Scientific evidence about the effectiveness of product placements is scant. Practitioners believe that success depends on the following four factors. The brand needs to be prominent when it is featured and, ideally, be integral to the storyline or action. The content should be relevant to whatever the brand aims to be associated with, and the brand should be portrayed in such a way that people find it appealing.
PROMINENCE Brands encourage or pay for their products to be featured in movies and TV programmes. Apple is famous for giving computers, iPads and iPhones to production companies to use as props. This explains why iDevices appeared in 40% of movie box office hits in 2011, according to an analysis by Brandchannel. Apple even inverted its logo on its MacBooks so that it would appear upright to viewers when being used (despite this being counter-intuitive for the users themselves - something Apple usually avoids). However, having your product or logo visible doesn’t guarantee people will notice it. Eye-tracking results show that people tend to look at whatever the director intended them to look at. Logos in the background are usually missed. INTEGRATION The brand is much more likely to be noticed and remembered if it plays an integral role in the storyline. Apple’s PowerMac had a starring role in Mission Impossible, in return for the movie being featured in Apple’s own advertising in the run up to its release. In 2021’s No Time to Die, James Bond’s Omega watch emits an electric pulse that disables a henchman’s bionic eye – allowing Bond to save the day. RELEVANCE A brand should choose to place its products in content that will create the kinds of association the brand desires. In 1982, for example, Reese’s Pieces were featured in the movie E.T. They were the candy that the adorable extra-terrestrial loved to eat. The placement reinforces the idea that Reese’s Pieces are a comforting sweet treat for children. This resulted in a significant increase in sales for the brand. Less relevant sponsorships have little chance of being effective. Mercedes Benz surprised everyone in 2015 by partnering with Nintendo to have its cars feature in the popular video games Mario Kart and Super Mario Maker. According to a spokesperson for the car manufacturer, the product placement was designed to strengthen brand awareness and appeal amongst people in their 30s and 40s, many of whom play Mario games regularly and hold strong affection for the Mario universe. The partnership was short-lived. Mario Kart may be fast-paced and exciting, but Mario isn’t exactly stylish and sophisticated, making the partnership ill-judged. APPEAL Ultimately, the way the brand is portrayed in the placement should make it appealing to the audience. In the famous 80s movie Back to the Future, futuristic Pepsi products and branding is displayed throughout the movie, making the brand seem popular, cool and enduring. Product placement can be very expensive. If executed well, it should have a bigger impact on your brand than advertising - but only amongst fans of the content. Given that reach strategies tend to out-perform depth strategies (see Section 2.6) you need to consider whether the money you’d spend on product placement might be better spent on other media able to achieve broader reach. |