While watching a prime-time television show, have you ever noticed the character drinking from a Coca Cola bottle? That was not done by mistake. Advertisements are seen constantly and engulf the consumer. Placing specific name brand items in popular shows is another form of advertising, called product placement.
Product placement is a practice of paying for precise placement of a product in movies or television to gain exposure. Also, product placement is a hybrid of advertising and publicity for a given organization. Companies now rely on the practice of embedding their products into shows and movies. Now that viewers have the ability to sometimes skip over commercial breaks, the phenomenon of product placement has grown to an even larger scale.
Many viewers notice the name brand product, but do not recognize the value that the placement holds. Subconsciously, while watching shows or movies, our brains notice the brand placements, but do not fully recognize that we are being manipulated. Consumers are more likely to purchase products when they can be identified with something they like. Also, product placements give viewers a favorable inclination towards certain brands over others. Often, companies read the scripts prior to filming and chose a clip which their product could be incorporated in. Businesses do not want their products or services to be cast in a bad light, so they choose the part of the movie that would best benefit their marketing strategy. A key to product placement is to include a visual, auditory mention, and plot connection.
Product placement is the exact placement of product or service in main stream media. This marketing tactic assists in gaining brand recognition through a wide exposure to consumers. When viewers notice a specific brand or product being used throughout a television show or movie, they subconsciously notice the brand and are more likely to purchase that product. Product placement is a manipulative tool that increases sales from an advertising stand point.
