How Much Money Can I Raise For My Movie With Product Placement Marketing? By Ian McQueen

More and more, Hollywood properties are leaning on brand partners for product, cash and promotional support. Quite frankly, I think some production companies have forgotten that product placement and brand integration is a form of advertising-not just a "funding source" for their projects.

So, is it realistic to expect cash injection from brand partners? Well, that depends... on a lot of things! Some brands are willing to pay fees, some will only provide product (think automobiles, expense computer equipment, hi-end electronics) while others will supplement their integration with million dollar cross promotion support (sweepstakes, co-branded ads, in-store POP,etc.). In fact, most of the highly publicized movies featuring product placement do not receive cash from brand partners. Instead, studios and brands collaborate on comprehensive entertainment marketing programs that at the end of the day are "win, win" for everybody.

For cash in exchange for placement, the brand needs to be an integral part of the story line for it to make sense. This is not to be confused with a production trying to "manufacturer a placement" that will ultimately be viewed negatively by consumers (most recently Days of Our Lives). Even with the perfect "organic" integration opportunity, cash injection is not always the way to go. A well planned and executed cross promotion can sometimes be more beneficial for both the production company and brand. Sure, that 20k (or more) up front is enticing, but millions of "incremental impressions" created by a strategic brand partner will ultimately lead to sales at the box office.

I still need to answer the question though... OK, when considering cash deals for your feature film, make sure you explore all of your options before finalizing partnerships. It is certainly feasible to secure multiple "cash partners" if the integrations are not forced, but you need to weigh the long term ramifications of accepting upfront cash instead of valuable advertising and promotion for your film.