So, you’ve hired a Product Placement Agency and your products are starting to show up on air. That's great! Millions in your target markets are seeing your products - sometimes in the background, sometimes in the foreground, sometimes used, and sometimes featured. Now it’s time to leverage those Aired Placements to reach audiences beyond those who actually watched the show, increasing the ROI.
There are many approaches available, including: Social Media, Google AdWords, Submitting to “As Seen On” Websites, Developing “Sell Sheets”, and promoting internally.
Social Media - There are a couple of methods that work on Social Media.
Post Your Placements - When Products are seen on air, many companies post images of these inclusions on their social media. Note: You do not formally have the right to post. However, most studios view it as a free way to promote their shows, and turn a blind eye to it. Just make certain these posts are positioned as reporting an event, and not in any way an endorsement of your brand by the production, or actors. An example would be, “Did you see our Bluetooth Speaker on “Big Bang Theory” last night? Be sure to watch future episodes - Friday’s at 8 on CBS.” If you follow those guidelines, it is unlikely you will ever be asked to remove the posts.
“I Spy” Contests - - Spot the … Some companies encourage visitors to their social media to watch for their products on the shows they are on, and post photos when they see them. This can be connected to a raffle, giving more incentive for visitors to participate. So for example - “Watch for Our Bluetooth Speaker on Show #1, Show #2, etc. And when you see it, let us know by posting it here. Each posting gets you entered into a raffle to win some great products.”
AdWords - Not every product is instantly identifiable as from a particular brand. This is particularly true for smaller, lesser-known companies. Their products are seen as interesting, but viewers may not know who made them and how to find them. They may wonder, “who makes that really cool bluetooth speaker I saw on Sheldon’s Desk in Big Bang Theory?” They will try and search the web, but will have some difficulty without assistance. Google AdWords solves this. Create keyword phrases that viewers might use to search, such as “Cool Speaker, Big Bang Theory”. And since these Adwords are so specific, it should be very inexpensive.
Websites - While AdWords work well, there are other ways users can find out moee about the product they saw on screen. There are many websites that are set up just for this purpose, such as Product Placement Blog, marketed as “the largest product placement database on the internet.” Make sure you post your placements on these sites.
Sell Sheets - Aired Placements can do more than reach new customers. It can also be used to get greater interest from Investors and Distributors. This is a great approach for young, start-up companies. Collect your best aired placements into a single sheet, or include in a presentation
Sales Collateral - Although it’s best to stay away from using any imagery from productions in your sales materials, adding the words “As Seen On Big Bang Theory” to collateral adds huge value, even if they never watch that particular show.
Build Employee Excitement - A major benefit that is often overlooked is leveraging the placement by sharing with your employees. Our clients have joked in the past that our fees should be paid by Human Resources due to the excitement generated within the company. Our clients have done this through emails, internal postings and video collages that are shown at employee gatherings.
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Eclipse Worldwide specializes in and leads the industry in Organic, Fee-Free Product Placement in Television and Film Productions. Founded in 1997, it has placed over 170,000 Products seen in over 30,000 Episodes, with a value of over 10 Billion Dollars, reaching over 100 Billion Viewers for its clients, all without paying fees