POP CULTURE BRAND PARTNERSHIP NEWS AND INSIGHTS

Dangerous Roads Ahead - Take Curves Cautiously

The marketing world is listening as more and more millennials and gen-zers are saying they want to purchase from brands who care. Who have a voice.  Who take action.

So how does a brand strategically get involved with its target demographics through engagement, and not alienate the rest of the consumer driven market that needs to accept the brand presence?  It's tough and requires walking a fine line.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses the benefits and dangers of aligning brand marketing campaigns in a politically charged climate, and shares examples of what has, and has not, worked when creating political strategy in brand marketing.

Topics: Celebrity Initiative, Strategic Partnerships

Product Placement Campaign Objectives

Our agency conducted a detailed survey exploring the best entertainment marketing strategies used by brands and agencies, and how receptive consumers are to these strategies. One of the survey questions addressed what the primary objectives of brand marketers were for product placement campaigns.

And you know what? Sales is NOT the number one reason why brands use product placement as a marketing and advertising tactic.  But it does come in as second.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares the top reasons why brands use product placement with film and TV properties.   

Topics: Survey Statistics, Product Placement & Branded Content

Brands Are Looking For Love Too

Still reeling from this latest season finale, it got us thinking about all of the recent brand moments in the series that helped get us to this day! Peter Weber may have had one of the most controversial seasons to date, and we’d love to take minute to recognize the brands that helped him get there.

As one of the most talked about shows in America, The Bachelor is a franchise property that is pure GOLD when it comes to reaching females (and honestly, males too – just ask my husband!) 18+. And it is a branding platform that is becoming more and more sought after as we've seen previous contestants star in commercials, and more branded content crafted around the show.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded examines the brand partnerships and product placement integrations in this latest season of The Bachelor including apparel company Revolve, jeweler Neil Lane, teeth whitener Crest White Strips and gum Orbit.

Topics: Strategic Partnerships, Product Placement & Branded Content

Sharapova Was The Perfect Match For Many Brands

When Maria Sharapova retired from professional tennis in February, she left as one of the richest female athletes ever. While she had a very successful career as an athlete, it was her brand partnerships that earned her the majority of her wealth during her career. From the time of Maria Sharapova's Wimbledon victory at the age of 17 in 1987, she was one of the most highly sought after female athletes when it comes to celebrity endorsements. 

Brands loved the combination of Sharapova's attractive looks and competitive spirit. She was the perfect face for many brands - at least until 2016 when she received a two year ban from the International Tennis Federation for doping. In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares 17 of Maria Sharapova's celebrity driven brand partnerships through her career, and how choosing a brand spokesperson can impact the positive image of the brand.

Topics: Celebrity Initiative

Adjusting Your Marketing Strategy

The world may seem like it is coming to an end as city after city enters safe-at-home requirements and all but essential businesses are shut down.  But one day even this time of uncertainty shall pass in the not too far from now future.  And to prepare for that, brand marketers need to determine how to keep their advertising ticking along.

The strategies of the weeks before the virus came to impact our lives are very different strategies than what are now needed to keep businesses in business not only now, but standing when all of this ends.  And figuring it all out will be a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows with new opportunities just waiting to be found.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares insights into how to adjust your strategy and market your brand in the new landscape of COVID-19.

Topics: Social Media Strategy, Social Influencers, Product Placement & Branded Content

Figuring Out The Value Of Placement Exposure

Brand integration and product placement are firmly established marketing tactics used by at least 89% of Fortune 100 brands. As with any marketing tactic, success is often only proven to brand management by the ability to measure the activation.

And that ability to measure really comes down to the brand's own KPI's, as what one brand considers success, another might consider a failure. We often hear that many brand managers have concern that product placement as a marketing tactic is too difficult to value, yet that is simply not the case.  In this blog post, Hollywood Branded examines 4 easy measurements that every impactful product placement offers. 

Topics: Marketing Best Practices, Product Placement & Branded Content

An Impact That Will Last For Years To Come

In the last week, movie theaters and Broadway have shut down, and TV and film productions have come to a screeching halt.  The content that people have typically turned to in order to escape and dive into the land of fantasy is no longer being produced. 

I was asked to come to the studio to be interviewed for the CGTN television series The World Today by chief anchor Mike Watts to discuss the impact of the coronavirus is having on Hollywood. And it is truly dire.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares our recent TV interview with CGTN TV on the COVID-19's impact on movies, and dives in deeper to discuss the current state of Hollywood.

Topics: Product Placement & Branded Content

How Medical TV Series Are Helping Real World Hospitals

We often share with prospective clients that the world of entertainment actually NEEDS brands in order to tell better stories.  The TV shows and feature films that are in production absolutely benefit from brand partnerships because so often those companies that are providing product through product placement allow that production set to become more real, mimicking everyday life.

From the scenes in grocery stores, to mechanic shops, to kitchens at homes or office buildings, real-world (and branded) products have to either be bought by production, or loaned or gifted by a brand.  Prop and set departments have limited budgets to work with and that loan allows the production to actually save the money they would have paid to make the purchase, and to be able to use those funds to buy other things to make that content even better.  And that holds true to medical shows as well.  In a twist, we are seeing medical shows stepping up and gifting back medical safety gear to the real medical community.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded shares how some medical TV series are giving their medical props back to hospitals in order to help keep more people safe during this COVID-19 crisis.

Topics: Product Placement & Branded Content

Is Your Brand Pursuing Diversity In Media?  

In today's marketing world we've become a patchwork multi-cultural quilt of diverse ethnicities from cultures from all over the world.  This can be very difficult for many brands to master how to market and appeal to such a vast array of backgrounds.  

While America of today has truly become a massive melting pot - with different languages, skin color, religious backgrounds and even political beliefs, advertising cannot be myopically targeted in broad-strokes, as different ethnic identities require a more customized approach.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses the importance of brand diversity in film and TV, and why your brand needs to ensure marketing and advertising efforts are maximized to include all.

Topics: Product Placement & Branded Content

Content Partnerships Abound - And Rebound

When I launched Hollywood Branded 13 years ago, within the first quarter we were faced with a massive challenge: no productions shooting content.  All thanks to the Writers Guild of America strike where TV and film just stopped - overnight.  And it lasted for 4 very long agonizing months. Fully staffed and not wanting to admit defeat as a new business (or layoff my new team) I kept us moving - having conversations about our clients within the industry, doing research to determine the best upcoming partnerships when the strike was over, and cementing deals that would move forward as soon as productions were back. And developing new revenue streams.

Not a great way to launch your agency, but we weathered the storm. Now again, the coronavirus COVID-19 has not only caused businesses to temporarily shut down or have their teams work remotely, it has also halted production shoots from occurring around the globe. Hundreds of productions have stopped shooting. But there is a light at the end of the tunnel - TV and film content will be back with a vengeance, offering brands the ability to become embedded in their content. That very content that has become favored by countless millions as they passed time watching their TVs for weeks on end.  In this blog, Hollywood Branded discusses the newfound marketing opportunity and strength of product placement partnerships this year to new very tuned-in and engaged audiences due to global quarantines.

Topics: Product Placement & Branded Content