Product Placement Strategy
Advertising strategies work within four main areas for developing and selling an idea--product, price, promotion and place. Product placement has to do with communicating the benefits of a product within a context that best promotes its features, according to the American Marketing Association. Product placements within the media can make use of visual, auditory and narrative contexts to camouflage the actual marketing message.
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Identification
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Products advertised on television commercials or in the trailers that run before movies are shown make no attempt to hide the fact that they're trying to sell something. According to Western Illinois University, a product placement strategy attempts to remove the appearance of "selling" while still promoting the product. This is accomplished by incorporating the product into a television show or movie based on the type of show and the type of viewer who watches it. In effect, the actual selling process occurs within the visual, auditory and/or narrative context of a media production.
Function
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Product placement strategy bases its sales proposition on how the consumer perceives the product rather than on the product itself, according to QuickMBA, a business marketing reference site. This approach attempts to circumvent the barrage of advertising directed at consumers by inserting the product message inside the show the consumer is watching. In doing so, advertisers can promote their product offering while positioning it within the mind, or perceptions, of the consumer. In effect, the actual sales process works on a subliminal level.
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Types
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Placement of a product within a movie or television show can take different forms, some of which are more direct than others, according to Princeton University's "The Future of Children" journal. Main characters within a show may drive a certain model car or drink a certain brand of soft drink. By associating a product with a character type, advertisers can market to certain consumer groups who share a certain set of interests. Another way of using characters to market a product involves creating an animated character that actually represents the product itself, as is the case with the M&M candy characters.
Visual Placement
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Product placement strategies that focus on visual exposure rely on the number of times a product appears within a show and how prominently it displays within a story setting. This can be an effective advertising approach for creating brand awareness when used within a popular show or program, according to Western Illinois University. Another approach goes a step further by incorporating a product into the show's actual storyline. This strategy is called plot connection and involves the physical handling of a product by the characters in the story.
Auditory Placement
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Product placement strategies that focus on auditory exposure include the product name within a show's character script, according to Western Illinois University. Placement approaches can be based on the number of times the product is mentioned, the type of scene its mentioned in, or the amount of emphasis placed on the product itself. Auditory placement can be an effective way to connect with the fans of a certain actor or character when that character uses a particular product brand.
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References
Resources
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