doing the dealpatrick collingssagacite

branded entertainment conferencejohannesburgmarch 2010

the right content

the right association

the right price

the right deal

much of upcoming focus on insertion of brands into entertainment projects

taken from the view of the brand, but applicable to many aspects of branded

entertainment and content

the right content

image by stephen poff

As3

appropriate

authentic

alignment

image by stephen poff

the right association

the objective of branded entertainment or branded content is to associate a brand with an entity or a situation thereby creating favourable

brand awareness and understanding

that association can be through a logo, mention of brand name, the product or

its packaging or a combination

association can be achieved with four traditional types of brand placement

classic placementthe product appears in the camera’s view during filming. relatively easy and cheap to execute but may go unnoticed or be easily discarded.

brand placementbrand over the product may result in better longevity, easier insertion and benefits brand portfolio. however, requires viewer awareness of brand.

evocative placementnot for all. product must be original and design distinctive enough to be instantly recognizable. benefits from careful integration into script.

stealth placementhighly discreet, almost undetectable and mostly well integrated into a scene given it a powerful impact when identified. nod to those in the know but easiest to be missed.

“Abnormal returns associated with product placement in successful films are enhanced by

tie-in advertising campaigns and when the placement is for a high equity brand. Product

placement worth is also enhanced by the film’s audience size and when the product receives (a visual and audio) placement.”

Michael A Wiles & Anna Danielova

however, value of placement is reduced when

audiences are absorbed in the film

when the film is critically acclaimed

when there is extremely violent content

the more other brand placements are included

3 other types of placements

virtual placement

reverse placement

product displacementproduct displacement

image by stephen poff

the right price

the anxiety question

image by luna di rimmel

1975 1985 1992 2002

Clairol pats $10,000 to have products appear in Smile

California Raisin Board pay $25,000 to appear in

Back to the Future

France Télécom pay $610,000 for telephone call

in La Bella Historie

Ford pay between $30m and $40m to place Aston Martin

in Die Another Day

Cost of Product Placement

$0well close to that

R40,000 to be exclusive wine in one of 13 episodes of cooking show that will be

aired on BBC Lifestyle

distortion

factors that can influence the cost of a placement

Brand’s fame

The more famous the brand, the more likely the recognition and derived benefit and therefore a higher placement fee than a relatively unknown brand

Identification of brand

The more the brand is identified the higher the placement cost

The film’s budget

The bigger the budget the more expensive the placement is likely to be to mitigate risk of the project. Often emphasis on promotional spend

Type and genre of the

film

Small, independent and “arty” productions can not expect to charge the same fee as international, mainstream production

Those involved in the

project

The more famous the actors, director and producer and the better their individual and collective track record, the more a brand can expect to pay

The barter deal

In many cases the cost of supplying the product constitutes the cost of the placement, but not as cheap as one may think

Seeing the placement

The more prominent the placement in terms of screen space and time, the more the brand is going to pay

Integration into the story

Integration beats appearance, therefore integration carries a premium over appearance

It gets used by those that

matter

If a brand gets used or mentioned by a principal actor then expect to pay for that. And you may have to pay the actor as well, especially if that association is used in additional marketing material

Exclusivity for the brand

Too many brands dissipate the viewer’s attention, but exclusivity costs and your competitors want it just as badly

Recurring placements

Placement in scenes that are shown in addition to the entertainment piece, such as trailers or websites, can expect to pay more

How widely distributed

The more people that potentially can see the film or show, the more the brand will pay to be inside the film or show. Also consider secondary distribution.

Accompanying communication

Placement cost goes down if promotional cost goes up, but in the end the costs must be tallied. Also need to consider who is benefiting more.

Don’t forget the tie-ins

The ability to merchandize the involvement or even implement reverse placement

The cost of getting the deal

Need to factor in additional fees such as legal and agent’s commission

lot of common sense,but no single formula

the right deal

things to remember for those boardroom negotiations

image by nur hussein

Subject and story line

Is the subject and story line compatiable with the brand’s past, present and future? Is it in line with the brand’s values? Context is important. Remember to state that script change can nullify the agreement

Is it authenticSimilar to the previous point, but deserves own emphasis: is the brand’s inclusion authentic? Tramps don’t normally wear Cartier watches

What has gone before

Take into the consideration the studio’s previous handling of product placement. Is your brand getting a worse, similar or better deal to what has gone before?

Know the director

What is their attitude towards brand placement. Are they willing participants or are they being forced to incorporate your brand.

Who has the final say

Is it the producer or the director? What is the brand’s ability to influence or demand compliance.

Actors associated

with the brand

Which actors will be associated with the brand and in what context. Remember that actors have their own brand equity beyond the success or failure of the project

Contractual compatibility

Is the brand placement compatiable with the actor’s contractual obligations away from the film. Authenticity suffers when the brand fails to go home with the actor.

Where possible, write

it in

Try and secure as much as possible in the contract. Difficult for placement of product but relevant extract from script can be written into contract

Try stay involved

Don’t lose control of the brand just because it is on a film set. If possible make sure there is someone to advise on the placement

Get yourself in the credits

Being thanked in the credits makes the brand association look less like brand marketing

Try leave payment until

the end

Expect to pay something upfront, but it is preferable for the balance of payment to coincide with the end of shooting or, better still, the release date

Protect the brand

Clearly state that the rights attached to the brand in question remain the property of the brand. Restrict usage to terms of the contract

Look ahead & anticipate

Consider all tie-ins, public relations, supporting advertising campaigns before you draft and sign the contract.

Know when things will

happen

Understand when the film will be released and that products placed are still valid. Is the brand protected by delays?

Don’t tell anyone

Precise conditions of a placement deal are rarely disclosed because nothing undermines authenticity as much as an accompanying price tag

that’s a wrap

patrick collingssagacite

e: patrick@sagacite.co.zam: +27 (0)83 616 0967w: www.sagacite.co.zab: www.collings.co.zat: pjcollings (follow me on twitter)