Ever felt like you could use an ice cold Dr. Pepper every time you watch 90210? Or maybe you've felt like you need a Macbook because that's the only way your work will turn out spectacular? There's a reasonable explanation for that and the perfect term for that is called "Product Placement"
Product placement is an advertising tool, which is used as an alternative to long, and boring commercials. This is a successful way of promoting a product because not only will the targeted audience remain seated while watching it instead of the usual case where they would get up and run away, this will also find its way into their subconscious in the form of a subliminal message. The product will therefore dwell in their materialistic frame of mind.
Here's the Queen of Nothing aka Lady Gaga promoting Diet Coke in one of her music videos...
And a closer look...
And sure why not promote some beer for the young ones ...
I am going to focus on product placement specifically in music videos. Product placement is both subliminal and persuasive, and not necessarily in a good way. They are advocating for a consumerist society with the purchase of the latest products at the top of their to do list. Most companies would pay millions of dollars in order to push their products into any form of media outlets including social media sites or as it is also known as "Social Media Marketing"
Here's a sloppy presentation of products that don't necessarily belong in the video, which makes me wonder why on earth are they there?
Thanks to channels like Mtv which has nothing to do with music anymore I have some more examples…
Pay attention to what happens in minute 3:54
You'd think that there are various companies that would profit from this whole product placement business whereas in the end of the day there are only 1 or 2 companies who will benefit. What those videos have in common is the Sony products parade. This is not a coincidence since Sony BMG owns more than a quarter of the U.S. music market.
My advice to you is think, think and think before you purchase a new product, do you actually need it? How is this going to add something to your life?
Media has
increased widely around the world and the advertising world has covered almost
every corner on land around a number of populations. Despite influencing
people, some news still stays vague, although markets have presented them by
spending a huge amount of money for the advertising. (See Image 1)
Image 1. Too many advertisements
A total
disregard of advertisements that you pass by in your everyday cycle remains a
problem that organizations have faced forever. One of them is our own
university, Virginia Commonwealth University in Qatar. Why is it so difficult
to get attention from students, staff and faculty to convey messages and keep
them informed of what is going on and what is coming up? This is not only an
issue this university needs to resolve but a lot of other universities are
under the same mission. (See Image 2)
Image 2. No ads? No students noticing? VCUQatar Orange Hall
Beginning to
focus on the students, they are packed with so much to do and remember that
keeping track of upcoming events or on-going activities are always their last
priorities over their assignments and project deadlines. Is the curriculum not
prepared considering the students’ everyday schedules? As important as a
syllabus might be for a program, some space for co-curricular activities does
have some significant importance for mental stability through some relaxing and
joyful events and lectures that may be important for knowledge needed for their
projects, of whose advertisements are neglected as well with the overwhelming
moods they have while the students pass by them.
Keeping everyone
in sight, people vary amongst each other with different viewing habits. Having
all designers in this university, we should keep in mind that not everyone will
think the same way. Surveys would be great to find out about the audience we
are advertising to and what they prefer or take note of. Most ignored is the
intranet server provided for the students, faculty and staff to stay updated
with the university events and news.
Do the ad
designers not have enough content on the posters? Is the content too crowded?
Not to forget that there are Graphic designers walking around and analyzing
these ads. An efficiently designed ad can control how viewers take notice of
them. This strategy is what successful formal organizations use and spend most
on. (See Image 3)
Image 3. Images help making successful ads!
A defense form
people who are not able to notice ads is ‘Inattentional Blindness’.
Inattentional blindness, also known as perceptual blindness. This is when a person
fails to notice some stimulus that is in plain sight. This stimulus is usually
unexpected but fully visible. This typically happens because humans are
overloaded with inputs. It is impossible to pay attention to every single input
that is presented. A person’s attention cannot be focused on everything, and therefore, everyone experiences inattentional
blindness. People can falsely believe that they do not experience inattentional
blindness. This is due to the fact that they are unaware that they are missing
things. Inattentional blindness also has an effect on people’s perception. The term inattentional blindness was
coined by Arien Mack and Irvin Rock in 1992.
Selective Attention Test- showing the height of blindness of noticing one thing when you are focusing on something so intensely.
As a sanction, with evidence of what causes the
ads to be camouflaged for the eyes of the viewers and a design fail,
unfortunately, the event or lecture turns out a waste of money and a no show of
people because societies cannot be controlled only limitedly manipulated. (See Image 4)
Image 4. Waste of catering and seating after a low show of audience
From the sociological view of the Functionalist Perspective, although most
people may be aware of the events advertisment, it is still not possible for
some people to remember about it or even have knowledge of it at all. There are
always some people whom the advertisements can not reach to. Sometimes we have to accept what is functional and what just has to be the way it is, not functional. (See Image 5)
Imagine this scene in a movie: The protagonist is driving his fancy Porsche, drinking a bottle of soda and then parking next to a KFC delivery truck.
People may not notice, but the sitting in that scene was not chosen randomly; there is always a reason behind this ‘embedded marketing.’ In Sociology, that reason is called Product Placement, and it is more prevalent than one might suspect.
According to sociologists, product placement can be explained as an advertising or marketing tool in which companies pay a fee or provide services in exchange for a prominent display of their products. People frequently see this technique in movies, the story life of Television shows, or news programs. However, it has also been prevalent in sports, from professional sports to college sports and it even extends to sport video games.
Clearly, people now pay greater attention on sports events than they used to do in the past. Therefore companies are using that as an advantage to market and advertise their products to sports fans. However, this phenomenon is intensively spreading everywhere that its few advantages are turning to overwhelming disadvantages. For example, consumers are angry about the growth in the number of product placements. They feel that their favorite shows are being turned into commercials.
In addition to that, some sociologists has discussed major problems of the process of integrating ads into the content of sports programming, which include the following:
First of all, by this technique, some companies can easily advertise ethically charged products that may destroy a culture's belief, such as guns, cigarettes, and alcohol to a huge audience and portray them as appealing.
Secondly, product replacement in sports can create huge marketing risks. This risk is not only for the producers or studios, but also for the consumers themselves. For example, it creates clutter for both sides. Consumers may get frustrated with the placements or feel that these placements prevent them from watching their favorites matches. It also creates clutter in consumers’ choices of certain products such as, Coke versus Pepsi or Mac versus Windows, and that may negatively impact the companies’ revenues.
In conclusion, product replacement is greatly increased in sports and it is becoming a threat to the businesses fields and other sectors. However, I think product placement can be a useful tool if controlled and executed properly. For example, it may attract new potential customers and produce mutual beneficial relationships between the companies and consumers.
