Is there such a thing as Free Product placement? Can you obtain anything of value for free in this day and age? What does Free Product Placement look like and is it worth it?!
Well let's start by clarifying that "free product placement" is not free. At the minimum, if the opportunities requires product (usually does unless you are promoting a service or it is a signage opportunity), the cost of the actual product that is need plus shipping has to be factored in. Then there is time. How much time will it take to coordinate the deal from start to finish? Is it ok to just ship products and hope for the best or will there need to be some follow up to make sure the production is moving forward as agreed?
You see, when you factor all these things in, it really isn't free. In fact, if the person coordinating is not familiar with the product placement process, it could become a tedious task. That being said, is it worth it for a company to take advantage of these opportunities without the assistance of an experienced entertainment marketing agency?
My opinion is no. Most companies do not execute their advertising and marketing initiatives by acting on random phone calls from media agencies offering them free opportunities. There is usually a strategic plan---a proactive approach vs. reactive. Should product placement be any different? Not at all. "You get what you pay for" certainly comes to mind, and without an agency to manage placements those efforts most likely will be fruitless.
