THE ASSUMPTION ABOUT INDie FILM BRAND PARTNERSHIPS
Independent film producers call our agency on an almost daily basis, under the impression that numerous brands are just waiting to open their pocketbooks to finance feature films -- brand shows up onscreen and, Abracadabra! Money in the production’s pocket.
While this impression is certainly not supported by fact, despite what the media often implies, corporate brand partnerships with independent feature films can indeed help a production gain a foothold to additional financing they may not have otherwise had. And it can be a fantastic partnership opportunity for the brand. At a minimum, a brand partnership can provide significant production savings to help lower the production's cost bottom line. In this blog, Hollywood Branded takes a look at what makes an indie film product placement a great partnership opportunity for a brand.
The Brand Partnership Options
We often present in our blogs the viewpoint of how product placement benefits the brand. In this blog post, while those reasons are still being shared, we are pulling back the curtains so brands can better understand their own value to production.
With a handful of very rare exceptions, a brand is not going to provide an independent film with a 7 figure + financing opportunity, whether the deal is credited as a brand integration or the brand as a co-producer. Instead, the brand may offer significant production savings through the following:
1. Loan of the product that the production otherwise would have had to purchase or at the least rent. This can be a considerable cost. Realize that EVERYTHING on the set has to be secured to make it look like real life.
2. Trade out of product, providing the production with extra product for the cast and crew with food to eat, beverages to drink, cars to drive, hotel room nights to stay, airlines to fly, clothes to wear… the list is endless.
3. Cash fee – likely not as much as the producer dreams of, but still cash - paid for showcasing the brand on screen with full logo, positive usage and brand messaging incorporated into the storyline.
Capitalize On Cheap Publicity Through Strategic Cross Promotions
Cross-promotion of a film through the brand’s media, social media, and/or retail points of display, brings new eyes to the film property and influences those future all-important box office ticket numbers. This can help the production save marketing dollars that they – or their future distribution partner – would have to spend and makes their property a lot more attractive to distributors overall. This also makes the production more likely to attract gap financing partners, as the film property is more likely to be seen as a success and a worthwhile risk.
Do you wonder why production events want to use product placement? Read our blog 3 reasons why productions use product placement we discuss reasons why productions WANT to use product placement.
What's The First Step
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!
Source: NoFilmSchool.com
