Writers Tricks of the Trade Volume 6 Issue 2 | Page 23

Don’t Diss Product Placement (Cont’d)

The video entrepreneurs featured in the LA Times article remind others that
audience is "more important than any brand deal." They say that if they love a
product, it feels good to do something with it commercially. But it’s even more than
“love.” Even if you love a product you need to ask, “Does this product benefit
(elucidate) the work itself?” Another is, “Is the product something that might benefit
the author’s intended audience?”
If you’ve decided something like this is worth exploring, here are a few guidelines
for you to consider:
Don't interrupt the story (the arc or thread) with an "unrelated product
message." I'd extend that and say at its best it should never feel like an interruption
at all.
A product or its logo might work best if it doesn't appear until half way through
the video. If you should decide to use an actual ad, put it at the end of the video or
book because if a person has hung in long enough to see that final frame--read that
“final page”—they probably will be more receptive to a product than if it's flashed
up front where it might discourage a person from watching your presentation at all.
Try a title card. Entrepreneurs McLaughlin and Link Neal use product placement
well into their cat video and then a brand name "title card" at the end. I'm thinking
even title cards could add some additional value. more than A title card for a cat
food video could look like a cross-stitched "Kitty Snoozing" sign hanging from a
doorknob. It could be designed with Friskies colors, a logo, and little kitty-food-can
tassels hanging from the corners.
Think of ways to extend the value of your video or anything else you are using
product placement for. The company that makes the kitty food might extend the
idea so that their customers could send it, say, five labels, to get one for their cat’s
sleeping spot. What a way to introduce a cat owner to a new cat food!
The value of the title card on your video can work miracles for you. products that
writers can use by means of promo codes.
So what are the guidelines for success—whether it is a paid-for project, a
bartered one, or the goodness of your heart?
1. Passion
2. Appropriateness
3. Perceived Benefit
4. A Promotion Partner so you can share both real expenses and the time it
takes to promote it.

WRITERS’ TRICKS OF THE TRADE

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MARCH - APRIL 2016