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A Product Placement Model For Sports
Many companies are seeking brand exposure on-site at events that provides more than static signage, logo identification and public address announcements. We're not talking about over-the-top brand activities, but rather subtle, integrated product placement in which the product fits in without the attendee or television viewer ever thinking, "What is that doing there?" The sponsor's objective should be to legitimize the product in the mind of the fan without pitching the product at all. Vending or product sampling opportunities do not fit our definition of product placement, mostly because in those cases, the product's presence is in response to the sponsor's needs.
Marketers have begun to demand product placement opportunities in films they sponsor or commit major promotional investments, and the same scenario is playing out for those companies making large ad commitments to television programming. Unfortunately, sponsored events provide more limited product placement opportunities than filmed entertainment. Nonetheless, product placement is feasible for events, particularly in certain product categories. The key is to find placement opportunities that will not require additional payments above and beyond your sponsorship fee.
Beverages: If you're a beverage sponsor, whether you fit the carbonated, isotonic, or water category, product placement opportunities abound. How about product placement on the dais for every post-game press conference? That placement provides serious impact. Not only do you grab exposure on the post-game show, evening news, or post-game webcast on the team website, but you do so without having to pay through the nose for sponsorship of the press conference backdrop! And when the superstar athlete picks up that bottle and takes a gulp while answering questions, you've fundamentally created an implied endorsement! Other beverage placement ideas are the broadcast booth and locker room/clubhouse.
Computers: Many computer placement opportunities tend to be built into sponsorship fees. When you see the halftime show on the game telecast, the analysts are using a sponsor's laptops because the sponsors paid heavily for that opportunity. Still, many IT sponsors don't even bother to suggest such natural placements. What about other less visible, yet fitting and impressive placements such as laptop presence in the coaches' booths at NFL stadiums.
Vendors or Suppliers: Just because you're selling product to the property does not mean that you can't reap product placement benefits. Dangle the carrot of preferred pricing if you can convince the property to strategically place your products into the event. Think turf maintenance equipment for any field-sports, golf events, and horse racing tracks.
