Celebrity Product Placement: A Primer

With more and more companies wanting tousing your product or evangelizing it on a talk
integrate their products into the lives ofshow. But if one looks at Product
celebrities, now seems like a good time to take aSeeding as one tactic in a larger Celebrity
closer look at Celebrity ProductProduct Placement effort, it can pay big
Placement, describe three common approaches,dividends - particularly in identifying celebrities
and outline what steps can be takenwho have a true affinity for your
to guarantee results.The term "Celebrity Productproduct.Energy Brands, makers of the Glaceau
Placement" is used to describe several relatedVitamin Water line, discovered this in 2004.
techniques, but its definition applies to each: freeAs a result of its long-time strategy to "home
products are distributed todeliver" the vitamin-enhanced drink
celebrities in expectation of a promotional benefit.to celebrities (including Sean "Puffy" Combs and
Unlike the more overt, paid-forTom Cruise), the company gained a
endorsement, it offers a distinct advantage. Itfan in 50 Cent. Having mentioned his preference
can appear like a product choicefor the product in a series of
made on individual preference.Most marketersinterviews, the Hip Hop star - who is well known
are unaware of their options in this category (onefor his fitness-centered lifestyle -
form featuresbecame an obvious choice for brand
contracts with celebrities, guaranteeingspokesperson.Speaking to Ad Age magazine,
performance and allowing marketers toEnergy Brands' VP of marketing, Rohan Oza, said
actively leverage celebrity patrons in the media)"We've seen that when 50 Cent incorporates
and therefore many overlook a very[Vitamin Water] into his daily routine ...
powerful influencer-marketing technique.In thisthe brand gets on the airwaves and we create a
article, I will describe each of the three mainlot of trial." Making vitamin water a
approaches and discuss theirvisible part of the rapper's healthy lifestyle
relative merits by listing their pros and cons. Iworked so well the company launched a
also hope to quash anynew "Formula 50" variety named for the
misconception that Celebrity Product Placementartist.Such "organic" relationships can grow from
has to be a gamble, and show youProduct Seeding. Not only can marketers
how best to secure a return on investmentbenefit from press mentions, but the process
(R.O.I.).But first, a little history...Celebrity Productcan be used to uncover promotional
Placement (sometimes called "Celebrity Seeding")opportunities and, in some cases, identify the
has been with usmost ideal product endorsers.Product Seeding
since the dawn of marketing. Centuries beforeremains a gamble but, if executed properly, one
Arnold Schwarzenegger stepped intowell worth taking.
his first Hummer, an 18th century potter namedRelatively speaking, it is a very low-cost
Josiah Wedgwood began supplyingmarketing program. And the return on
his wares to England's Queen Charlotte. Beinginvestment - though difficult to forecast
given the title "Potter to Her Majesty"compared to barter relationships discussed
led to a huge amount of publicity for Wedgwoodbelow - can be big. But what if your goal is
which he took advantage of usinglimited to getting press mentions? Can a
the term "Queen's Ware" wherever he could.Itpublicist hedge his or her bets in this
wasn't until the 20th century that marketerscategory?One of the great things about Product
keyed-in on America's "royalty":Seeding is how creative you can get. For
Hollywood. But more often than not they metTrident White chewing gum, the company
with disappointing results. Somecommissioned a Harris poll asking the
companies responded only to occasional requestspublic to vote on the best "celebrity smiles." My
for products ("gifting"), whilecompany, which specializes in
others made half-hearted attempts to distributecelebrity product placement, delivered gift
them without first devising a meansbaskets of the product to the Top 6
to guarantee results ("seeding"). In the end, mostwinners, allowing Trident to plug the celebrities in
companies seeded product "to thetheir press materials.On another occasion,
wind" and failed to grow anything of value.ThoseElectrolux - maker of a new high-end, super-quiet
efforts that did succeed, however, were sovacuum
successful that independentcleaner - wanted to align their product with
specialists emerged to help companies achievecelebrities. We identified 6 celebrity
better results. But the services theymoms who had recently given birth and - touting
offer vary and so do the results.What's It Allthe fact that these vacuums would
About?Marketers have long known the power ofnot wake a sleeping baby - made gifts of the
celebrity to influence consumer-product to each. Here again, the
purchasing decisions. The term "borrowed equity"company was able to use celebrities to draw
has been used to describe how apress coverage for its product. And
celebrity endorsement can bestow upon athey were able to reference these celebrities
product special attributes and cache itbecause they were stating facts (a gift
might not otherwise have.The same conceptwas made to...).But what if you want tighter
applies to Celebrity Product Placement. But unlikeintegration with celebrities? Suppose you need to
celebrityforecast a return on investment in order to get
endorsements, where a highly compensatedapproval for a Celebrity Product
personality appears in commercialPlacement campaign? And what if you want
advertising, Celebrity Product Placement offerscelebrities to provide feedback about
marketers a more subtle and highlyyour product and authorize use of their names
effective means of reaching the public - via theand likenesses as part of your press
media they consume by choice.Indeed, Celebritycampaign?BARTER RELATIONSHIPSBarter is,
Product Placement is as much about placingperhaps, the only way to guarantee performance
products withon the part of the
celebrities as it is about getting stories aboutcelebrity. Unlike other forms of gifting, this is a
those relationships into the press.quid pro quo relationship whereby
Regardless of the approach, Celebrity Productthe celebrity agrees in advance to participate in
Placement strategies have a commonthe marketer's promotional activities
aim: to tie celebrities (thought-leaders, influencers)- in exchange for valuable product.Celebrity
with consumer products in theProduct Placement campaigns of this type work
public consciousness.Three different techniquesbest for big-ticket items
offer three different levels of control over thatsuch as consumer electronics and (the loan of)
placement:cars. But with creative approaches,
gifting-the-talent (this usually involves supplyingspecial product questionnaires and generous
products for gift bags at live"Right of Publicity" agreements,
events); product seeding (products aremarketers can use the celebrity's name, likeness
distributed more widely in hopes of securingand opinion as part of their public
a promotional benefit and kicking off a trend);relations campaigns.Celebrity Product Placement -
and, barter relationships (individualvia barter agreements - is also among the most
celebrities agree to participate in customaffordable ways to use celebrities. For the price
programs in exchange for valuableof a few products, and sometimes a
products).Let's take a look at each one in greatertoken honorarium, companies can integrate
detail.GIFTING-THE-TALENT"Everybody" knowstestimonials into their PR materials and
that celebrities own all the coolest stuff, and wellcreate customized celebrity content for their
beforewebsites.They can involve numerous stars in a
everybody else. Celebrities travel the world andpress campaign for less than the cost of a
every minute detail of their dailysingle paid celebrity spokesperson. It is one of
lives pervades the media. As style-leaders, theythe most under-exploited tactics
are perhaps our most powerfulavailable to marketers today.A Case Study: Sony
influencers. It's no wonder then that companiesElectronicsThe Sony CD Mavica - at the time, the
are lining up to give them the latestonly digital camera offering a built-in CD-
gifts and gadgets for free.One method to do thisRom - had failed to penetrate the increasingly
is called "Gifting-The-Talent." This generallycrowded market for digital imaging
involvesproducts. This was troubling for Sony because
supplying free product for insertion into "goodythe CD Mavica offered clear
bags" which are handed out asadvantages over its competitors; namely,
'thank you' gifts to celebrity presenters andfreedom from wires. But that message had
award nominees at the now-countlessfailed to reach the public.Sony wanted to involve
awards shows and charity benefits that dot thecelebrities with their products and for that
entertainment landscape.At last year's Academyinvolvement to
Awards, for example, one of two Best Actressinfluence the public in a meaningful way. They
gift-bagswanted a high-profile event -
featured Gucci sunglasses, a Sprint PCS phone,preferably benefiting charity - upon which to
Christian Tse 18-carat gold Irislaunch a yearlong press campaign in
earrings, and more. The Best Actor bag featuredtime for the Christmas shopping season. The
Gucci eyewear, a Maurice Lacroixfocus: to promote the simplicity of
Swiss watch and assorted other goodies.CD-based photography.The budget was limited.
According to news reports, the retail valueBut, having learned that the latest Sony products
of one such group of bags at the Oscarscould be
exceeded $110,000 each!But how effective is thismade available to gift the talent, The
practice? If the goal of Celebrity ProductHollywood-Madison Group proposed a
Placement is to getCelebrity Product Placement campaign. Each
press coverage, can we measure the value ofcelebrity would be asked to take a
gift-bag placements? What types ofpicture of what "Freedom" means to them, and
products are suitable and which are not? Andthose photos would be auctioned off
what level of control does this strategyfor charity.Such an artistic challenge, coupled with
offer marketers both in terms of demographicsthe prospect of receiving free Sony product,
and reach?There is no denying the value of beingnot only served to induce celebrities to
associated with these glitzy events, and byparticipate, but offered us an extraordinary
extension, the celebrities who populate them. Onopportunity: to frame these pictures and mount
the plus side, they offer a rarean exhibition which raised money
opportunity to get close to the biggest stars infor charity. Indeed, the charity component
the world. On the minus side, theattracted higher-caliber celebrities and
marketer has no control in matching upprovided the "hook" to draw media attention.We
celebrities who hold sway over theirsuccessfully placed the Sony CD Mavica digital
particular demographic. They have to play thecamera with fifteen top stars
cards they are dealt.Gifting-the-talent at awardincluding Eric McCormack, Alyssa Milano and
shows virtually guarantees mentions in theDennis Hopper. The photographs were
celebritythen offered for sale on eBay as part of Wired
press at the time of the event; but withoutmagazine's annual charity auction,
permission to associate the celebrity'sand put on display at a star-studded event in Los
name and likeness with the product, marketersAngeles.Fifteen top celebrities demonstrated the
don't have the leeway to trulypractical use of Sony's product and
leverage those relationships in their own pressauthorized the use of their names, likenesses and
activities.Gifting-the-talent in this way has otheropinions about the product for
limitations: first-movers snap-up desirablepress and marketing purposes (for one year).
categories and, of course, not all products areSony received free advertising for its
deemed appropriate. You won't findproduct in print and online for three months
an energy drink in these bags.PRODUCT(worth an estimated $100,000), as well
SEEDINGProduct Seeding offers marketers moreas 3.6 million webpage impressions (auction as a
control over whom to place products withwhole) and national press
but, conversely, less control over how (or if)coverage including Entertainment Tonight.You can
those products get used. And, whileread more about this project on our
virtually any product - from bottled water towebsite>celebrity_projects>influencer
consumer electronics - can be seededcampaigns.ConclusionCelebrity Product Placement
with celebrities, marketers are playing the oddsoffers marketers an exciting way to influence
here. But the payoff can be huge ifconsumer-purchasing decisions. Properly
the seeding is supported by a creativeexecuted, it can be a low-cost, high-
strategy.Product Seeding is the oldest form ofreturn proposition. As such, it should be part of
Celebrity Product Placement. Products areevery consumer-marketing
distributed more widely. They can be aimed atprogram.Three different approaches offer three
celebrities who are most compellingdifferent results: gifting-the-talent (narrow
to your demographic. And they can be deliveredfocus); product seeding (broad focus) and, barter
directly to the celebrity without therelationships (one-on-one focus).
filters imposed by events. Of course, workingBut, as we have seen, a tightly integrated
with a specialist who can get yourcelebrity product placement campaign,
product directly to celebrities becomescombining elements of each, can improve results
paramount here. Film and television productand deliver an impressive return
placement agencies are NOT set up for thison investment.Jonathan Holiff is president and
practice.Taken by itself, Product Seeding is aCEO of The Hollywood-Madison Group - the
gamble. If you send enough freebies toleading
Hollywood but you don't have a creativerecruiter of celebrities for endorsements,
strategy, a celebrity might be photographedappearances and press campaigns.