6 Aralık 2012 Perşembe

Product Placement Strategies



In the current world full of advertising and other marketing communication messages consumers are more likely to skip through advertisements and change the channel during television commercial breaks.

Also with on-demand media growing, new advertising methods are becoming a growing trend in Turkey.

The product placement methodology involves well-known content endorsing products or services outside of a clearly labeled commercial environment.

Already product placement is called the “new generation” advertising in Turkey.

Actually it increased its popularity with the end of rating surveying in Turkey. 

As brands became blind on the ratings, the brand owners started looking for more creative ways of putting their brands forward.

Soon product placement became a hit.

But yet correct and strategic product placement is still an enigma in Turkey.

Unfortunately, the marketing people often ignore the strategic aspects of product placement.

One of the main reasons for this is the fact that marketers in Turkey are not sure where to position product placement.

Usually the marketing people of Turkey do not cut down from their TV advertising budgets in sake of product placement; they cut down from their sponsorship budgets.

Thus the marketing people of Turkey see product placement as a form of sponsorship.

This is not a correct approach to product placement.

Sponsorship communications contains a brand name in a selected context and is enhancing the corporate image.

On the other side product placement shows the company's product itself (with the brand name) being used in other already created environment and in the right way, enabling product features to be easily demonstrated.

It is the most effective form of synergy between traditional advertising and content generators.

For first time content generations are working this close with the advertiser brands and their advertising agencies.

Currently around 100 brands use product placement methodologies in Turkey. This is still a small number of brands compared to USA here around 650 top brands use product placement methodologies..

The marketing researches undergone in Turkey show that around 80% of viewers are aware of the brands placed in their usual content (especially the TV series).  None of the viewers segments have stated any discomfort with the content placed.

According the statistics provided by the association of advertisers, in average 400 products are placed in to existing contents in a typical month.

The content created specially for the product placement equals to around 45 hours in a typical year.

We watch 45 hours content written specially for the brand as part of our usual content we consume.

Doing right product placement is critical.

1. It’s a Branded Entertainment

Don't forget it’s only a branded form of existent entertainment.
The content is still the king.
The entertainment should not suffer anything from the brand introduced.
Product placement should not detract from the story being told.
The already created entertaining content should not loose resonance with the consumers as soon as the brand pops up.
If the entertainment is loosing in power, its not only the content, which is hurt but also the image of the brand, suffers substantially.
The brand is perceived as less entertaining than usual.
The consumers start perceiving the product as detractive and annoying.
Integration without any compromises to the original artistic substance, and creativity of the content is a must

2. Intermittent Usage

One of the main mistakes the marketing people do in Turkey is concerned to the times the product is placed in a single content.
Usually the marketing people in Turkey prefer a single but bold usage of a product in a part of the content.
This actually is not the right way of doing product placement.
The right strategy should focus on subtle showings of the products at intermittent times of the story.
In that way the product becomes a natural ally to the content and creates more resonance.

3. Single Character Integration
It is critical to integrate the brand to the story by using one of tis appealing characters.
This is another mistake often done in Turkey. The brand gets integrated only as part of the story but no single character is involved.
The positive hero of the plot should use the product in a longer term and different part of the story.
The brand should not be only endorsed but it should help the hero develop the depth of its own character.

4. Timing Is Critical
The timing of the product placement will determine how successful the campaign will be.
Historically it is proven that product placement success is tightly attached to high season sales and special times.
The product placements do not yield the intended results if aired off-season.
Do your product placement during peak times such as Bayram, New Year, Back to School etc.
Retailers will be more responsive to promote your products if placed during those times.
5. Place and Promote
Do not place your product for creating basic awareness or building brand equity.
Forming a promotional content is actually the very essence of an effective product placement campaign.
There are always two main participants in a product placement deal: brand and the promotional vehicle.
The promotional vehicle created should be aligned to the usual content (i.e.: a promotional vehicle valid only for the viewers of the content in question)
In a cross-promotion program these two participants share their promotional channels, hence creating promotional exposure to each other by combining their target audiences.

6. Use Visual Symbols
Turkish culture is characterized as group-explicit non-verbal style.
Symbols are important for the Turkish audience.
Turkish consumers look for visual symbols to communicate.
Turks may be more apt to note brand symbolism in their usual contents.
Do not place a plain brand to the content. Create a world of visual symbols specific for each content you place your brand in.

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