The answer is absolutely, positively YES!!! In fact (and my fellow product placement agencies won't like me for this), I believe that having an in-house product placement program is more effective than utilizing an agency.
Now hold on, there are several key factors that are critical in order for your company to successfully implement and execute product placement marketing. First and foremost, you need to have a dedicated entertainment marketing team. Trying to add product placement to the duties of a Marketing Coordinator or even a Director of Marketing won't work. For your company to be effective, product placement cannot be an afterthought, it has to be a key marketing initiative. An experienced entertainment marketing executive needs to lead the group, someone with high level Hollywood contacts who understands the entertainment marketing landscape. This person will be critical in building and establishing your infrastructure. Depending on the size of your company and product placement frequency, you may need support staff to help review scripts, promotional opportunities and handle shipping/tracking of all products.
The bottom line is you need to create a separate product placement division that is independent of your traditional marketing team. Yes, they will work together to leverage and maximize product placement exposure, but they are not one in the same. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you are fielding a few calls daily and randomly sending out products that you are doing product placement. What you are actually doing is "reacting," instead of pro-actively implementing and executing a program that is in synch with your marketing and branding initiatives.
So what's it going to be, an agency or in-house product placement group?!
Now hold on, there are several key factors that are critical in order for your company to successfully implement and execute product placement marketing. First and foremost, you need to have a dedicated entertainment marketing team. Trying to add product placement to the duties of a Marketing Coordinator or even a Director of Marketing won't work. For your company to be effective, product placement cannot be an afterthought, it has to be a key marketing initiative. An experienced entertainment marketing executive needs to lead the group, someone with high level Hollywood contacts who understands the entertainment marketing landscape. This person will be critical in building and establishing your infrastructure. Depending on the size of your company and product placement frequency, you may need support staff to help review scripts, promotional opportunities and handle shipping/tracking of all products.
The bottom line is you need to create a separate product placement division that is independent of your traditional marketing team. Yes, they will work together to leverage and maximize product placement exposure, but they are not one in the same. Don't make the mistake of thinking that because you are fielding a few calls daily and randomly sending out products that you are doing product placement. What you are actually doing is "reacting," instead of pro-actively implementing and executing a program that is in synch with your marketing and branding initiatives.
So what's it going to be, an agency or in-house product placement group?!
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