Product placement and intermigration: getting the biggest bang for your buck

Effective promotion and marketing campaigns remain the keystone for every company’s success. This is especially true during financially challenging times. The expenses are necessary to reach the customers, but finding the money in the budget can be a challenge.  It places the company in a chicken-and-egg situation.   The innovative knows how to get the biggest bang for their bucks.

Product placement is an old-school promotion and marketing technique that, when updated and used properly, outshines traditional and more expensive campaigns. During the early days of television, companies were the sole sponsors of individual TV series.  The brands were so intertwined that they became synonymous with each other.  The Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom is only one example.  Mutual of Omaha was featured in the title and the hosts promoted the brand within the series.  The increasing production costs made this business model unsustainable, thus establishing the current trend of separating content from advertising.  However, instead of being abandoned, cross-branding transformed into a combination of the two techniques.  This hybrid methodology maximizes the financial benefits for the production by expanding the number of brands embedded into it, while lowering advertising costs and maximizing the longevity of the promotion for each sponsor.

Both models have their benefits and their challenges. With only one sponsor, the full financial weight falls on it, yet the promotional benefits also dramatically increase.  Frequently, the brands become permanently intertwined with the reputation of each, reflecting on the other.   Being able to attract a specific demographic is an additional benefit of this business model. The content organically lures the audience, who find the topic, genre, or personality involved interesting, which gives the sponsor direct access to those it is trying to reach.   Once embedded in the project, the brand continues to be promoted whenever and wherever the project is viewed without additional cost to the sponsor.  Once produced, the connection becomes locked.  Nothing can be added or subtracted without altering the project itself

 

With the separation of the content and advertising, the financial obligations for the sponsor have been lower, but the benefits have also dramatically decreased.  Instead of being an equal partner with the series, the brand becomes only one in the crowd.  Targeted purchases of commercial time do increase the possibility of reaching a specific demographic; however, the cost for such commercial buys increases the cost of each ad.  Network rate cards vary in terms according to the market size, day part, how far in advance the airtime is bought, and the flexibility of the placements.  The more specific the terms, the higher the price tag will be.  The current norm focuses on day part and venue rather than content.  It is little different than throwing spaghetti at a wall and seeing what sticks. Additionally, the separation of content makes the ad buy a one-and-done.  The ad will air according to the terms of the contract and will not air again until another contract for more airtime has been signed and paid for

The hybrid model combines the best aspects of both.  It has the permanence of embedding brands and the cost-effectiveness of the current business model.  Embedding brands manifests in two forms, placement and integration.  The primary difference between the two is the involvement and interaction between the on-screen talent and the brand.   The more interaction between the two, the greater the exposure and the higher the cost.  Placement refers to the product being placed within the set design in such a way that it receives screentime, but without direct interaction with the characters.   Integration refers to products that involve active interaction or usage of the brand name on screen as the characters use or positively speak about the product. 

In the 1984 Ghostbusters, Bill Murray and Sigourney Weaver had a scene in front of her refrigerator.  For nearly thirty seconds of the scene, a Coke has been placed on a shelf between them.  They don’t look at it or refer to it, yet it has a notable presence in the scene. More recently, in the series Yellowstone, Marlboro circumvented the legal restrictions against on-air advertising of tobacco and smoking products.  In several scenes, the character Beth opened a Marlboro box, took out a cigarette, and smoked it.  Nothing was said about the brand.  It was just a matter of course that Beth smoked.  However, instead of concealing the brand, the name received screen time.

Timing is another primary difference in the promotional models.  Cross-branding placement has longevity and permanence; however, its benefits are delayed until the release of the project.  Purchasing airtime within commercial breaks has immediacy of exposure, yet a short shelf life. The rate card for each also radically differs. The cost for placement is based on length of screentime in seconds, active/passive presentation, actress/actor involved, and the genre.  Whether an Indie or studio project, an A-list talent will garner a higher rate per second.  However, in order to accommodate the two-minute commercial breaks, ads have been limited to standardized lengths of 15, 30, 45, 60, and 120 seconds. The rate cards base their fees on the rating of the program; the higher the rating the more costly the placement will be.

 

Never Can Say Good-bye’s production team will reinvent the definitions of innovation, moxie, and creativity as they place and integrate brands within the project.  It will feature products that are normally overlooked, while offering traditional sponsors a fresh perspective on how their products or brands will appear on the screen.  Although the genre of paranormal-thrillers attracts the 18–49-year-old demographic, by supporting age, gender, and ethnic diversity, Never Can Say Good-bye will broaden and enhance that target base. Thereby, it will expand the sponsors’ promotional reach beyond expectations.

 

By combining brands, Never Can Say Good-bye will give the scenes a real-world feel. In addition to being placed or integrated into the scenes, the name of the brand will be used whenever possible. For example, in the scenes within the cars, a radio station will be playing in the background.  The station will be identified by its call letters. Depending on the length of the scene, from one to two thirty-second commercials will air for any family-friendly product.  There will also be a running joke about how the supporting character, Amanda, is trying to win a radio contest.  She is more than capable of buying her own, but she tells others that it tastes better when she wins it.  Her attempts to call in are frequently thwarted by others.  These details will be added in the final script. 

A motorized wheelchair will be used by Amanda, who is well-respected in her community.  She will be seen using it in and outside her home.  In addition, it will also have screen time as it is used on various terrains, including city streets/sidewalks, college campus, and a cemetery.  Extras of various ages, genders, and ethnicities will be seen using them.  However, the budget line only includes the screentime in which Amanda is featured.  The scenes with the extras will be considered bonuses.  The sponsor will be expected to provide the necessary motorized wheelchairs that will be donated to non-profits after the production; the sponsor will receive the tax deduction.

For a complete list of placement opportunities available through the contact information on the website.  

Website

Positively Promoting Your Brand to Veterans Through Product Placement

Horses and Heroes is a Reality TV series, which combines the highly effective Peer Support Therapy with Equine Therapy. Unlike most in the genre, it will focus on healing and positive growth rather than endorsing bad behavior. Each season will bring together veterans from WWII to the current conflicts. They will be sharing their challenges and supporting each other as they find new solutions to their physical and emotional challenges. They know the talk because they have walked the walk. They see the dodges and will be able to call each other on them. Sparks may fly. Tempers may flare, especially when they force each other to face their ghosts. But there will also be laughter and fun as they rebuild the comradery, which kept them safe and strong. The snarkiness and practical jokes between the branches don't simply end. There is always room for more. This interaction will help them rebuild that sense of brother and sisterhood they depended on while serving, which will help them reclaim their civilian lives. When it airs, it will reach into the homes of the veterans, who need to hear that they are not alone, and give them information as well as permission they need to also heal. They will help each other find their way back to the world. Veterans can’t go back and make a brand new start, but they can start from now and make a brand new end.

The casting of veterans is extremely important. They can make or break the series. Therefore we will be extremely cautious with each season's cast, but the first is particularly important. Each season of Horses and Heroes will host eight veterans, who will be representative of all veterans. Thus, the cast will be based on diversity and inclusivity for gender, age, ethnicity, and branches of the military. For these reasons, we will be excluding those who propagate religious and political extremism. Horses and Heroes is solely about helping veterans heal and reclaim their lives. Too many have used them as disposable parts of the war machine or as political footballs to further their agendas. Veterans are people. Pure and simple. Horses and Heroes' goal is to empower them to reclaim their lives by helping them face down their ghosts.

Horses and Heroes is not about pointing fingers or creating a political firestorm. It can’t fix the system nor will is it a cure-all. What it will do is show that there are alternatives, which effectively help military personnel and veterans to heal their way home.

#productplacement #veteransupport #littlecaesars #fordtrucks #equinetherapy #hiringveterans #TheresaChaze #HorsesandHeroes #marketingandadvertising #TVseries

 

Veterans and Military Personnel: An under served demographic

Horses and Heroes is Reality TV series, which promotes healing rather than endorsing bad behavior. It will utilize interviews, group discussions, practical demonstrations of horse therapy, and interpersonal interaction between the vets. Although Equine Therapy will be the stage, the primary focus will be on the eight veterans as they sharing what they experienced while they served our country and how those events had a lasting effect on their lives as well as on those who love them.  Veterans can't go back and make a brand new start, but they can start from now and make a brand new end.  Horses and Heroes will help the veterans on the show as well as those who watch the series find that brand new end.

Each season will contain 12 episodes in which the first and last episode will have the running time 88 minutes (two hours broadcast time) with the remaining ten episodes will run 44 minutes (one hour broadcast time).  Each episode  has a 30 second segment bumpers and two 10 billboards available for sponsor promotion.   Although we would prefer one sponsor per season, we do have the capability to create sponsorship campaigns for the individual episodes.


WEBSITE



 

Michigan Film Seeks Investors and Product Placement Sponsors

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a gentleman, who suggested changes to Never Can Say Good-bye without having read the script, business plan, or seeing anything beyond an early pitch video.

According to him, I needed to change our ethnically and age diverse cast to one that was primarily African American and young. The locations needed to be moved from Northern Michigan to the Detroit area. Instead of the logging industry, the story should be focus on the automotive industry or another based in the Detroit area to take advantage of the current political controversy. The name should be changed from Never Can Say Good-bye to "Ghosts of Detroit--to have the metaphor of the ghost city for your ghost story" This is a film he could sell. The problem is that it is a totally different film than the one we want to produce.

His suggestions would have turned a paranormal thriller that combined romance and suspense into to a pop culture niche market film with political over tones that demographically limits its appeal and marketability, while adding in unnecessary controversy and shorting its relevancy.

Whether it be age, gender or ethnicity, a diverse cast means a diverse audience. Audiences like characters they can relate to as friends, family or the person they see in the mirror. Focusing heavy on one aspect of humanity excludes the rest.

Our characters range in age from 70 to 3. Amanda Ramsdell, who will be played by Dyan Canoon, carries the guilt and secrets of the past. Michael, a man between the ages of 45-54, believes he has found his lost love only to learn he made the same horrible mistake. Elizabeth, who will most likely be cast by Lauren Holly, is a woman who has runaway from life only to find herself back at the beginning and no longer able to run. Shane, Michael’s wife, is a woman in her mid to late twenties, who was given a second chance at love and redemption. In the past, Sara Jane and Randolph are more than soul mates, they are a mated pair whose love goes soul deep. But their time together is cut short when her father's vengeful actions causes Sara Jane's death. To save their newborn son, Randolph marries Audrey, but his heart still and always belongs to Sara Jane. Unable to manipulate Randolph into loving her, Audrey murders the child she see as standing in her way. His death causes a cascade of violence and revenge that spills over from into the next life. The question is, "Can they overcome their tragic past or will they be doomed to repeat it?"

Never Can Say Good-bye is set in the 1950's when the Michigan lumber industry was waning, but still vital and in present day when all that remains of the glory days are the mansions, the memories, and the ghosts. The story and the characters only fit in a rural or semi rural area. It would not be realistically in an urban area. Although there are some very large houses in the Detroit area, they do not have the look or feel of the mansions created by the lumber industry.

Michigan might be primary known for the automotive industry, but it was the lumber that turned common men into millionaires. As the timberline receded under the ax and saw so did civilization move north. Never Can Say Good-bye will be filmed in the northwest corner of the lower peninsula, primarily in Traverse City, Manistee, Bear Lake, and Torch Lake. Although most of the lumber baron homes have been converted into apartments, B & B's and businesses, they remain mostly intact. They are the perfect settings for a ghost story as well as a metaphor for an industry and lifestyle that was, but will never be exist again.

He did have two good suggestions that I had used, but had not focused enough on-- job creation and product placement. I had pitch both, but did not followed up. Since our conversation, I have been focusing more on the quality and quantity of the jobs we will be creating. We are a union picture, but we will be Taft-Hartleying those who need to be. We will be filling most of the 77 crew jobs from Michigan. I can't guarantee a specific number or percentage, because we are still going to hire the best person for the job.

Several of the primary characters have been cast. We would very much like Lauren Holly for the role of Elizabeth. We have talked with her people and did have an LOI. But we need to be funded to keep her. Kimberly Estrada, Dyan Cannon, Bill Hayes, and Sean Harmon have all been cast in roles. We had spoke with Adrian Paul's people for the role of Michael. Although we are still interested in him, his people aren't interested enough to return emails or phone calls, so we have opened up the role to other actors. If we can find an Michigan actor with an established record, so much the better.

The primary and featured roles we have yet to cast are:

Sara Jane: actress 18-20 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. She must also have good chemistry with Sean Harmon, who will be playing Randolph.

Shane: actress age 25-30 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. She must also have a good singing voice.

Jefferson: actor 25-30, any ethic background, but he must have a good singing voice.

Elaine: actress over 40 of any ethnic background

Judy: actress 49-53 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. We are considering Michigan actress Linda Pacic for this role or for the role of Elaine.

We will also be hiring most of the day players and all of the extras from Michigan.

The number of jobs we will be creating are:

9 person supervisory staff

77 member crew

5 character primary cast

8 character supporting cast

12 day players

200 paid extras

Our product placement will be two fold. We will be embedding family friendly products and services into the film, which will also be promoted in our marketing strategy. However, we have a separate campaign called No Where Else Like it, which will require a separate crew. We will be taking our cast around the state to show the uniqueness of Michigan. The sponsors will act as guides, hosts and in some cases fellow adventures as we explore the locations that are best known to natives. We will be going to the normal tourist locations, but we will not be producing a travel logs. Instead we will be having adventures, chatting with those we meet, and having a good time. Two of our locations are said to be haunted. We will be teaming up with a ghost hunting group and finding out if this is true. The videos we produced will be release on online through video sites and on social networking groups, as well as on the DVD's and with the downloads.

What he suggested is at the root of the decline in the entertainment industry. There is too much compromise in character and plot to make an easy sell. Instead of believing in the project and becoming a trend setter, they have been playing follow the leader. Those who follow are always behind the curve--always singing to someone else's song--always playing by someone else's rules. The gentleman on the phone said that there was nothing special about Never Can Say Good-bye. It was just a ghost story. But he is wrong. Never Can Say Good-bye is a ghost story, but it is far from being old hat. It is a fresh story with new twists. We are a trend setter that combines the old with the new not only with storytelling, but production and marketing techniques. We have intertwined Michigan's history with its present as we entwine the lives of three people in love, loss, and revenge.

Over the weekend, I had a conversation with a gentleman, who suggested changes to Never Can Say Good-bye without having read the script, business plan, or seeing anything beyond an early pitch video..

According to him, I needed to change our ethnically and age diverse cast to one that was primarily African American and young. The locations needed to be moved from Northern Michigan to the Detroit area. Instead of the logging industry, the story should be focus on the automotive industry or another based in the Detroit area to take advantage of the current political controversy. The name should be changed from Never Can Say Good-bye to "Ghosts of Detroit--to have the metaphor of the ghost city for your ghost story" This is a film he could sell. The problem is that it is a totally different film than the one we want to produce.

His suggestions would have turned a paranormal thriller that combined romance and suspense into to a pop culture niche market film with political over tones that demographically limits its appeal and marketability, while adding in unnecessary controversy and shorting its relevancy.

Whether it be age, gender or ethnicity, a diverse cast means a diverse audience. Audiences like characters they can relate to as friends, family or the person they see in the mirror. Focusing heavy on one aspect of humanity excludes the rest.

Our characters range in age from 70 to 3. Amanda Ramsdell, who will be played by Dyan Canoon, carries the guilt and secrets of the past. Michael, a man between the ages of 45-54, believes he has found his lost love only to learn he made the same horrible mistake. Elizabeth, who will most likely be cast by Lauren Holly, is a woman who has runaway from life only to find herself back at the beginning and no longer able to run. Shane, Michael’s wife, is a woman in her mid to late twenties, who was given a second chance at love and redemption. In the past, Sara Jane and Randolph are more than soul mates, they are a mated pair whose love goes soul deep. But their time together is cut short when her father's vengeful actions causes Sara Jane's death. To save their newborn son, Randolph marries Audrey, but his heart still and always belongs to Sara Jane. Unable to manipulate Randolph into loving her, Audrey murders the child she see as standing in her way. His death causes a cascade of violence and revenge that spills over from into the next life. The question is, "Can they overcome their tragic past or will they be doomed to repeat it?"

Never Can Say Good-bye is set in the 1950's when the Michigan lumber industry was waning, but still vital and in present day when all that remains of the glory days are the mansions, the memories, and the ghosts. The story and the characters only fit in a rural or semi rural area. It would not be realistically in an urban area. Although there are some very large houses in the Detroit area, they do not have the look or feel of the mansions created by the lumber industry.

Michigan might be primary known for the automotive industry, but it was the lumber that turned common men into millionaires. As the timberline receded under the ax and saw so did civilization move north. Never Can Say Good-bye will be filmed in the northwest corner of the lower peninsula, primarily in Traverse City, Manistee, Bear Lake, and Torch Lake. Although most of the lumber baron homes have been converted into apartments, B & B's and businesses, they remain mostly intact. They are the perfect settings for a ghost story as well as a metaphor for an industry and lifestyle that was, but will never be exist again.

He did have two good suggestions that I had used, but had not focused enough on-- job creation and product placement. I had pitch both, but did not followed up. Since our conversation, I have been focusing more on the quality and quantity of the jobs we will be creating. We are a union picture, but we will be Taft-Hartleying those who need to be. We will be filling most of the 77 crew jobs from Michigan. I can't guarantee a specific number or percentage, because we are still going to hire the best person for the job.

Several of the primary characters have been cast. We would very much like Lauren Holly for the role of Elizabeth. We have talked with her people and did have an LOI. But we need to be funded to keep her. Kimberly Estrada, Dyan Cannon, Bill Hayes, and Sean Harmon have all been cast in roles. We had spoke with Adrian Paul's people for the role of Michael. Although we are still interested in him, his people aren't interested enough to return emails or phone calls, so we have opened up the role to other actors. If we can find an Michigan actor with an established record, so much the better.

The primary and featured roles we have yet to cast are:

Sara Jane: actress 18-20 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. She must also have good chemistry with Sean Harmon, who will be playing Randolph.

Shane: actress age 25-30 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. She must also have a good singing voice.

Jefferson: actor 25-30, any ethic background, but he must have a good singing voice.

Elaine: actress over 40 of any ethnic background

Judy: actress 49-53 who must look like she could be related to Dyan Cannon. We are considering Michigan actress Linda Pacic for this role or for the role of Elaine.

We will also be hiring most of the day players and all of the extras from Michigan.

The number of jobs we will be creating are:

9 person supervisory staff

77 member crew

5 character primary cast

8 character supporting cast

12 day players

200 paid extras

Our product placement will be two fold. We will be embedding family friendly products and services into the film, which will also be promoted in our marketing strategy. However, we have a separate campaign called No Where Else Like it, which will require a separate crew. We will be taking our cast around the state to show the uniqueness of Michigan. The sponsors will act as guides, hosts and in some cases fellow adventures as we explore the locations that are best known to natives. We will be going to the normal tourist locations, but we will not be producing a travel logs. Instead we will be having adventures, chatting with those we meet, and having a good time. Two of our locations are said to be haunted. We will be teaming up with a ghost hunting group and finding out if this is true. The videos we produced will be release on online through video sites and on social networking groups, as well as on the DVD's and with the downloads.

What he suggested is at the root of the decline in the entertainment industry. There is too much compromise in character and plot to make an easy sell. Instead of believing in the project and becoming a trend setter, they have been playing follow the leader. Those who follow are always behind the curve--always singing to someone else's song--always playing by someone else's rules. The gentleman on the phone said that there was nothing special about Never Can Say Good-bye. It was just a ghost story. But he is wrong. Never Can Say Good-bye is a ghost story, but it is far from being old hat. It is a fresh story with new twists. We are a trend setter that combines the old with the new not only with storytelling, but production and marketing techniques. We have intertwined Michigan's history with its present as we entwine the lives of three people in love, loss, and revenge.

  " Instant Karma is going to get you."
                                       John Lennon
Have you ever met someone and suddenly  felt love or hate? Yet for the life of you couldn't remember  them.  Would you want to  remember? Would you want to know if it could save  your life?

Never Can Say Good-bye is a paranormal thriller  feature film with the  logline love and hate survives death

http://tirgana.wix.com/never-can-say-good-bye/home

Please like our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/Nevercansaygoodbyeparanormalfilm/info Courage isn't the lack of fear, but the ability to set it aside and  focus on what is truly important



 

Product Placement an Inexpensive Way to Market

No Where Else Like It is a specialized marketing campaign, which cross brands Michigan based products or services with the paranormal thriller Never Can Say Good-bye. The campaign is designed to feature Michigan products and services within the film itself as well as featuring their parent company in the promotional and marketing campaigns from the start of pre-production through the theatrical release. The No Where Else Like It campaign will also feature the uniqueness of Michigan within videos that will be produced by the cast and crew. These videos will be distributed via the Internet, placed on the official and personal websites, and with the DVD/download load release.

Product placement in films and television is not a new concept. However, it is one that is ever changing. In the early years of television, advertisers sponsored individual shows. The program quality and the product reputation were intertwined. Throughout the decades single sponsorship no longer exists. It has been replaced by commercial breaks, which makes the advertising completely separate from the entertainment. Although initially the change has made it less costly for advertisers, it also limits the ad's effectiveness to a single airing. If the audience missed it too bad so sad, but the networks are more than willing to sell you more air time. The simple fact is that people need to see a message at least three times before the message sticks with them enough to prompt them into action.

However, product placement has not disappeared; it has been transformed. Instead of sponsoring the entire project, sponsors pay for or do in kind exchanges to have their products or services are embedded in films and television programs as part of the action or the sets. Once embedded the product placement becomes permanent. Unlike other forms of advertising, this form of marketing has a one time fee, yet a nearly unlimited reach and exposure potential. Each time the project is viewed, the embedded products will once again be marketed without any extra cost to the sponsors.

Never Can Say Good-bye will be making full use of traditional product placement for their production needs. We will be looking to do in kind exchanges for

A large hotel: as a location and for lodging for cast and crew

Vehicles as locations and transporation

Air Travel for cast and crew

Brewery/bar as a location

Large auditoriums for meet and greets with cast and crew

Digital video equipment and ghost hunting gear as props

Sponsors' product, service or company name would be shown in at least three scenes. They would be given non speaking roles as an extra, invited to the wrap party and the Michigan premiere. They would be thanked in the credits. But more importantly their logo with an active link will be attached to nearly all our online marketing and they would be listed as sponsors at our live events.

In addition, the No Where Else Like It campaign, which will show the uniqueness of Michigan with videos produced by the production team will be sponsored by Michigan corporations and businesses. These videos would be part of the marketing campaigns both online and with most other venues. Sponsors would act as host and guide for the cast and crew as they explore the state. Videos would include:

* Local festivals

* Sleep Bear Dunes

* The Manitou Islands

* Interlochen Arts Academy

* Avalanche Preserve

*Mackinaw Island and bridge

* Snowflake Campground

* National Shrine of the Cross in the Woods in Indian River

*looking for Petoskey stones

* Sault Locks

* Henry Ford Museum, including the revitalization of the Detroit area

* Michigan State campus

* Pictured Rocks, Tahquamenon Falls

During the production, the cast and crew will be holding meet and greets with the public in the areas where we will be filming. Sponsors would also be included in these events as well as the hosting location. The public would be able to ask questions and have their picture taken with the stars of Never Can Say Good-bye. These events will be recorded and released online through sites such as YouTube, Facebook and other social networking sties. Additionally, real time streaming events will be scheduled online, which will give the domestic and foreign audience opportunities to speak with the cast and crew.

Never Can Say Good-bye will be an opportunity to market products and services not only nationally, but also internationally through theatrical release, DVD/downloads, pay per view, and broadcast network release. Once embedded, the products or services will always be there at no additional cost.

Before you discount your ability to financially be part of our team ask yourself how much is exposure to a world of new customers worth? In addition, marketing expenses are both state and federal tax deductible as a business expense. Those who mitigate our production costs might also be able to claim a deduction under Section 181 of the federal tax code, which is a deduction equal to 100% of the investment in the production. You would need to speak with your tax professional to get the full details of how this incentive would apply to your company.

Also ask yourself when was the last time you walked out of a movie satisfied? 

For more information go to www.theresachaze.com 



 

Operation Home Base Seeks Product Placement Partners

When you turn on the tube, are you enjoying what is being aired? Or do you channel surf until you settle on the least offensive or boring program? When is the last time you actually looked forward to watching a new program or went out of your way to make time in your busy schedule to watch a series? If you are like me it has been a while. Most new shows simply aren’t willing to put the time, talent or the money into creating programming that is unique and creative. Operation Home Base goes back to the basics by creating characters that actually have personalities, instead of just sex appeal. In OHB, cliff hangers are the norm not just accidental exception.

OHB is looking for product placement partners. Whether it is home repair, telephone service, restaurant or in the case of the pilot episode, emergency support in the form of prepaid charge cards after a family who looses everything to a home fire, OHB will be able to effectively promote a diverse number products and services, while still being able to produce quality entertainment.. By making the product or business a natural part of the scene, it not becomes an effective marketing tool, but also it becomes permanently embedded into the episode. No matter what time slot, network or products slotted for the official commercial breaks, every time that episode airs the embedded products will once again be marketed without any extra cost to the sponsors. Sponsors will not only gain effective marketing for their products, but they will also gain the additional benefit of showing public support for the military, veterans and their families.

Reality shows are cheaper. But sponsors get what they pay for. Scripted programming has a reliable and consistent storylines. In addition, both the actors and the genres have loyal fan bases that reality shows cannot compete with. Reality shows might cost less initially, but scripted shows are a more effective marketing tool.

Whether civilian, military or governmental, there is good and bad in every organization. Most people will be able to tell the difference between fact and fiction?  The conspiracy was added solely to capture the audiences attention. Like MASH, NCIS, Criminal Minds, Saving Grace, the CSIs and every other quality drama, there is an underlying storyline that keeps the viewers coming back.  In OHB, that is the "conspiracy".  Why did the soldiers disappear?  Who is trying to cover it up?  How far are they willing to go to keep their secret?  While the audience is trying to figure out these simple questions, they are learning about how important therapy dogs are to wounded warriors.  Why are some veterans homeless?  They will learn why PTSD is so devastating not only to the individual, but the family and society as a whole.  OHB will give those who serve not only faces, but show why they put it all on the line.  By getting to know and caring about the characters, the audience will not only gain a clearer understanding, but also a new compassion. 

Remember in MASH when Henry Blake was killed?  Who wasn't affected right along with the Hawkeye, Radar, and the rest of the characters?  The truth is good people go to war.  The truth is also not all of them come back.  And those that do come back are never the same.  OHB tells their stories.  Sometimes the viewers will laugh.  Sometimes they will cry.  But they will also begin to see those who serve as real people.

OHB has been receiving support in and out of the military as well as from veteran’s organizations. The rapidly growing list can be found on OHB’s site-http://www.theresachaze.com/Operation_Home_Base.html

When I created Operation Home Base, my intention was to go back to the basics by creating a series that is well rounded and broad based when it comes to character and plot. Like the early TV shows, I wanted to create a multi-generational show that was not only entertaining, but also made a difference. The major differences between OHB and the previous shows is the ethnic and lifestyle diversity that was lacking before. Although the shows will be focusing on the challenges and issues connected to the military, civilians will also be able to identify with the same life tests.

The characters are multi-dimensional with their own personal issues and fears, yet they have found ways to either over come them or function through them. They all have their individual strengths, yet they remain vulnerable to old wounds and fears, most of which they simply don’t understand. They are flawed people, and yet they choose to step up and help others even if they are unable to help themselves.

OHB is not a reality show or a simplistic T & A. Sometimes it will make the viewer laugh--sometimes cry. Sometimes the viewers will get angry at and with the characters. But unlike most new shows, it will make them feel again because they will be able to identify with the characters enough to care about them. The viewers will also love or in the case of Walter love to hate the characters simply because they will see their own grandparents, parents, siblings, friends and even themselves mirror in them.

I invite you share the journey that characters of Operation Base will take as they learn to heal themselves, while protecting and helping others. It will be an adventure that will make you laugh and cry, but more importantly at the end of day make you feel as if you have made a difference. Not only will you help create an amazing show that will not only entertain, but also help heal old wounds, some of which have been ignored for decades.

How to Train Your Dragon: Entertainment or Paid Advertisement?

How to Train Your Dragon: Entertainment or Paid Advertisement?

Dream Works newest animation feature, How to Train Your Dragon was released March 26, 2010. However, the merchandise hit the shelves weeks before. So were the toys, t-shirts, action figures, etc promoting the movie or was the movie produced to promote the newest line of products? Unlike other entertainment-marketing strategies, such as product placement, this marketing practice doesn’t focus on the entertainment, but uses the films as an excuse to sell products.

When did movies have do more than entertain? Walt Disney was not only a businessman before his time, but he was also a creative, innovator, who changed the animation and children’s programming as a whole. He knew how to create ground breaking entertainment, while still making a profit. Yet with Disney the focus was on the screen; the merchandising followed. The movies made during his time were not only successful at the time, but they have remained popular throughout the ages. The restoring to the original quality and updating to the current formats continue to make the classics profitable.

Although Disney was a pioneer with his animation, it was his ability to focus on storylines and characters is what made the movies that he produced classics.. It was also his marketing techniques for limited the exposure in films and later on tape or DVD that kept them financially profitable. The theme parks, toys and other merchandise was limited to the Disney brand and closely monitored to avoid over exposure. By avoiding blanket marketing, Disney was able to make sizable profits, while protecting the brand name of his films and the characters in them.

Entertainment marketing and product placement are misnomers. With entertainment marketing, such as has been done with How to Train Your Dragon and other such movies, the emphasis isn’t on the film, but selling the products related to the film. The difference with product placement, whether it be in film or television, the focus is on the entertainment with the products being used as props or part of the storyline. While the former is more often than not directed at children or tweens entertainment, the later is effective for all age groups and with all genres. In addition to being more versatile, product placement gives a real life feel to the entertainment, while showing the product in a positive light.

Another advantage to product placement is cost effectiveness. With entertainment marketing having a single brand to sell, the sales of the merchandise are directly connected to the success of the film or TV show. Product placement gives multiple opportunities to a variety of products and as long as each is presented favorably, the overall quality of the film will have no negative impact on the products.

Is How to Train Your Dragon and other such movies entertainment or a very long commercial, well directed commercial?

Product Placement Gives Cost Effective Option to Advertisers and Networks

Product placement has been a blessing as well as a curse for the entertainment industry as it both financed and controlled television programming. Over the years the advertisers role has changed from sole sponsorship of individual programs to rotating commercials that have little or no connection to specific programs. Instead of content, advertisers use ratings as the yardstick as the deciding factor as to where to spend their marketing budget. However there is a third option available that would be advantageous to both program producers and advertisers. Products properly embedded into programs will not only positively market products and services at a lower cost, but will also subsidize production budgets thereby allowing the executive producers and the networks to air a higher quality of scripted programming.

In the early years of television, advertisers sponsored individual shows. The program quality and the product reputation were intertwined. The mutual branding gave the sponsor more control over the content of the program and to some extent the network that aired it. Texaco Star Theatre is an example of successful product sponsorship. It was a comedy-variety show that originated on radio in 1938; however, NBC picked up it up the June of 1948. Not only was the brand name featured in the show title, but Texaco featured its products and services throughout the show. It was blatant in your face promotion, but it was also done within the context of the show format. Texaco was taking credit for presenting good entertainment. In 1953 Texaco dropped its sponsorship, but Buick picked it up, changing the name of the show to The Buick-Berle Show. In 1954, the name was changed to The Milton Berle Show, which it was known by until it ended in 1956. Buick changed its sponsorship at the beginning of 1955-1956 season to the Jackie Gleason Show. In both cases, Texaco and Buick paid production cost to insure their products left a lasting positive impression on the viewers by embedding their products within the context of the entertainment.

Throughout the decades, single sponsorship dwindle to the point that it is currently nonexistent. It has been replaced by commercial breaks, making the advertising completely separate from the entertainment. Although initially the change has made it less costly for advertisers, it has also created a competition for placement for shows with higher ratings. With the diversity of products and the time limitation, networks and local stations not only charge on a sliding scale according to the ratings, but they no longer guarantee exclusivity during commercial breaks. In the current system, there is virtually no connection between the programming and the products. Sponsors buy ratings and demographics, nothing more.

Each system had both benefits and pitfalls. Embedding products takes advantage of the positive aspects television marketing, while eliminating most of the drawbacks. Implanting products within the entertainment will once again blurred the lines between content and advertising, but it will also more honestly reflected not only the product but its use in real life. By appropriately embedding the products within the context of action, the show looks and feels more realistic. Instead of drinking no named sodas, the characters would openly drink Coke, Pepsi, or another name brand. While continuing with the natural flow of the plot, characters could be shown shopping or dining at specific national chains. Nothing in the conversation would be directly promote anything, yet the natural movement of the camera would catch the distinctive logos of both the individual products or the national chain. If the characters needed to buy a coffee pot, they could be seen going into Walmart, walking through the store and choosing to buy a Mr. Coffee. The conversation would be about topics which furthered the plot until it came to deciding which Mr. Coffee they were going to buy. Once the decision was made, they would revert back to plot developing topics. It would be natural and reflect a real life situation.

In addition, by making the product or business a natural part of the scene, it not becomes an effective marketing tool, but also it becomes permanently embedded into the episode. No matter what time slot, network or products slotted for the official commercial breaks, every time that episode airs the embedded products will once again be marketed without any extra cost to the sponsors.

The major pitfall is if the product doesn’t fit the situation, character or plot. If it is forced into the program instead of seamlessly fitting into the scene, it will not only distract the viewer from the program but also create negative backlash for the product and the sponsor. One soap opera placed a woman’s magazine into the action of a scene. A male character was injured and a female friend gave him a copy of the women’s magazine to read to help pass the time. The two of them proceeded to spend time talking about the benefits of the magazine. If it had been done properly in the context of character and the situation, it could have been very effective. However, instead of being an effective marketing tool it came off as a badly written ad. The situation would have worked for another product such as the TV Guide. The female friend could have given him a copy as a way of him finding programming to keep his mind occupied while he recuperated. In addition, the writers could have easily added dialogue to generalize about the information found in the articles, which would have kept the piece timeless. As long as the dialogue was kept short and within the framework of the situation, scene would have been effective.

Products could be embedded at two levels: episodic and series. The only difference between the two would be the length of service of the product in the series. Episodic products would be short term, being found in one or two episodes, while series products would run an entire season or as long as the series aired. Whether short term or long, the effectiveness will depend solely on the how well the product fits into the plot. The key is to write in the product without over-shadowing the entertainment or slowing down the plot development. Clever blocking of both the actors and camera angles would eliminate the need of promotional dialogue, thereby limiting the negative impact of over exposing the products.

The executive producers and writers of Operation Home Base intend to embed both series and episodic products within their new military series. In the style of MASH and NCIS, Operation Home Base has a strong ensemble cast that will appeal to a broad demographic base that includes gender, ages, and ethnicity.  MASH focused on the effects of war and NCIS concentrates on  criminal situations involving military personnel. OHB will incorporate both while revealing the challenges military families face daily along with the conflicts that originate from involvement with civilians.  OHB could be best described as a family of man drama, which will show the best and worst of the human condition, whose broad base appeal will give it nearly unlimited product placement potential.

Who is responsible for buying the donuts will be one of the long standing jokes among the characters on Operation Home Base. It would be very easy to promote Dunkin Donuts within the show by simply showing the logo on the box as the characters choose their favorites. Non verbal cues such as seeing the character enjoying the donuts or the multiple empty donut boxes in the trash would promote product more than any dialogue that could be written. In addition, if they are lucky enough to sign on Tom Selleck to play the part of Deek, orange juice will be added to the morning staff meetings along with the coffee, tying in OHB to Selleck’s voice overs for Florida orange juice. In addition to the civilian promotion, OHB will show the sense of belonging and personal satisfaction to be gained through service in the military, not through heavy handed ads, but revealing what it means to be military through those who have lived the life.

Short term promotion will be handled with equal grace. The fundraising episode will not only help raise awareness for therapy dogs, but it will also be a fabulous opportunity to promote restaurants, musical groups, soft drinks, and real-life veteran’s organizations. Stella’s engagement presents a chance to showcase the rings from Kay Jeweler or another national chain as the couple chooses their rings.

As a non-profit agency, which helps military personnel and their dependants during crisis situations, there will be limitless opportunities to discreetly promote products and services. Whether it is home repair, telephone service, or in the case of the pilot episode, emergency support in the form of prepaid charge cards after a family who looses everything to a home fire, OHB will be able to effectively promote a diverse number products and services, while still being able to produce quality entertainment.. Sponsors will not only gain effective marketing for their products, but they will also gain the additional benefit of showing public support for the military, veterans and their families.



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