how to get free placement and why you might not want it

Product placement is a highly sought after form of promotion and marketing, especially free product placement. Who wouldn't want free advertising? However, the increased demand for product placement has made it more and more expensive to place your product, and extremely difficult to to get a free placement. So how, you ask are companies such as Apple getting 250 placements on 38 different primetime network shows in the last 4 months?

According to a Wall Street journal article the answer is- Apple is cool. Products that have an upscale, trendy image often do not have to pay to be used or even featured in shows. According to the article Apple isn't the only one getting free airtime. Products get free placements because placement desicions are still driven creatively rather than financially, production companies can save money by getting the product for free if they plan on integrating it, and also there are many changes in props or sets during filming and producers do not always want to spend the time and money it takes to ensure that placement deals are fulfilled.

Free placement is typically not "free" for the company however. Companies often provide thousands of dollars of product with no compensation. Apple, for example, estimates that it has spent millions of dollars providing Macs to Hollywood. However, this investment has obviously paid off. The word of mouth buzz that movies and tv shows create is one of the most effective forms of marketing.

Another negative of "free" placement is that the company has no control over how the product will be used, the level of integration, or whether the product will make the cut and be shown on the final show.

So it's up to the company to weigh the benefits and negatives, however one thing is certain-product placement is on the rise and it isn't going anywhere.