"We can't afford it." "That's much too expensive for us, we are a small company." "Our products are not even distributed nationally, we can't justify it." These are typical comments from marketing executives at small/start up companies who just assume product placement is too pricey for them. Is this a reality?!
Absolutely not! Sure, you can build a comprehensive branded integration program coupled with a global cross promotion that will run in the millions factoring in media buys, licensing fees, contests, prizes, etc. The fact is, product placement programs are very inexpensive when comparing them to traditional media avenues (print, radio, television). Take for instance the smash CBS series NCIS. The show reaches over 22 million viewers weekly in first-run broadcast. I say first-run as it is currently being repeated once a week on CBS after the first airing. That is not to mention syndication, as well as DVD/Blu-Ray sales. Once your product is integrated in a show or movie, it is there for life. When NCIS spun of the then popular series Jag, our agency negotiated a deal with NCIS production for Dell Computers. Currently in Season 8, Dell still has a prominent weekly presence on the show and the consumer impressions from these placements are approaching a billion worldwide. Was this one of those million dollar brand integration deals? Not at all!
Now, I know what you are thinking. Dell is a major brand, what about the little guy? Well what I consider my greatest accomplishment in the product placement arena is all about the "little guy." Above the Rim Hoopwear, at the time a regional basketball apparel company selling products in San Diego stores hired my company to handle product placement. The objective? Getting the apparel on top celebrities via entertainment programming. With a strategic plan in place, we began the process and one of our first stops was Yo! MTV Raps. We secured placement on an episode of the show featuring James Brown right after he had gotten out of jail for drug use (wait for it...). Above the Rim had just come out with their "Shoot Hoops, Not Drugs" t-shirt. Ed Lover, host of Yo! MTV Raps wore the shirt during the interview (they discussed his arrest/drug use) and James Brown commented on the shirt saying he liked the saying and that kids should look to other things like basketball instead of drugs. Next stop, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will Smith had burst on to the scene with the hit NBC series and we secured placement of the clothing on the show. We extended the relationship by providing product for Mr. Smith's personal use, which led to him wearing Above the Rim Hoopwear (Shoot Hoops, Not Drugs t-shirt) on the Arsenio Hall Show (he was the only guest on the show that night). These product placements which garnered over 50 million impressions (within 3 months) for an unknown local apparel brand led to a national distribution deal with Footlocker, followed by a multi-million dollar acquisition by Reebok.
So for all you "little guys" out there, there is plenty of room in the product placement arena for you to test out the waters. Stick your toe in, I think you'll really like the temperature!
Absolutely not! Sure, you can build a comprehensive branded integration program coupled with a global cross promotion that will run in the millions factoring in media buys, licensing fees, contests, prizes, etc. The fact is, product placement programs are very inexpensive when comparing them to traditional media avenues (print, radio, television). Take for instance the smash CBS series NCIS. The show reaches over 22 million viewers weekly in first-run broadcast. I say first-run as it is currently being repeated once a week on CBS after the first airing. That is not to mention syndication, as well as DVD/Blu-Ray sales. Once your product is integrated in a show or movie, it is there for life. When NCIS spun of the then popular series Jag, our agency negotiated a deal with NCIS production for Dell Computers. Currently in Season 8, Dell still has a prominent weekly presence on the show and the consumer impressions from these placements are approaching a billion worldwide. Was this one of those million dollar brand integration deals? Not at all!
Now, I know what you are thinking. Dell is a major brand, what about the little guy? Well what I consider my greatest accomplishment in the product placement arena is all about the "little guy." Above the Rim Hoopwear, at the time a regional basketball apparel company selling products in San Diego stores hired my company to handle product placement. The objective? Getting the apparel on top celebrities via entertainment programming. With a strategic plan in place, we began the process and one of our first stops was Yo! MTV Raps. We secured placement on an episode of the show featuring James Brown right after he had gotten out of jail for drug use (wait for it...). Above the Rim had just come out with their "Shoot Hoops, Not Drugs" t-shirt. Ed Lover, host of Yo! MTV Raps wore the shirt during the interview (they discussed his arrest/drug use) and James Brown commented on the shirt saying he liked the saying and that kids should look to other things like basketball instead of drugs. Next stop, The Fresh Prince of Bel Air. Will Smith had burst on to the scene with the hit NBC series and we secured placement of the clothing on the show. We extended the relationship by providing product for Mr. Smith's personal use, which led to him wearing Above the Rim Hoopwear (Shoot Hoops, Not Drugs t-shirt) on the Arsenio Hall Show (he was the only guest on the show that night). These product placements which garnered over 50 million impressions (within 3 months) for an unknown local apparel brand led to a national distribution deal with Footlocker, followed by a multi-million dollar acquisition by Reebok.
So for all you "little guys" out there, there is plenty of room in the product placement arena for you to test out the waters. Stick your toe in, I think you'll really like the temperature!
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