Product Placement Summary

While working on my blog this semester in Audience Research I learned a great deal about product placement. I have become more aware of the abundance of product placement in media. With the increased use of online television and TiVo, comanies are looking to product placement. By placing products in character dialogue and/or in the actual scene, viewers are unable to skip over advertisements. They see the product being used. By positioning it on certain shows, the brand image is portrayed.

In my blogs I examined how products are paired with different television shows and movies. Each product placement is thought about and researched carefully. Nielson launched new software for product placement analysis which will help greatly for years to come. I researched shows like Lost, American Idol, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition, Desperate Housewives, and The Hills. These shows had specific audiences and very specific product placements.

I even found a website that lists the product placements featured on current tv, movies, and celebrity style. The website is called seenon.com. Visitors can browse by show, episode, brand, and even character. They can then purchase the item. The website has sponsors including Cole Hahn and Marc Jacobs. They claim to be further combining shopping and entertainment.

As my generation gets older and technology increases, there is no doubt in my mind that all forms of media will eventually converge as one. As Apple introduced its new iPhone, I wasn't surprised that a phone included internet capabilities, games, photos, and music. Earlier this month, an Israeli cellular phone company announced that it will feature product placement in their free games. Surprise, surprise. It will be interesting to see how much more product placement will be used.

Maybe in the future we will have product placement flash from our alarm clocks. Constantly changing advertisements could look back at us while we brush our teeth. Televisions on refridgerators may talk to us and tell us about new products. The future of product placement is looking good and I'm lucky to be experiencing an industry that is constantly changing and evolving.

Nielson

Earlier this year, Nielson launched a new product placement performance analysis called Place Values. http://www.nielsenmedia.com/nc/portal/site/Public/menuitem.55dc65b4a7d5adff3f65936147a062a0/?vgnextoid=cb475a777a071110VgnVCM100000ac0a260aRCRD The tool allows people to view past product placement and potential placement opportunities. It also allows for clients to test the markets for placing their products. With product placement becoming more and more frequent, it was time that Nielson collect data on it. The data from Place Value is from Nielson's Product Placement Valuation Study. In this study, more than 100,000 people across America voiced their opinions on product placements for over 200 products.

Nielson's Place Values is a software that companies can buy. CBS, CourtTV, FOX, Spring, and Twentieth TV are some of the first customers. The software shows a variety of strategies for product placement and reports on activity by company, brand, or product. Although highly expensive, Place Values offers lots of information on a growing type of promotion. With more research on product placement everyday, companies will surely use the promotion more and more.

Do you write best inside a bubble?

Today Dr. Pepper announced that they will be creating a giant transparent bubble in NYC's Pier 54. Weird, huh? Not only that but they will be putting an up-and-coming band IN the bubble for 20 days. The members of Cartel (a new pop-punk band) will be writing songs for their album inside the bubble. There will be cameras documenting their experiences and episodes may be aired on one of MTV's channels. The stunt will take place from May 24 until the band finally emerges on June 12. MTV is hoping to air their episodes soon after. http://www.brooksbulletin.com/news/entertainment.asp?itemid=62218

Mediaedge is representing Dr. Pepper. With this stunt they want to attract young people who like Cartel, MTV, and soda. By placing this odd reality show on MTV, they will automatically get attention. Although, in theory, this sounds like a cool idea, I'm not quite sure how it will play out. 20 days seems like a long time for 5 guys to be trapped inside a bubble. Plus, being in a large bubble in the middle of New York City will definatly affect the writing. I'm not an artist, but most artists I know like peace and quiet to write. Recent advertisements for Dr. Pepper have shown the variety of flavors in the soda. Personally, I don't think of music when I think of this soda. Maybe Dr. Pepper is going in a new direction.

Stunts like this are getting more and more popular. Many companies sponsor concerts and/or large events. Dr. Pepper is taking it one step further. They are showing America HOW these hit songs get made. It will certainly be interesting to see how Cartel's new album turns out.

Product Placement on Ice??

We have all seen the product placements in NFL football. America's obsession with the game has companies paying millions of dollars in product placements and advertisement. But what is product placement like in other countries?

Although football is one of the leaders in advertising, other sports are catching on to the trend. In Canada, hockey is huge!! Vancouver defenceman Willie Mitchell recently used BladeTape. It is a product that you can put on your hockey stick that helps keep it last 15 games longer than without it. CBC showed close ups of the product. http://www.canada.com/vancouversun/news/business/story.html?id=8b3b68c9-38af-44a3-b60e-935461e8602d&k=74246

Richard Findlay, the inventor of the product, is a big hockey fan and loves the fact that his product is being used by big stars. He also loves the fact that the product is shown to people all over the country. "The phone is so busy I can't get out of the office," says Findlay. In the first six months, BladeTape has done more than $100,000 in sales. BladeTape has been used by many NHL players as well. Findlay hope that eventually a company like Nike or Easton will see how great the product is and want to buy it.

Product Placement All Over the World

Early this morning, Israel's largest cell phone company, Cellcom, reported that they would launch an ad-funded game service. Cellcom subscribers will now be able to download free games onto their cell phones. The only catch is that they have to watch advertisements throughout the games and many of the games include product placement and/or digital coupons. This new campaign will feature brands like McDonalds, Adidas, Disney, Samsung, and Nokia. Using new technology, appropriate advertisements are targeted to users using profiles, bahavior, and responses.http://www.tmcnet.com/usubmit/2007/04/18/2531335.htm This technology is brought by the company innerActive. This company specializes in mobile advertising. www.inner-active.com

This new technology seems like a great chance to specifically target consumers. Online sites have allowed people to watch free video and only watch a few commercials. They don't seem to mind because they're able to watch whatever they want. Thousands of people will now be able to pay different games for free and many won't mind watching a few commercials along the way.

Virtual Hills

This season of The Hills on MTV has wrapped up, but viewers don't have to go through Lauren and Heidi withdrawl. MTV has recently created a virtual world where people can shop, dance, and go to fashion shows with their favorite Hills girls. The world can be accessed at http://content.vlb.mtv.com/mtv_central/index.html . The virtual world is interesting because you can teleport to a variety of locations that are in the show (and real life). One of the most interesting places is Area nightclub. The nightclub opened this year and Heidi often works at the door. In almost every episode of The Hills, the girls go to the glamourous nightclub. The club gets publicity and girls all over the country want to party in the place that Lauren and Heidi do. In the virtual world, underage girls can get into the nightclub and experience what celebrities experience. This generates more buzz about the club. I recently overheard a friend talking about her upcoming semester in Los Angeles with Ithaca College. She talked about how cool it would be to visit Area and see Heidi and Lauren. The product placement on the show and in the virtual world generates excitement for both the nightclub and the show itself.

American Idol

American Idol is now well into the 6th season. The show has made ordinary people like Kelly Clarkson, Jennifer Hudson, and Carrie Underwood famous. The show not only has America's hopefuls competing, but also has advertisers competing for product placement. Companies including AT&T, Coca-Cola, and Ford have paid big bucks to have their products mentioned. In fact, these three big advertisers are even shown at the top of the official American Idol website. AT&T paid between $30-$50 million for their product placement. http://www.bloggingstocks.com/2007/03/21/product-placement-the-american-idol-juggernaut/ Ryan Seacrest informs the show's average 31.7 million viewers to vote on their cell phones using AT&T. http://www.nytimes.com/2007/02/20/arts/television/20idol.html?ei=5090&en=6a21cd6f4f1a4dde&ex=1329627600&adxnnl=1&adxnnlx=1176178150-XKezcGMq7wXUj4XEqLdZWQ .

Coca-Cola is the proud sponsor of "Coke Presents Behind The Scenes." These are short behind the scene videos that viewers can view on the website. The strangest product placement is Ford's. It is far from subtle. Every week the contestants are featured in a "Ford Music Video." The contestants sing and dance in front of a FORD. It's really bizarre. Ford banner ads are also on the website. Last year's AI winner, Taylor Hicks, was promtly selected as Ford's newest spokesperson after the finale. All of American Idol's product placement is so obvious. The ads, like the show, are completely cheesy, but for that much money apparently it's worth it.

LOST

Although I was never a fan of the ABC show Lost in the previous seasons, I've become addicted to it. This semester I am without a television and end up watching all of my favorite shows on the internet. I think that ABC has the best website for this. http://abc.go.com/ It's quick and easy and I end up watching more than just my favorite shows. The online availibility of the shows expanded my viewership. I started out only watching Grey's Anatomy and Desperate Housewives. As this semester went on, I became addicted to Ugly Better and Lost as well. I don't have to be in front of a tv at any specific time or remember to TiVo anything because my shows are always ready.

Anyway, back to product placement. I just finished watching yesterday's episode of Lost. I've realized that there is no visable product placement. There are no designer brands or food labels shown. Everything is generic. Even the website SeenOn.com which boasts hundreds of product placements for each show, has very few items for the show Lost. http://www.seenon.com/television/abc/lost/filter/product_cat/Accessories/filter/product_cat/Category/filter/product_cat/Apparel/filter/product_cat/Category/filter/product_cat/Food%20&%20Beverage/?product_cat=Food+%26+Beverage Although this storyline takes place on a remote island, we learned this season that "the others" have the ability to reach the mainland and get supplies. If they are able to do so, wouldn't it make sense that the food had brands?

Maybe the producers of Lost decided not to use product placement for a reason. Maybe they thought it would distract viewers from the fact that the cast was supposed to be lost on the island in the middle of nowhere. However, the flashbacks to life before the crash would be excellent opportunities to show brand names. With product placements everywhere, the show seems surprisingly empty without them.

Celebrity Cars

Shows such as E!'s Talk Soup and The Daily 10 specialize on celebrity news and trends. Websites including TMZ.com also specialize in America's obsession with celebrities. When people's lives become topics for television shows, product placement will surely be introduced.

One way that car companies show their products is through popular celebrities. Honda recently introduced the first Hydrogen powered vehicle. In order to gain coverage, they gave one to seventeen year old Q'orianka Kilcher. The young girl was the star of "The New World". http://world.honda.com/news/2007/4070307FCX/The Honda FCX is the first hydrogen powered car with zero emissions. “As a young person today, I feel it is important to take initiative toward seeking positive solutions and stepping up the quest toward clean energy and environmental preservation,” said Q’orianka Kilcher. “When I first started pursuing my dream of a zero emissions vehicle as my first car, it seemed like a pretty unrealistic dream. With Honda’s innovation and support, my dream of helping the environment became a reality!"

Seinfeld creator Larry David supports awareness of global warming by driving his hybrid Toyota Prius. He drove his car to red carpet events and even on his HBO hit show called Curb Your Enthusiasm. David used product placement to educate viewers about hybrid vehicles. The exposure made the Prius one of the most popular new cars of the year. Last year, David even gave away his Prius to a member of a Stop Global Warming activist group. http://www.usatoday.com/life/people/2006-05-04-larry-david_x.htm .

Reality in Reality TV

MTV's "The Real World" is a reality television show that tells the "real" story of seven strangers picked to live in a house together. The show is a natural vehicle for product placement. This season, the housemates live in Denver, Colorado. There are a variety of products that are shown that match with the typical Denver lifestyle. One of the largest product placements in at the kids' job. They work for Outward Bound. http://www.outwardbound.org/index.php This is a non-profit company that brings kids into the wilderness for personal growth and leadership skills. I had personally heard of it because many of my friends went on these adventures. Footage shows the beauty of Colorado and the many activities that people can do. The show itself could be mistaken for a long advertisement for visiting Colorado! Before their first training session, the kids went to Dick's Sporting Goods to find everything they needed. (They made sure to mention the store's name). http://www.dickssportinggoods.com/home/index.jsp . Again, Dick's went along with Colorado's national and outdoorsy feel. Another large product placement is Wild Oats. http://www.wildoats.com/u/home/ . This is a natural grocery store around the US. The grocery store features many trail mixes and healthy snacks that are great for the outdoors. Finally, the fourth major placement is from Jeep. http://www.jeep.com/ The new Patriot was launched this year and having twenty-somethings in the outdoors was a perfect placement. Viewers could think, "Wow, that vehicle seems to work perfectly for long drives and holds a lot! Plus the Real Worlders look so cool driving it!" The product placement is better than any other commercial. It is also reinforced to the viewers that the car is, in fact, a Jeep Patriot.

Reality television is a great way to integrate product placement. If the show is supposed to be reality than people will think that these people actually use the product. "Survivor producer Mark Burnett described his show as being 'as much a marketing vehicle as it is a television show.'"http://www.brandhype.org/archives/2005/03/product_placeme.html . As Reality TV gains in popularity, audiences are catching on that it may not be so realistic afterall. Will this change views on product placement? Maybe or maybe not.

The Beauty in Ugly Betty

ABC's runaway hit this season is Ugly Betty. The show that recently won an Emmy, uses fashion in every aspect. The plot follows a simple girl from Queens who begins working a fictional fashion magazine called MODE. Although Betty doesn't wear designer clothes, the rest of the cast is dressed to the nines. Because it's a fashion magazine, designers are always mentioned. Glamorous parties are attended and jeans and a t-shirt would never do. The "closet" is a giant room filled with clothes used in the magazines. In one of the episodes they decided to clean out the closet for the next season. All of the employees sprinted there to be first on the list. They were sure to mention which pieces they got from which designers. Wilhelmina Slater (played by Vanessa Williams) is the creative director at MODE. She and Alexis Mead (Rebecca Romijn) compete for the spotlight and the glamour. They seem to want to always top the other.

There is also a portion on the website where you watch videos that describe the style of each character. http://abc.go.com/primetime/uglybetty/index.html Designer labels are also mentioned here. The show works because the product placement seems natural. At a fashion magazine, fashion is all around! Designers are the language and knowing new trends keeps you ahead of the game. The beauty in Ugly Betty is that the product placement is written into the script. Product placement in this setting seems natural and realistic which is what makes the show work so perfectly.

iPhone

Apple's newest product is called the iPhone. It combines a cellular phone, iPod, and internet connection into one. http://www.apple.com/iphone/hello/CherryFlava's blog talks about how an image of the iPhone appeared on a screen in New York City. The image appeared when the product was being launched and only appeared for a few seconds. Onlookers stared at the sudden image. It proved to be more effective than a longer advertisement that was played over and over again. This brief glimpse of the new technology created a buzz. In June when this product finally makes its debut, it will without a doubt be a product placement giant. Just like the iPod before it, the iPhone will surely be featured with every hot celebrity on all the coolest shows.

I also promoted my blog this week by posting comments on other blogs that I found interesting. I found a really interesting blog by a guy named Jeremy Pepper. He founded his own PR firm called POP! PR. http://pop-pr.blogspot.com/index.html I really enjoyed his blog because he wasn't TOO into the internet. He talked about how blogging may be fun, but experiencing life is more important. In a field such as public relations it is very important to build relationships and network. Knowing people is sometimes more important than writing about trends on your blog. I like this persepective. Blogging can be a useful tool, but it should not take the place of a real life.

Second Life Locations

Today in my Audience Research class our teacher had us visit a few location in Second Life. These locations varied. LeoBurnett is a professional company from the real world. Their SL island was interesting. It featured a large treehouse and lots of open space. I imagine that they hold conferences there and allow employees to chat with visitors. The treehouse was confusing. I wasn't sure of the purpose of it. There was also very little to do on the island.

Paper Couture is a company that started online. On their SL island you can go into their beautifully decorated store and buy clothing for your avatar. I enjoyed this location because I felt like I was in a store. There were mirrors and fireplaces to make it look attractive. You can also visit the company's website. I understood the purpose of this location and enjoyed looking around.

Kawaii Ku is a fan built island. When I was first teleported there I felt like I was in a cartoon world. There was a rainbow overhead and giant colorful flowers. Everything was oversized and it looked like an Asian cartoon. Each building had a different theme. They had pictures on the walls that looked like Asian trading cards. Some were animals while others were racy women. When you passed through a tunnel the island went from happy to slightly frightening. Part of the city was underwater and it looked dirty in general. There was more to do at this island and interesting things to look at. I'm not sure what the purpose of the island was, but I enjoyed being there.

If my company was to open in Second Life, I would tell them to design their island so that it represented their image. Paper Couture did this well. I understood exactly what the company was and the upscale image. I would also tell them to create many different things to do. If there is lots to do, people will like to spend their time there. The island should also be decorted well and feature employees to help visitors understand the company.

The Donald Loves Lexus?

Donald Trump's reality show, "Apprentice L.A.", is sponsored by Lexus. Contestants are driven in these luxury vehicles and many commercials are for the company. This match seems perfect. Lexus is a brand that embodies class and style. Donald Trump is one of the wealthiest men in the world and everything he touches seems to turn to gold. In an episode, Donald is shown driving a sporty car that is NOT a Lexus. The car he was driving appeared to be a Bentley. http://www.productplacement.biz/ So what happens when celebrity spokespeople don't use the product? The original product placement is weakened and consumers don't associate the product with the spokesperson. Last season on The Apprentice, Arby's was a big advertiser. Mr. Trump stated that he loved their sandwiches, but never actually ate one on air.

With companies including Dial, GNC, Home Depot, Priceline.com, and Ralphs, I wonder if "The Donald" will continue to use competitor's products on the show and in real life. If I was a company spending millions of dollars to be associated with Donald Trump, I would want him to actually use my products. The Apprentice's ratings are falling dramatically, but advertisers still want their products associated with the show. It seems like the show has gotten repetitive and viewers are bored. Will as many companies want in next year? Will the show even be around next year? If so, will Trump come out with a new reality show?

Extreme Makeover, Extreme Product Placement

As a interior design lover and overall sappy television enthusiast, Extreme Makeover: Home Edition is one of my favorite shows. http://abc.go.com/primetime/xtremehome/Every week the show gives a deserving family a new home along with bonus gifts like cars, computers, and flat screen TVs. Episodes are filled with product placements and brands seem to rule the show. Kenmore and Sears supply much of the appliances and home accessories. Dishwashers are Kenmore dishwashers. Ford is also a major giver on the show. Most families get a new car (or two!) An appearance on the show gives companies a good image. They are helping out an American family and getting publicity while doing it. The show's host, Ty Pennington, also uses the show to promote his home collection.

The show's website has a section called "As Featured On...". This section allows viewers to view everything used in each episode and see contact information for each company. Many of the products are divided into the rooms that they were used in. Extreme Makeover: Home Edition gives the American public a chance to see dream homes and dream accessories. The budgets seem endless and the designs are overwhelming. The entire show is an advertisement, but better! The product placement is obvious. They aren't trying to hide that fact. When I'm watching the show the products look so innovative and fashionable. The show's designers make each room look picture perfect. I can't help but want what the show presents. As a consumer, I'm doing exactly what companies want me to do. Ford has a special in-house product placement group called Ford Brand Global Entertainment. This group specifically handles all product placement. http://publications.mediapost.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Articles.showArticleHomePage&art_aid=55315 With huge organizations controlling product placement, the plugs will only get bigger from here.

No shoes, no shirt, no iPod?

On February 14th (Valentine's day) the Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue was released. This year, the issue took a very different turn. Although there were still nearly nude women on almost every page, musicians and music in general was highlighted. One of the most talked about photographs was of model, Marisa Miller being covered only by her Video iPod. Marisa's and the other models' playlists were featured in the magazine as well. Listed below is Marisa's playlist.

Marisa's Playlist
1. "Hole In The Earth" - Deftones
2. "Digital Bath" - Deftones
3. "Love Like Winter" - AFI
4. "Patience" - Guns N' Roses
5. "Whole Lotta Love" - Led Zeppelin
6. "Tangerine" - Led Zeppelin
7. "Pictures Of You" - The Cure
8. "Caring Is Creepy" - The Shins
9. "I Ran (So Far Away)" - A Flock of Seagulls
10. "King Without A Crown" - Matisyahu
11. "Empire" - Kaddisfly
12. "The Saints Are Coming" - U2 + Greenday

Although Apple has not admitted to paying for the placement, consumers and the industry alike are speculating. On the trend hunter website, many internet surfers posted their thoughts on the issue. http://www.trendhunter.com/trends/ipod-becomes-bikini-thats-hot/. An interesting fact pointed out on discussion boards is that the iPod is not even turned on. The screen is blank but the supermodel has the tiny white earbuds in her ears. If iPod paid for the placement, wouldn't they want their product on? Or is the image enough?

The brains behind Sports Illustrated were certainly right on track when coming up with this idea. I hadn't heard of this placement until reading blogs about it. I'm sure thousands of young males have been talking about it for weeks now. This product placement tells a story that the iPod is exciting and sexy. Everyone uses one. (Even naked supermodels). The photograph is eye-catching and provocative. It is a perfect match for the target market of young males.

The Future of Advertising??

In 2002, the futuristic thriller Minority Report came out in theaters. Staring Tom Cruise, Minority Report used product placement to help describe the year 2054. The cool Cruise gave the brands he used a hip image. Interbrand Corporation, an Omnicom company, produces a website called brandchannel.com. (www.brandchannel.com) This website is the only site that is an online exchange about branding. On the site you can search for movies by year and find out which brands are featured in them.

Minority Report contains product placement for brands including Audi, American Express, Nokia, Century 21, FOX, Gap, Pepsi, Lexus, and Bulgari. Brands like Audi, Panasonic, and Nokia used the storyline to show how they will keep evolving. Consumers are wowed with the futuristic technology and associate the brands with innovation. The Lexus concept car used in the movie is a realistic view of the future. Concept cars like these are shown on the website and it is amazing for consumers to see these vehicles actually on road.

Other brands including Gap and Pepsi use the future to show how they will always be present in life. The brands have the same image but change slightly with the "new technology". Gap uses personalized advertising on the store. The computer reads each person's ID and greets them by first name. The computer knows what you have bought, your size, and style preferences. The store can actually help you shop. This adds to Gap's already helpful image.

Other advertisements also prove to be interactive. The movie shows how billboards and other ads dominate life. The ads can recognize people and call you to them on first-name basis. This is a definate possibility for the future. We see personalized internet ads based on a log of recently visited websites. Is this the future of advertising? Although it seems overwhelming now, will we ignore these advertisements as easily as we ignore them now?

Carrie Bradshaw & The Cosmo

For many young women, Sex & the City represents what being a young, successful women means. The four women on the show live and work in New York City. The plot follows the women through terrible dates and fights between friends. The star of the show is Carrie Bradshaw, a writer played by Sarah Jessica Parker. Her signature drink is the Cosmopolitan. As the show increased in popularity over the years, the drink did as well. Although the show went off the air a few years ago, girlfriends will still get together to watch Sex & the City DVD's. Women were so excited that a show was around that was from a women's point of view. Before SATC, a women's view was rarely accurately portrayed. Carrie was an inspiration to all women because she was successful and glamourous and also had flaws. She represented a real woman.

Now, although the show is over, Cosmopolitans mean Carrie Bradshaw to many women. They take on the characteristics of the quirky character. The drink is hip and sophisticated and women feel so when they drink them. James Bond made the martini popular, but the girls of SATC made them classy for women.

Pinkberry

Pinkberry is a rapidly growing chain of frozen-yogurt shops that is hitting America's hippest cities. The chain was started in West Hollywood by a young woman named Sherry Hwang. Her inspiration were the popular frozen yogurt shops in Korea. The only two flavors of the yummy yogurt are plain and green tea. It's made from real yogurt, free of preservatives, fat free, and has only has 25 calories per serving. The yogurt can be personalized when customers chose from the many toppings including blackberries, kiwi, and Fruity Pebbles. Nicknames by customers as "Crackberry", the product appeals to trendy, health-conscious consumers. Customers flock to Pinkberry because of the product itself and the hip atmosphere. There always seems to be a line outside of Pinkberry. There is no advertising used, only word of mouth.

Pinkberry was recently talked about on MTV's reality show, The Hills. The show follows a group of trendy friends in their early twenties. The girls have the hottest jobs, party at the hottest clubs, and apparently eat at the hottest places. In a recent episode the girls chat about a recent date at Pinkberry. The quick product placement got thousands of viewers to wonder what Pinkberry is. The girls are thin and beautiful and admired by girls (and guys) across the country. This free publicity gives Pinkberry another edge over competition. The shop is associated with the cool and beautiful. The brand is becoming an attraction. People don't simply go to Pinkberry to eat frozen yogurt, they go in order to be seen and tell others of their experience. As the brand continues to grow, it will be interesting to see if Pinkberry upholds the trendy image.

Quickly after debuting in October of 2005, Desperate Housewives became one of the most popular shows among women on television. The show follows a circle of stylish women living in the suburban neighborhood of Wisteria Lane. Women all of the country (including myself) waiting patiently all week for the show on Sunday. I watch the show with friends and sometimes family. In addition to the plot, we remark on what the women are wearing and using. Marketers caught on. Product placement soon became a major component of the show. Women all over the world wanted to wear Gabrielle’s high heels, purchase Bree’s top-of-the-line kitchen appliances, and drive Lynette’s mini-van. Product placement also allows smaller advertisers to associate their brands the show committing the tens of millions of dollars a national ad campaign would cost.

Delivery Agent, a company which builds, hosts, and manages online sales for over 100 entertainment properties, recently created the website SeenOn.com. The website is devoted to product placement and gives consumers an opportunity to buy the exact items used in their favorite television shows, magazines, and movies. On the website, Consumers can browse by television show, episode, product brand, product type, and even character. ABC is now capitalizing on the nation’s fascination with the housewives. Consumers are able to log onto the website and see what their favorite housewife is wearing. About 150 items are listed per show and visitors to the site can Delivery Agent CEO, Mike Fitzsimmons remarked that, “Today, it’s a two-step process: You watch a show on TV and go online to complete a transaction.” [http://http://broadcastingcable.com/article/CA6372780.html?display=News]

In the near future, viewers will be able to use interactive products for digital cable and buy the products they see with their remote control. To me, this is an incredible opportunity. I love online shopping but it's hard to tell what the products actually look like and how they fit. By seeing them on my favorite celebrities, I can judge how much I will like them. Although we all understand that product placement is paid for by corporations and celebrities often don't actually use the products, product placement seems to be more personal. We develop relationships with characters and will eventually develop relationships with the products they use. Product placement is here to stay!

Tweens and Celebrity Product Placement

Tweens are kids aged 9-11. Not quite kids and not quite teenagers, these youngsters are media-savvy, fickle, and always changing their style. America's 25 million of them spend and influence more than 50 billion dollars a year! With these numbers, it's easy to see why this group is so popular with marketers.

With Tweens always changing their minds, advertisers struggle to keep up with the latest trends. In Tina Wells' article, " Buzz Focus: Cracking the Fickle Tween Code", the constantly changing market is examined. Through surveys and focus groups, researchers have found out that Tweens are smarter than we thought. These kids love commercials, celebrities, and all media in general. Wells' article remarks, "From US Weekly, "Entertainment Tonight," and tons of online gossip sources, tweens know what celebs actually love and what they are paid the big bucks to pretend to love. " For this reason, Tweens pick up on product placement. They feel that products featured on tv shows are cool, while promotions featuring Jessica Simpson are fake.

Many parents and organizations protest advertising to children. They feel like kids don't understand that advertising is for a profit. Kids are smarter than we think. At 11 or 12, most girls love learning about new lip glosses and cds. Why do you think they buy TeenPeople and CosmoGirl? They Tweens crave information about new products just like everyone else.

PR Student

As a college student interested in Public Relations, I want to learn as much as possible before finding my first job. I recently watched a few podcasts for my Audience Research class that will help me learn a bit more.

The first podcast was on Ad Age and was an interview with the editor of American Demographics, Bradley Johnson. He talked about how it is important for people working in Communications to know the American people. He talked about how to market is changing. The middle class is shrinking and the gap between the rich and poor is getting larger. For the first time since the Great Depression, people are spending more than they are saving. In a few years I'll be entering the "real world" and a country in economic trouble doesn't make me excited to be out there alone. He also talked about how by 2030, two-thirds of the American population will be in the South and West. It will be interesting to see if New York, Boston, Chicago, and other cold-weatherer cities hold up. Will they still be the major hot spots in 20 years? Another interesting fact was that the income of women is increasing. This leads to bigger spending power and more independance. This fact paired with the fact that for the first time ever, more American women are unmarried, than married (51%), could be leading to changes in the American economy and family. Will products continue to be targeted towards the average family with a mom, dad, and two kids? Will single moms be the majority? It will be incredible to see the changes that the field of communications will go through.

The second podcast was on edelman.com and it was about Careers in Communications. The podcast interviewed two seniors in college, one graduate student, and one recent graduate who is working in Edelman offices. The students talked about their interviewing experiences and their interest in public relations. It turned out that most of the students found pr later in their college careers. They wanted a profession where it was their job to keep up with news, trends, and always keep learning. PR promises change and excitement. The students talked about how every interviewer was interested in EXPERIENCE. It was not enough to just have a degree and a good G.P.A. Employers were interested in internships, practical applications of work, and experience in everything. An important tip was to always ask questions and keep up the conversaton. The students also talked about how it's important to find out what you're interested in specifically. Interests outside of PR can help you find a job you really love. Sell your outside interests and passions! This got me thinking about what I would really love to do. I have always been interested in kids, so I could maybe work in the PR department for a corporation that works with kids. I also love planning events AND watching movies or television about weddings, so maybe I could be a wedding planner. I guess I'll just have to wait and see.

In other news, I got picked for Park School's trip to France!! I leave in late May for two weeks in Dijon, Paris, Geneva, and more!!! Wish me luck!!

"Do you work at Google?? Google is my friend!"

I recently had to watch a video of Seth Godin's speech at Google. Godin is an author of six bestsellers including "Permission Marketing" and "All Marketers Are Liars". He spoke about how a marketer must tell a story with their product. If you make something worth talking about, people will talk about it, the brand will spread, and sales will increase.

Advertisers assume that more ads will sell more stuff. This is no longer true. A brand will grow organically with word of mouth. Godin talked about "Fancy Feast" cat food. These tiny cans of food sell for about twice the amount as regular cat food. Cats obviously don't care what they eat, so why do people buy it?? "Fancy Feast" is able to tell a story to consumers (people, not cats). They buy the food for well-being. The food is for the owners, not the cats.

The success of Google is due to the site making people feel a certain way. People talk about Google because it is personal. People care about Google. Seth Godin describes wearing a Google t-shirt out in public and the responses he got. One woman actually said, "Do you work at Google? Google is my friend!"

Seth Godin's speech made me think about how product placement makes people talk. Instead of seeing a television commercial for a product, people see their favorite characters using the product. This tells a story about why the product is used and how it works. Consumers can associate Ford vehicles with "24" or Victoria's Secret with the cool, confident women on "Desperate Housewives". They can then talk about the shows with friends while talking about the products used. Part of the success of product placement is that it tells a story about the product. It makes the consumer associate the product with some of their favorite shows.

Introduction!

Hi! My name is Melissa and I am a sophomore Integrated Marketing Communications major at Ithaca College. After graduation I'm hoping to work in public relations. I love how you can be creative with pr. There are so many fields to explore including my blog topic, PRODUCT PLACEMENT!

Product placement is a way for companies to advertise products to increasingly cynical consumers. Companies pay for their products to appear on television shows, movies, and other forms of entertainment. This allows viewers to associate products with their favorite characters. With technology such as TiVo, people are able to fast-forward through commercials. Product placement is rapidly increasing because companies still want their products to be seen! Many times viewers are unaware of product placement. Advertisers and consumers alike are struggling with the use of product placement. Is it ethical? Should there be regulations?

In this blog I'll be discussing my encounters with product placement. I'll also be talking about my views on the issue. Enjoy!