Viewers’ views on product placement
Interesting figures on TV viewers’ attitudes towards product placement were released this week by YouGov.
72% of the 2,064 people interviewed now believe they know what product placement is (a figure reaching 79% among men and 65% for women), with 46% of participants believing that having goods and services in TV programmes can heighten their realism and even enhance the content.
Exactly 33% of the sample disagreed with the notion that product placement has a negative impact on the "integrity" of content they watch, and 33% held a "neutral" opinion here.
For 25% of 18-24 year olds, their perception of a brand was likely to improve if they saw it in a TV show, standing at 17% for 25-34 year olds, the highest totals in this area. When asked which goods would be most appropriate for product placement, FMCG goods, household appliances and cars were highlighted.
In a world where it’s increasingly difficult to reach consumers through traditional advertising, so long as the content is relevant and engaging, the likes of prop placement (inclusion in content is free but visibility can’t be guaranteed), product placement (which can be expensive) and branded entertainment (the brand co-funds or funds content that helps communicate an underlying brand message) can all be leveraged by brands to connect with their audience.