Seven in Ten UK Consumers Aware of Product Placement

Mar 25

Since Ofcom’s decision to allow product placement, perceptions of this marketing method on UK TV have changed. A YouGov poll, taken at the end of February 2011 shortly after the decision was made, found that over one third of respondents had no idea what product placement was. However another poll, taken in July 2011, found that nearly three quarters of respondents (72%) knew what product placement was, with nearly half (46%) stating that real brands placed in TV programmes can make them seem more realistic.

Since February 2011, there have been less than 20 examples of product placement advertising in UK TV programmes. However, despite a slow start, the product placement market in the UK is estimated to be worth up to £120m in the next five years. Adele Gritten, head of media consulting at YouGov, said: “There appears to be a gradual acceptance taking place as people see product placement more and more. We’re all consumers of brands, and as long as placements aren’t too overt, it’s very realistic for us to experience the same household brands in the programmes we watch.”

Big Names Come To UK Living Rooms

Nescafe’s £100,000 deal to feature a Dolce Gusto coffee machine in ITV’s This Morning was the first example of product placement advertising on UK TV in February 2011. Research from Otherlines.tv claims that 40% of viewers said their interest in buying the product increased after the placement was shown.

Not long after, in April 2011, Microsoft’s Kinect Sports featured prominently in the title sequence of Sky One’s sports panel show A League of Their Own. In June 2011, UKTV signed a deal for a factual series with FindMyPast.co.uk, featuring members of the public using the website to find out about their family history – the first factual TV show in the UK to feature product placement advertising.

Product Placement Doesn’t Spoil Viewing, Claims the Public

Of those surveyed by YouGov in July 2011, 59% said they did not have a negative experience of product placement and claimed that it made no difference to their viewing experience. 33% of those polled disagreed that product placement advertising negatively impacts the integrity of a TV programme.

The poll also showed that young audiences, aged 18 to 34, were the most likely to form a positive impression of product placement, with 25% of those aged 18 to 24 stating their brand perception would become more positive if seen in a UK TV Programme.

So despite it being early days for product placement on UK TV, these positive reactions show it could prove very lucrative for brand advertisers.

Embedded Brands in UK TV Exports Double Communication Value

Dec 13

A great deal of UK television programmes are exported, and quite widely. But once they arrive overseas, sponsorship rights can change, as can the content of advertising breaks, which stunts the reach of the advertiser. But if brands are actually embedded in a programme, they will remain a permanent feature, with guaranteed lifetime exposure to the overseas audience every time they’re aired.

Research has shown that the value of UK television drama product placement will double when programmes are exported.

NMG Product Placement, Essential Television Statistics and Madigan Cluff have investigated the additional value created when international brands are placed into UK TV programmes.

By combining NMG’s Tracker™ database which details the brands that have appeared in specified episodes of programmes, with the ETS database which tracks episode plays in over 40 countries, and the Madigan Cluff database which values each transmission overseas, it has been demonstrated that advertisers often realise the same value from overseas exports as they do from the original airing in the UK.

Here’s what the people behind the research have to say:

Michael Cluff: Partner, Madigan Cluff

“We continue to believe that product placement in programmes is one of the worlds best kept value secrets for advertisers. Raising the profile of placement has to mean allowing advertisers to have accountability and see the full impact of their investment – not just in the home market but also as the programme and everything it contains gets viewed around the world. This service will allow advertisers to track activity with precision.”

John Barnard: Chairman, NMG

“Since 1987 NMG has evaluatedUKproduct placement brand exposure to provide clear client accountability. We are proud to be part of this first ever study of overseas product placement export values. NMG represents many major global brands and as the branded content market becomes more fluid it is vital to understand the results of our work on this broader basis. This study, and the potential to extend measurement to overseas markets, creates a new service which allows advertisers to see the complete return which their commitment to placement receives”

Jonathan Bailey: Managing Director, ETS

“We have been extending our tracking of exported programmes to cover new countries and channels, as well as increasing the time we spend identifying the particular seasons and episodes of series. This has benefitted our core client base of rights owners and collection societies and it is interesting to see how this can also aid tracking where brands impact consumers.”