With technology fuelling the increase of media delivery platforms and advertisers seeking out novel ways to cut through the clutter, consumers are constantly exposed to media. With such high exposure rates, consumers are experiencing more advertising fatigue and even look for ways to evade ads. Therefore, many advertisers are turning to create branded content that 'pulls' instead of 'pushes'.
One of the popular branded content executions is Product/ Brand Placement (PBP). It has been widely used in movies and is now extended into other mediums such as Terrestrial TV, Radio, Videogames and the Internet. By 2010, PBP expenditure is expected to rise to $5.56billion globally *.
*Source: WARC Media Report – “Global Product Placement Now and In the Future”
Research shows that PBP works on the implicit memory (non-intentional form of memory) that boosts unconscious learning. When placements are enhanced with via attractive actors, experts, it aids recall and adds a positive source effect. Consumer are likely to use an “avail-ability heuristic (the ease of recalling specific events) to form decisions. Exposure to PBP gives rise to perceived popularity as people infer what is popular from what is prominent.
PBP can be integrated as part of a communication campaign to build brand awareness and familiarity, create/enhance brand association, build sales, launch a new product (usually under an established brand name) and create buzz and word-of-mouth currency. Before marketeers/advertisers decide to adopt PBP, they need to:
- Target carefully
- Match audience, brand and vehicle
- Ensure integration within content (verbal and visual)
- Relevant, appropriate exposure. Avoid overexposure
- Integrate PP with other forms of brand placement
- Evaluate results systematically |
PBP is proven to be most effective when there is conscious attention to the brand in a postive context. Explicit product/ brand mentions within the media content directly influences brand salience. Integration and embedding of the product and brand is critical. There are 4 levels of PBP:
1. Non-integrated/ expressed - brand is seen on-screen, but not mentioned or used
2. Integrated/expressed - mentioned by name in the script, but not handled or used
3. Integrated & used - consumed in the course of the narrative
4. Embedded - a central element with recurring appearance
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Generally, the greater the integration, greater the effectiveness of the PBP. However, viewers are also sensitive to overt communication. Over emphasis or blatant mentions can create a backlash. For PBP to work, subtlety and viewer consideration must be exercised. It needs to be weaved into the storyline, increasing its "authencity".
Measuring PBP needs to go beyond the simplistic ad expenditure equivalent of exposure. PBP’s true effectiveness can be ascertained via a systematic measurement metric that takes into account the effects of PBP - recall, associations, purchase intention etc. Customized research is normally commissioned. A potential ROI measure could include measuring share of market/sales against placement period to ascertain how PBP affect sales
Via PBP, advertisers can effectively engage consumers in an implicit environment and cut through the clutter. However, the execution needs to be tastefully and carefully presented less a backlash happens. Measurement is crucial as the right metric will bring out the true worth of PBP.
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