print placement

So far I have mainly discussed product placement on television and in movies. However, product placement also appears in print media. An article by Gregory Lamb in the Christian Science Monitor discusses this. Revenue for product placement in magazines was expected to rise 17.5% to $160.9 million and 16.9% to $65 million for newspapers in 2005. This data was reported by PQ media, a company that has been tracking product placement since 1975. A print product placement is when the product in integrated into a magazine or newspaper's editorial copy (the stories or the photographs). Becuase of declining profits, product placement will most likely become more and more popular in print as a way to raise funds.

However there is one major issue in print product placement. The operating guidelines for most publications require a clear division between editorial copy and advertisements. This makes paid for placements a violation of the guidelines. However, some placements are included without compensation to the publication.

Ford, American Express and Lexus are three companies who have been named as negotiating to get their products mentioned in stories. Most of the time the publication goes unamed- print publication companies are very reluctant to openly say that they are participating in placement that has been paid for.

There are many ways that brands can be integrated. One example is the "advertorial" which is written like a story but is really advertising copy. Brands can also pay to ensure that a picture of their product is included with a story. Another interesting technique was used by Target in the August 22nd issue of The New Yorker. Target sponsored the magazine- there were no other brands advertised in that issue (See picture). Some types of magazines lend themselves to product placement more than others. For example fashion magazines and food magazines allow products to be included in their articles about new trends and recipes.