The death of the commercial has been like a dream for millions of TV viewers. No interruptions to favorite shows. No balancing act between two shows to avoid the breaks. Practice and tools like DVR have allowed us this luxury, but is it starting to backfire?
The U.S. saw the only dip in branded entertainment spending in 2008 but, the PQ Global Media report predicted that spending on branded entertainment in the U.S. will show bounce back in 2010, increasing by 5.3 percent from last year and rising by a compounded annual growth rate of 9.2 through 2014. This would appear to be an accurate prediction to me.
The dwindling effectiveness of traditional advertising, like TV commercials, has led the industry to a source of infiltration that is growing and can't be stopped. Product placement in TV shows is not a new concept, but is it just me or is it getting worse?
More and more, frequent and obnoxious product placements in TV shows are becoming the norm. And the ever popular term "product integration" is a new breed. These are not the shameless plugs of products past. These fully integrated advertisements are inseparable from the show. No more generic cola or beer cans or made up cereal brands. Now, I'm left wondering if that awful MGD 64 is really the drink of choice for the svelte stars of Burn Notice. Is the Modern Family, a Mac-using one? Should I be a Mac user?
EGadds, Its working!
As an avid TV watcher, this new wave of integration between product and show is a distraction I'm not sure I can get used to. However, as a professional in the marketing industry, the advertising plan of the new world is one that I will have to submit to, or be swallowed by.
