Celebrity Product Placement: A Primer

With more and more companies wanting to integrateSeeding as one tactic in a larger Celebrity Product
their products into the lives ofPlacement effort, it can pay big
celebrities, now seems like a good time to take adividends - particularly in identifying celebrities who
closer look at Celebrity Producthave a true affinity for your
Placement, describe three common approaches, andproduct.Energy Brands, makers of the Glaceau
outline what steps can be takenVitamin Water line, discovered this in 2004.
to guarantee results.The term "Celebrity ProductAs a result of its long-time strategy to "home deliver"
Placement" is used to describe several relatedthe vitamin-enhanced drink
techniques, but its definition applies to each: freeto celebrities (including Sean "Puffy" Combs and Tom
products are distributed toCruise), the company gained a
celebrities in expectation of a promotional benefit.fan in 50 Cent. Having mentioned his preference for
Unlike the more overt, paid-forthe product in a series of
endorsement, it offers a distinct advantage. It caninterviews, the Hip Hop star - who is well known for
appear like a product choicehis fitness-centered lifestyle -
made on individual preference.Most marketers arebecame an obvious choice for brand
unaware of their options in this category (one formspokesperson.Speaking to Ad Age magazine, Energy
featuresBrands' VP of marketing, Rohan Oza, said
contracts with celebrities, guaranteeing performance"We've seen that when 50 Cent incorporates [Vitamin
and allowing marketers toWater] into his daily routine ...
actively leverage celebrity patrons in the media) andthe brand gets on the airwaves and we create a lot
therefore many overlook a veryof trial." Making vitamin water a
powerful influencer-marketing technique.In this article, Ivisible part of the rapper's healthy lifestyle worked so
will describe each of the three main approaches andwell the company launched a
discuss theirnew "Formula 50" variety named for the artist.Such
relative merits by listing their pros and cons. I also"organic" relationships can grow from Product Seeding.
hope to quash anyNot only can marketers
misconception that Celebrity Product Placement hasbenefit from press mentions, but the process can be
to be a gamble, and show youused to uncover promotional
how best to secure a return on investment (R.O.I.).Butopportunities and, in some cases, identify the most
first, a little history...Celebrity Product Placementideal product endorsers.Product Seeding remains a
(sometimes called "Celebrity Seeding") has been withgamble but, if executed properly, one well worth taking.
us
since the dawn of marketing. Centuries before ArnoldRelatively speaking, it is a very low-cost marketing
Schwarzenegger stepped intoprogram. And the return on
his first Hummer, an 18th century potter named Josiahinvestment - though difficult to forecast compared to
Wedgwood began supplyingbarter relationships discussed
his wares to England's Queen Charlotte. Being givenbelow - can be big. But what if your goal is limited to
the title "Potter to Her Majesty"getting press mentions? Can a
led to a huge amount of publicity for Wedgwoodpublicist hedge his or her bets in this category?One of
which he took advantage of usingthe great things about Product Seeding is how
the term "Queen's Ware" wherever he could.It wasn'tcreative you can get. For
until the 20th century that marketers keyed-in onTrident White chewing gum, the company
America's "royalty":commissioned a Harris poll asking the
Hollywood. But more often than not they met withpublic to vote on the best "celebrity smiles." My
disappointing results. Somecompany, which specializes in
companies responded only to occasional requests forcelebrity product placement, delivered gift baskets of
products ("gifting"), whilethe product to the Top 6
others made half-hearted attempts to distribute themwinners, allowing Trident to plug the celebrities in their
without first devising a meanspress materials.On another occasion, Electrolux -
to guarantee results ("seeding"). In the end, mostmaker of a new high-end, super-quiet vacuum
companies seeded product "to thecleaner - wanted to align their product with celebrities.
wind" and failed to grow anything of value.ThoseWe identified 6 celebrity
efforts that did succeed, however, were so successfulmoms who had recently given birth and - touting the
that independentfact that these vacuums would
specialists emerged to help companies achieve betternot wake a sleeping baby - made gifts of the product
results. But the services theyto each. Here again, the
offer vary and so do the results.What's It Allcompany was able to use celebrities to draw press
About?Marketers have long known the power ofcoverage for its product. And
celebrity to influence consumer-they were able to reference these celebrities
purchasing decisions. The term "borrowed equity" hasbecause they were stating facts (a gift
been used to describe how awas made to...).But what if you want tighter integration
celebrity endorsement can bestow upon a productwith celebrities? Suppose you need to
special attributes and cache itforecast a return on investment in order to get
might not otherwise have.The same concept appliesapproval for a Celebrity Product
to Celebrity Product Placement. But unlike celebrityPlacement campaign? And what if you want
endorsements, where a highly compensatedcelebrities to provide feedback about
personality appears in commercialyour product and authorize use of their names and
advertising, Celebrity Product Placement offerslikenesses as part of your press
marketers a more subtle and highlycampaign?BARTER RELATIONSHIPSBarter is,
effective means of reaching the public - via the mediaperhaps, the only way to guarantee performance on
they consume by choice.Indeed, Celebrity Productthe part of the
Placement is as much about placing products withcelebrity. Unlike other forms of gifting, this is a quid pro
celebrities as it is about getting stories about thosequo relationship whereby
relationships into the press.the celebrity agrees in advance to participate in the
Regardless of the approach, Celebrity Productmarketer's promotional activities
Placement strategies have a common- in exchange for valuable product.Celebrity Product
aim: to tie celebrities (thought-leaders, influencers) withPlacement campaigns of this type work best for
consumer products in thebig-ticket items
public consciousness.Three different techniques offersuch as consumer electronics and (the loan of) cars.
three different levels of control over that placement:But with creative approaches,
gifting-the-talent (this usually involves supplyingspecial product questionnaires and generous "Right of
products for gift bags at livePublicity" agreements,
events); product seeding (products are distributedmarketers can use the celebrity's name, likeness and
more widely in hopes of securingopinion as part of their public
a promotional benefit and kicking off a trend); and,relations campaigns.Celebrity Product Placement - via
barter relationships (individualbarter agreements - is also among the most
celebrities agree to participate in custom programs inaffordable ways to use celebrities. For the price of a
exchange for valuablefew products, and sometimes a
products).Let's take a look at each one in greatertoken honorarium, companies can integrate
detail.GIFTING-THE-TALENT"Everybody" knows thattestimonials into their PR materials and
celebrities own all the coolest stuff, and well beforecreate customized celebrity content for their
everybody else. Celebrities travel the world and everywebsites.They can involve numerous stars in a press
minute detail of their dailycampaign for less than the cost of a
lives pervades the media. As style-leaders, they aresingle paid celebrity spokesperson. It is one of the
perhaps our most powerfulmost under-exploited tactics
influencers. It's no wonder then that companies areavailable to marketers today.A Case Study: Sony
lining up to give them the latestElectronicsThe Sony CD Mavica - at the time, the only
gifts and gadgets for free.One method to do this isdigital camera offering a built-in CD-
called "Gifting-The-Talent." This generally involvesRom - had failed to penetrate the increasingly
supplying free product for insertion into "goody bags"crowded market for digital imaging
which are handed out asproducts. This was troubling for Sony because the
'thank you' gifts to celebrity presenters and awardCD Mavica offered clear
nominees at the now-countlessadvantages over its competitors; namely, freedom
awards shows and charity benefits that dot thefrom wires. But that message had
entertainment landscape.At last year's Academyfailed to reach the public.Sony wanted to involve
Awards, for example, one of two Best Actresscelebrities with their products and for that involvement
gift-bagsto
featured Gucci sunglasses, a Sprint PCS phone,influence the public in a meaningful way. They wanted
Christian Tse 18-carat gold Irisa high-profile event -
earrings, and more. The Best Actor bag featuredpreferably benefiting charity - upon which to launch a
Gucci eyewear, a Maurice Lacroixyearlong press campaign in
Swiss watch and assorted other goodies. Accordingtime for the Christmas shopping season. The focus: to
to news reports, the retail valuepromote the simplicity of
of one such group of bags at the Oscars exceededCD-based photography.The budget was limited. But,
$110,000 each!But how effective is this practice? If thehaving learned that the latest Sony products could be
goal of Celebrity Product Placement is to getmade available to gift the talent, The
press coverage, can we measure the value ofHollywood-Madison Group proposed a
gift-bag placements? What types ofCelebrity Product Placement campaign. Each celebrity
products are suitable and which are not? And whatwould be asked to take a
level of control does this strategypicture of what "Freedom" means to them, and those
offer marketers both in terms of demographics andphotos would be auctioned off
reach?There is no denying the value of beingfor charity.Such an artistic challenge, coupled with the
associated with these glitzy events, and byprospect of receiving free Sony product,
extension, the celebrities who populate them. On thenot only served to induce celebrities to participate, but
plus side, they offer a rareoffered us an extraordinary
opportunity to get close to the biggest stars in theopportunity: to frame these pictures and mount an
world. On the minus side, theexhibition which raised money
marketer has no control in matching up celebritiesfor charity. Indeed, the charity component attracted
who hold sway over theirhigher-caliber celebrities and
particular demographic. They have to play the cardsprovided the "hook" to draw media attention.We
they are dealt.Gifting-the-talent at award showssuccessfully placed the Sony CD Mavica digital
virtually guarantees mentions in the celebritycamera with fifteen top stars
press at the time of the event; but without permissionincluding Eric McCormack, Alyssa Milano and Dennis
to associate the celebrity'sHopper. The photographs were
name and likeness with the product, marketers don'tthen offered for sale on eBay as part of Wired
have the leeway to trulymagazine's annual charity auction,
leverage those relationships in their own pressand put on display at a star-studded event in Los
activities.Gifting-the-talent in this way has otherAngeles.Fifteen top celebrities demonstrated the
limitations: first-movers snap-up desirablepractical use of Sony's product and
categories and, of course, not all products areauthorized the use of their names, likenesses and
deemed appropriate. You won't findopinions about the product for
an energy drink in these bags.PRODUCTpress and marketing purposes (for one year). Sony
SEEDINGProduct Seeding offers marketers morereceived free advertising for its
control over whom to place products withproduct in print and online for three months (worth an
but, conversely, less control over how (or if) thoseestimated $100,000), as well
products get used. And, whileas 3.6 million webpage impressions (auction as a
virtually any product - from bottled water towhole) and national press
consumer electronics - can be seededcoverage including Entertainment Tonight.You can
with celebrities, marketers are playing the odds here.read more about this project on our
But the payoff can be huge ifwebsite>celebrity_projects>influencer
the seeding is supported by a creativecampaigns.ConclusionCelebrity Product Placement
strategy.Product Seeding is the oldest form ofoffers marketers an exciting way to influence
Celebrity Product Placement. Products areconsumer-purchasing decisions. Properly executed, it
distributed more widely. They can be aimed atcan be a low-cost, high-
celebrities who are most compellingreturn proposition. As such, it should be part of every
to your demographic. And they can be deliveredconsumer-marketing
directly to the celebrity without theprogram.Three different approaches offer three
filters imposed by events. Of course, working with adifferent results: gifting-the-talent (narrow
specialist who can get yourfocus); product seeding (broad focus) and, barter
product directly to celebrities becomes paramountrelationships (one-on-one focus).
here. Film and television productBut, as we have seen, a tightly integrated celebrity
placement agencies are NOT set up for thisproduct placement campaign,
practice.Taken by itself, Product Seeding is a gamble. Ifcombining elements of each, can improve results and
you send enough freebies todeliver an impressive return
Hollywood but you don't have a creative strategy, aon investment.Jonathan Holiff is president and CEO of
celebrity might be photographedThe Hollywood-Madison Group - the leading
using your product or evangelizing it on a talk show.recruiter of celebrities for endorsements, appearances
But if one looks at Productand press campaigns.