode of Seinfeld when Kramer couldn’t get enough of those great-tasting Junior Mints? What do you think happened to sales for both of these products shortly after their on-screen debuts? You probably guessed it… sales shot through the roof.
These perfectly placed product opportunities did not happen by accident. They were part of a well-developed strategic marketing plan that included product placement as a supporting element.
By definition, product placement is the process of securing media exposure for your products or services in major movies and television productions. The value is that your product or service is embedded within the program or film and becomes associated with the story. In addition to the obvious immediate exposure, your product or service’s exposure also travels with the film or TV show throughout its life in the ever-expanding global distribution channels, such as DVD releases or television re-runs.
When we get our clients’ products placed on the big screen, we always like to create a promotion around the exposure for added impact. Press releases, client/staff viewing parties, website stories and other similar promotional support goes a long way to add to your product placement exposure and ensure it becomes a huge marketing hit for you.
So how do you get your name in the movies? There are many companies in this industry that can make this happen for you. We caution you to be careful about which product placement firm you deal with, since some companies are more reputable than others. Also, we strongly suggest that product placement be a part of your overall marketing program and not just a one-off event in order to get the greatest return on your investment.
If you would like a recommendation as to which companies are best to use, or need additional information, please feel free to drop us a line.
Until next month…
