What is product placement? – Meaning, function and translation

If you are starting out in the world of marketing and advertising, chances are you have heard or seen the term product placement. Currently, it is known by this term, but it is an advertising strategy that has been used for decades. We can say that it is a multimedia resource that has been adapting quite well to current changes and trends.

So today we will give you all the information you need to understand what this is and how useful it is for brands. At the end, you will notice its impact, advantages and, in addition, it will bring you great benefits if you know how to use it. Of course, you will also be able to detect more easily when there is a product placement or not.

What does product placement mean in Spanish?

If we go to a literal aspect of the word, product placement is translated as product placement. However, some people also define it or know it as an advertising placement and it usually has a greater presence in movies, series, documentaries, short films or promotional videos. It is worth mentioning that a more appropriate definition for this in marketing can be positioning of a product or brand of a company.

The product placement is defined as that action that is carried out in order to include a product within an audiovisual material. All this while maintaining the harmony of the story, the interaction between people without affecting the action sequence and without losing the sense of history. Therefore, it is not something that has much to do with multimedia design, but is physically included in the material to be recorded and displayed.

In even simpler terms to understand, the placement product is defined as:

1. Positioning of a brand or product in the current market.
2. Use of audiovisual material to show what a product is like.
3. It is a process used to show how a product is used or consumed.
4. Advertising strategy for traditional media.
5. Advertising method that continues to generate profits today.

What is the function of product placement?

The main and perhaps the most important of all that can exist is that it allows any brand, product, company or service to show itself to the medium through an audiovisual medium. Although it is true that on the internet you will see a lot of advertising about a specific product, its search engine positioning is based on pay for a platform to display the product to a specific and segmented audience.

What happens with the placement product is that it is a type of passive advertising. By this we mean that, regardless of the years, the product or brand will continue to be displayed. An example of this is the movie “El Naúfrago”. When he finds himself on the abandoned beach, at one point in the story, he begins to get products that are currently for sale. Therefore, it will be an advertisement that will not only be maintained over time, but also has the ability to influence new generations. Something that with web positioning you can not getas it is paid advertising for a certain period of time.

What characteristics does product placement have?

The main characteristic, and the most notable of all, is that it can be adjusted to all audiovisual formats. At first it was used only in big screen movies, TV series and TV commercials. With the advent of technology and the development of the internet and its platforms, it became possible to apply this same advertising strategy on sites like YouTube, Facebook and recently, TikTok.

Of course, what has changed is the way in which it is used. Due to the demands and the consumption of information that we have at the moment, it is necessary make use of the product placement in such a way that it is not invasive, that it is part of the story that is being told and that everything is as natural as possible. This gives rise to the documentaries, short films and vlogs that some people make for their channels on different online platforms.

Another characteristic is that, if you know how to apply this strategy well, you can convert a timeless advertisement or one that can age quite well over time. very different from run an advertising campaign on the internet, where there is an estimated date and generally tends to lower its impact until a new renewal. Some additional features that we can mention are the following:

1. Great level of exposure and reach.
2. It can help build the perception of a product or service.
3. It turns out to be less intrusive and invasive for the end user.
4. Use the story to make the product, one more piece of the narrative.

What are the types of product placement?

As such, there are only two product types placement developed to date. These are known as passive and active placement products. Regarding the active type, its key points are the following:

1. There is an intention to show the product in a direct and obvious way.
2. Include a product or service can be visual, verbal or auditory.
3. There are references without the need to mention the company or brand directly.
4. By action of the actors or people within the video or audiovisual content.

As for the passive type, this is the most used and surely the one that offers the best benefits and results. Although everything will depend on the way in which it is used. The key points for this product type placement are the following:

1. The item to display is included and is part of the scene.
2. It is part of the narrative of the video clip, short film or visual element.
3. Normally there is no interaction between the character and the product.
4. Its appearance is not as widespread or common as the type of active placement product.

Examples of product placement in marketing

1. Forrest Gump: Some of the world’s best-known brands were present here. However, the most notable was the Nike brand and its shoes, which was clearly an active placement.
2. The Big Bang theory: This case is particular, since the presence of product placement was very notable throughout all the seasons. The funny thing about all this is that it was used naturally and that a good job was done to include the brands in the narrative of the series.