Is Jeremy Lin A Sure Bet Or Risk For Brand Partners? By Ian McQueen

If you haven't heard of Jeremy Lin, you must be living under a rock with no access to modern day media. He has taken the sports world by storm, from New York Knicks bench warmer about to be cut from the team to starting point guard. Oh, and the Knicks had lost 7 in a row pre-Lin and has won 9 of 11 with him in the starting lineup. Coincidence? Not at all!

Lin is handling the pressure of being an NBA starter and delivering on the biggest stage, New York City! So the million (most likely several millions) question is... Should brands be jumping on the "Lin-sanity" bandwagon? 

"We're talking a little bit of everything," Roger Montgomery, president of Montgomery Sports Group and Mr. Lin's agent, told CNBC last week. "A variety of categories. All the big ones, small, intermediate ... everybody is interested in Jeremy Lin." Are brands jumping the gun by trying to sign Lin now? What happens when the "Lin-sanity" dies down, will he still be a good pitch person? What if he leaves the Knicks next year for another team? What happens when NBA teams make adjustments and his off the chart numbers come back down to reality? 

It is difficult to gauge the shelf life of NBA players, not including superstars like Kobe Bryant and Lebron James. What we do know about Lin is that the kid can play---in the NBA! Will he be able to keep up his averages of 24 points and 9 assists? Probably not. Is Lin a sure bet as a brand spokesperson? At the moment (and in the foreseeable future), the answer is a resounding yes! 

Has DVR Technology Helped Product Placement Marketing?

Can you imagine living without a DVR player? The first DVR shipped in 1999. Now, close to 50% of American households have at least one DVR player. Has the DVR helped to move product placement marketing forward on television shows?

For those of you who may not know, DVR stands for Digital Video Recorder. Much like a computer hard drive, DVR players record and save shows with the touch of a button. Prior to DVR's, consumers recorded shows on VCR machines (Video Cassette Recorders). When DVD players (Digital Versatile Disc) replaced VCR players, DVD recorders were also introduced although did not catch on in popularity.

What effect has the DVR player had on how television productions and brand partners approach TV show product placement? DVR technology has had an impressive impact, with many brands concerned about consumers easily skipping commercials when watching their favorite shows. In the late 80's/early 90's, product placement was alive and well but the focus was distinctly different than it is today. Brands were content with on-camera exposure, as long as there was "implied endorsement" by lead actors. As DVR players have made their way into our homes, brands have pushed network productions for product placements (now known as "brand integration") which are more integral to show story lines.

So what's the bottom line? You can fast foward through commercials (not counting the Super Bowl), but you cannot ignore products that are organically woven into your favorite TV shows. Product placement marketing will continue to evolve as technology becomes everymore integrated into our television viewing experience. 

High Profile Network Shows VS. Cable Programming, What's Better For Product Placement? By Ian McQueen

NCIS or Californication? Modern Family or Dexter? Two and a Half Men or True Blood? When considering product placement and brand integration on television shows, should the overall ratings of the program be the main reason for participation? Why would a brand even consider the small audience of Showtime's Californication (barely 1 million viewers per episode) over NCIS, seen by over 20 million viewers weekly?

At the end of the day (or show), most companies are looking for good on-camera exposure to potential consumers via product placement and brand integration (incremental sales is the ultimate goal, but that's a discussion for another blog). There are several reasons a brand may want to consider a lower rated cable program for product placement advertising.

Companies need to evaluate the potential exposure. 20 million viewers weekly is great, but is the placement simply set dressing in the background of the Primetime show? Are the demographics of the show a fit? Does the integration make sense? Sometimes consumers react negatively when brands are arbitrarily included in shows.

On the flip side, the lower rated cable show may not only offer a more organic integration, but multiple airings during an episodes first week of release sometimes leads to greater numbers (True Blood averaged over 12 million viewers weekly last season due to multiple airings of each episode).

All things considered, when making the choice, the more impressions the better. The reality is, all things are not equal when it comes to choosing between placement on one of the Big 4 networks vs. a cable  show (with programming that has improved tremendously in recent years). Companies need to be sure they thoroughly evaluate each opportunity, consulting with an entertainment marketing agency if necessary to determine the best fit for their brand. 

Apple Product Placement, Do They Have An Advantage Over Other Tech Brands?

Apple products have long been a favorite in Hollywood. From movies to TV series to music videos, Apple seems to be everywhere. Even before the iPod, iPhone and iPad, their products got more screen time than their competitors. Unfair advantage?! Depends on who you talk to!

Apple's Mac SE on Seinfeld

Before "i" products were even launched, Hollywood was in love with Apple, as their computers were starring behind the scenes. Art departments loved Macs, so deals were being brokered featuring Apple products on camera while also being utilized by production personnel for design work. Even when Apple's computer market share was hovering at 2%, their computers still dominated Hollywood productions. Of course, it is a huge bonus that Apple products have always been a step ahead of the competition when it comes to design-when it looks good on camera it just looks good on camera! 


Starting with the iMac series and fast forwarding to iPads, Apple not only created consumer demand for their products but Hollywood followed suit. It was a natural progression, having and iPod on camera became akin to drinking a Coke (or Pepsi).


So do you think it is unfair that Apple benefits from stylish products that are easy to use?

Junk Food Product Placement: Are Brands Still Advertising To Kids On TV Shows?

Many of America's largest brands have pledged not to advertise unhealthy food and beverages to kids. But what about also those product placements on television productions, do they count as advertising?!

Coca-Cola Cups On America Idol

I would say yes, some studies would tell you these placements are not as impactful as a traditional :30sec spot so it shouldn't be cause for concern. I strongly disagree!!! For the most part I would agree that most product placements and brand integrations are not designed to put products front and center as commercials do; However, the implied celebrity endorsement that is transferred to consumers is invaluable, making it just as much of an advertisement. When kids see the American Idol judges sipping from their Coke cups during the show, should it be classified as as an advertisement for the brand? Absolutely!

So if brands truly want to stop marketing their unhealthy consumables products to America's youth, entertainment marketing should be taken off the table as well. 

Did J-Lo Go Too Far With Fiat On The American Music Awards?

J-Lo On Stage At AMA's In Fiat 500

The fact that I'm blogging about this, some people would say that's success for Fiat. Not so fast... Let's delve into this integration further!


First of all, I question Fiat's choice of having J-Lo be their primary spokesperson. Don't get me wrong, she's at the peak of her career right now (very high consumer recognition), but I'm not sure she's the right fit for the brand. Anyway, that's a discussion for another day. Looking at the integration on Sunday, I would have to say it was definitely over the top and not effective. 


Why, you may ask? When it comes to brand integration and product placement, you want the consumer and expert reaction to be positive. If people are talking about an integration, you want the discussion to be a favorable one. The NBC series Seinfeld is a great example of how to make over the top brand integration's seem ok. When you are strategic about it, weaving it into the storyline and using humor, it becomes a "win, win" situation for the advertiser and consumer. Seinfeld was great at this, so consequently consumers did not feel that brands were being forced down their throats. Sunday night at the AMA's? Definitely not strategic, definitely not integral to the storyline and definitely not funny!

J-Lo Performing At AMA's

You can click on the link about to watch her performance on the show if you haven't already. Having the Fiat on stage was nothing more than a blatant integration that did nothing to move the brand forward (and it didn't help things that J-Lo could not get the door open to get in the car). The car was a useless prop that most people saw as an excessive plug for the Fiat brand. Fiat was already an advertising partner (several commercial spots) for the ABC telecast, and the integration I'm sure was sold as "added value" for the brand. Unfortunately, in my opinion, some of the value that had been established for the Italian car makers re-entry into the US market was diminished on Sunday night.