What is product placement?

Question

Justin Parker · Accepted Answer

Product placement is a specific type of marketing strategy that involves featuring a product or brand prominently integrated within a film, TV show, video game, or other form of entertainment or media. The goal of product placement is to reach an audience and generate brand awareness or brand recognition in a way that feels authentic and not forced.

Product placement can take many forms in the context of a film, TV show, video game, or other form of entertainment or media, including:

A character might use or wear a particular brand or product
A group of characters might eat at a specific and real restaurant within a scene
A specific product is a main part of the stories plot and actually drives it forward
A product might just be on display or seen in the background of a particular scene

Product placement is a strategy companies use to make audiences associate their positive experience of a particular entertainment property with the companies' products. They can then leverage the emotional connection the viewers have with the entertainment to influence them to purchase specific brands or products.

Product placement is often quite an effective way to reach and engage with large audiences, and to persuade them to purchase or at least look into specific products or brands. However, when done less artfully, product placement can be taken as being too "in your face" or even manipulative. Those that use this strategy must strike the right balance for optimum results.