Solidifying Your Product Placement
As a brand that has made the decision to incorporate product placement in your marketing strategy, you are just getting started! The next step is to make sure that you’re in the best possible position to secure your product in getting that golden placement opportunity.
If you aren't working with an established agency in the space, one of the best ways to guarantee success is to get in front of the proper decision-makers. These are the individuals who decide what brands make it for product placement on screen at the production. But the big question is where do you start, and who exactly are these people? In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares the top 10 decision-makers for product placement for what brands appear on the screen.
The 10 Decision Makers You Need To Know About
We've provided a list of who the main players are that you need to know about.
- Prop Master – The Prop Master is in charge of all things that go into the hands of the actors. You want to know this guy. Or gal. They are part of a union called Local 44, which is affiliated with the International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees, Moving Picture Technicians, Artists, and Allied Crafts of the United States, its Territories, and Canada (I.A.T.S.E.). Nothing gets into the hands of an actor without the prop master being involved.
- Set Decorator – Also a member of Local 44, the set director is similar to the prop master, but is in charge of dressing the set for filming. Anything that is part of the set – from signage to desk phones to coats hung on doors – is in their territory. Set Decorators play a huge role in determining what brands are featured in a scene. The set decorator is part of the Art Department and reports to the Art Director who is in charge of the overall look of the production.
- Production Resources – Similar to a product placement agency in that they are the middlemen between brands and productions. The Production Resources department is in charge of getting the best product trade out or deals for the production. They often work directly with the producer, as well as the prop master, set decorator, transportation department, and wardrobe.
- Producer – The Producer is the one who makes sure everything is running smoothly and is in charge of hiring all of the people who work on the set, as well as making sure the finances at the end of the day are in line with the budget. There are several types of producers – from Executive to Associate to Assistant to Supervising to Coordinating and then Line Producer. Each of these decision-makers may play a role – sometimes a major role – in deciding what overall brand partnership deals are going to be approved.
- Director – The Director is the ultimate decision-maker on the set. If they don’t like the look of a brand, then it’s not going to be seen.
- Wardrobe Stylist – The Wardrobe Stylist is in charge of the overall look of each character. Often a brand will actually help create the image of the character, based on lending the perceived brand attributes to the aura of the individual.
- Promotions – The promotional departments are the ones in charge of creating and approving (with the produce and director’s final approvals) what brands can partner with the production for retail or media-based partnerships. These decision-makers also include oversight of premiere party sponsorship options.
- Writers – While more behind the scenes than anyone else, if writers are made aware of your brand, they are more likely to be willing to write verbal references to your product within the scripted dialogue. And unless the product has a good reason that another brand name would be better than yours (such as that brand is active in product placement and you are not!) then you may find yourself scripted with the doors opening to a prop, set, wardrobe or transportation placement!
- Segment Producer – The Segment Producer is found typically on talk shows and reality series where smaller stories are crafted and put together with others to create the overall episode. These individuals have a major say in introducing your brand to the production and end-all decision-makers on set.
- Ad Sales – Ad sales team members are there for the dollars. They are looking for leveraged media buys for TV opportunities, which in exchange can be used to influence product placement exposure in the episode. Bring your checkbook!
Learn More!
This is just the tip of the iceberg as far as decision-makers go – and there are so many more members of the production team who will have input on how your brand looks on screen at the end of the day. Knowing who these ten decision-makers are, however, will help give you more leverage, and potentially secure that golden opportunity that will lead to consumer engagement and sales increases.
Are you curious about how much product placement costs? Do you want to know all of the steps you must take to create a meaningful product placement partnership? Look no further than our blog! Take a look at the blogs below to learn all you can about product placement.
- How to #6: Make Affordable Product Placement Magic Happen On Screen
- How to #29: How Much Does Product Placement Cost?
- How To #27: 10 Surprising Reasons Why Brands Do Product Placement
- The Power of Product Placement Versus Influencer Marketing
- Case Study: Award-Winning Product Placement
Are you interested in integrating product placement into your entertainment marketing mix, but simply don’t know where to start? There is so much more to product placement than you may think, and it is important to be educated about the key tactics to best fit your brand. Download our Product Placement 101 Infographic today to start learning more!
