Pride of Placement
If you wonder why branded entertainment is on the rise — why characters on “30 Rock” are discussing everything from McDonald's McFlurry to Cisco's videoconferencing equipment, why Nestea and IKEA are featured in Web-only series, and why a Gatorade-branded “Thirst Meter” is part of the NBA 2K9 videogame — just think about your own viewing habits. Chances are you're spending less time watching broadcast TV and more time with niche cable channels or Internet TV.
In the face of this fragmented media audience, marketers have upped their spending this year on Webisodes, advergames and brand integration into some of your favorite shows. U.S. companies will spend $3.9 billion this year to build their products, services and brands into TV programming, up 14.2% from last year, according to the VSS Communications Industry Forecast. And spending on Webisodes and advergames will reach $306 million, a 16.1% increase over 2008.
On television, paid placement benefits both from marketers' desire to reach audiences in new ways and broadcasters' concern over declining traditional ad revenues. This changing dynamic was made explicit last April, when Unilever, maker of brands like Dove, Hellmann's Mayonnaise and Vaseline, held a “reverse upfront” in which its brand managers presented their new campaigns to media companies and asked for ideas on product integration.
Whether such placements work is still a debatable point. A Fall GfK Roper survey found that one-third of Internet users found them “quite acceptable” but 36% found them annoying. By contrast, 42% accepted TV commercials, and 37% found them annoying.
Online and On Message
Some notable Webisodes with a branded flavor:
“Easy to Assemble”
Actress Illeana Douglas takes a job at the Burbank IKEA.
“CTRL”
Office nerd spills Nestea on his keyboard, gains powers.
“Web Therapy”
Lisa Kudrow as a therapist, on a Lexus-hosted Web site.
“A Parent Is Born”
Information for expectants from Procter & Gamble's Pampers.
