TG.2

THE WALL STREET JOURNAL CLASSROOM EDITION

December 2004

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Name  

Date

 

Commercial TV, p. 8

Read the article "Commercial TV" The Wall Street Journal Classroom Edition - Teen Centerand answer these questions:

1 How do advertisers measure the effectiveness of traditional spots? How do they de­cide what to pay and where to place ads?

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

2 How do you measure the effectiveness of product placements? Do you think effective­ness might wane over time as more products appear in television shows and movies? Explain.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                   

OVERVIEW

When advertisers buy airtime, the product they are really paying for is the television viewing audience. So when technology started allowing viewers to zap through commercials, the ad industry had to come up with a different way to get your attention.

Rather than depend on traditional advertisements to attract customers, studios and companies are now weaving their products and brands into the story lines of movies and television programs. This practice, known as product placement, adds to the realism of movies and television, but also carries certain risks.

 

3 Technology that allows viewers to skip TV commercials explains the growth of prod­uct placement in TV shows, but why are movies seeing more product placements? ­

                                                                                                                               

 

4.  Identify four of the conflicts caused by the explosion in product placements.

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               

 

 

 

 

 

5 List pros and cons of product placement from the perspective of the media and enter­tainment industry and the companies whose products are featured as part of the story line.

Pros                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                        

Cons                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                       

DISCUSSION/RESEARCH!WRITING IDEAS

 

A. .Think of advertising strategies in which products are promoted outside traditional media spots. List several and rate their effectiveness. Form small groups and brainstorm your own ideas for creative advertising strategies. Visit www.howstuffworks.com and type in "product placement" in the main search field for examples and more information.

 

B.  Do you think product placements will ever become the preferred way to advertise a product? Why or why not? Assume the role of a television executive and draft a memo­randum to your clients assuring them that traditional advertisements are still an effec­tive marketing tool. Visit wsjclassroom.com/related for a link to a memo template.

 

For more discussion ideas, read "The Rap On Detroit" about creative marketing strategies used by auto executives, published in the September 2004 Classroom Edition. A link to the article is at wsjclassroom.comjrelated.

.C.  Sometimes product placement and branding attempts backfire. For example, Ohio State University and the University of Michigan recently pulled out of a deal that gave SBC Communications naming rights for the two schools' annual football game. Com­plaints from alumni and fans prompted the decision. Can you think of other examples in which concern for values or tradition trumped the desire for potential product-place­ment revenue? Share your answers in a class discussion.

 

 

wsjclassroom.com