(1) The concept of product placement Product placement, also known as product placement marketing, refers to the strategic integration of products or brands and their representative visual symbols and even service content into movies, TV series or In TV program content, through the reproduction of scenes, the audience can leave an impression of the product and brand, thereby achieving the purpose of marketing. Product placement advertising and media carriers integrate with each other to jointly construct a part of the audience's real life or ideal situation, and quietly instill product or service information into the audience in a non-advertising manner without the audience's awareness. Because of its hidden characteristics, product placement is also called embedded advertising or soft advertising.

It can be seen from this definition that product placement in TV dramas is to embed product or brand information into TV dramas, temporarily making the audience forget the utilitarianism behind it, and indulge in the enjoyment and entertainment of TV dramas. Perception leads the audience to the marketed product. It downplays the commercial characteristics of traditional advertising, making it easier for the audience to accept product or brand-related information unconsciously, making their memory more lasting.

(2) The development status of product placement in TV dramas

The emergence of product placement in TV dramas stems from the fact that various businesses provide free products as backgrounds and props for TV dramas, integrating the products into the plot. , to achieve the purpose of driving product marketing. The earliest product placement in a TV series in China was "The Story of the Editorial Office" starring Ge You and Lu Liping in the 1990s. The show used the form of product placement for the first time and aired an ad for the Bailong mineral water pot. In recent years, with the success of product placement in TV series such as "Struggle", "Who's in Charge of My Youth" and "Country Love", product placement in TV series has achieved rapid development in China. In "Struggle" and "Who's in Charge of My Youth", a large number of Audi cars are mentioned, which earns Audi enough gimmicks; and in "Country Love", from the "big black Mercedes-Benz" in the first part to the domestic sedan "Chinese Junjie", from the Mengniu Future Star in Xie Dajiao Supermarket to "A pound of milk a day strengthens the Chinese" on the wall, TV drama product placement has long been "deep in the bone marrow".

(3) Forms of product placement in TV dramas

The performance space of product placement in TV dramas is very broad. Many forms of product placement can be seen in TV dramas. Common forms include: Prop implantation, line implantation and storyline implantation.

Prop placement means that products or brands appear in TV dramas in the form of props. This form is more suitable for products that already have a certain brand awareness. New products or new brands lack recognition. The image hardly grabs the audience's attention. For example, in the TV series "Struggle", the men will buy a pack of "Dianba Zhongnanhai" in every episode, whether they are sad or happy. Here "Dianba Zhongnanhai" only appears in the form of props, but it really became popular with the help of "Struggle".

Line placement, that is, the product or brand name appears in the lines of the TV series. In the TV series "Struggle", a large number of lines mention Audi. For example, Xu Zhisen said to his vice president: "Without the company's cultivation for you, how could you drive an Audi A8 to work." And in "Who Makes the Call in My Youth" , Qian Xiaoyan used Audi "A5" and "Q7" to call the two men pursuing her sister. The implantation of lines subtly allows the audience to accept the meaning and connotation represented by the brand.

Story plot implantation means that the product or brand is no longer just a prop, but the content or even clues for the development of the story. The product or brand has become part of the story. For example, in the popular online drama "Love Apartment", the story of Yida between Zhang Wei and Qin Yumo, here "Yida" is no longer a prop, but a clue to the story.

The above are the main forms of product placement in TV dramas. With the development of product placement, new forms will appear. Choosing a suitable form of advertising is the key to advertising.

2. Advantages and problems of product placement in TV series

(1) Advantages of product placement in TV series

Advertising in TV series is highly sought after by sponsors. Due to its unique communication advantages, these advantages make product placement marketing more effective.

1. The product placement in TV dramas allows products to face market segments

The product placement in TV dramas allows products to directly face market segments, making information delivery more targeted. Compared with the characteristics of traditional hard advertising such as fatigue bombing, forced viewing, high preaching, poor timeliness, and low audience acceptance, product placement advertising is much softer.

Audiences can choose to watch different TV series according to their own wishes, which greatly reduces resistance and defensiveness against advertising.

2． Advertising placement in TV series is covert

Advertising placement in TV series is covert. Manufacturers can circumvent the restrictions of relevant laws and regulations and promote products such as cigarettes and spirits that cannot be advertised originally. For example, in the TV series "Struggle", everyone loved to smoke Dimba Zhongnanhai. Cigarettes became popular through the TV series. This is undoubtedly a successful example.

3. The halo-like influence of TV drama product placement

TV drama product placement uses the effect of TV dramas or celebrities to place the brand in the plot, forming a behavioral model for consumers and deepening the brand's influence. to gain brand association and ultimately win widespread recognition and increase brand value. For example, in the TV series "Struggle", Audi becomes a symbol of successful people's status. Whether it is Xu Zhisen's remarks or Yang Xiaoyun's discussion of Audi and Alto, they have a profound impact on consumers' perception of the brand.

(2) Problems with product placement in TV dramas

The successful use of product placement in TV dramas has led to more and more companies, media, advertising companies, etc. using it extensively . In recent years, product placement in TV dramas has made great progress in our country, but there are still some problems.

1. The implanted brand is blunt and arouses the audience's disgust

The implanted requirements are relatively subtle. If it suddenly appears in front of the audience and is inconsistent with the plot, it will arouse the audience's resentment. In the TV series "Smile in My Heart", the heroine Xiang Tianwei uses a certain brand of MP3 player. The emotional entanglement caused by this MP3 player and the male protagonist lasted for about five episodes, which the audience pointed out as "rude".

2． Implanting too many brands

Placement advertising is a kind of advertising that does not look like advertising. It cannot arouse the disgust of the audience, and it cannot make the advertising message even glimmering, leaving no impression on the audience. However, too much brand placement will not only create a strong impression on a certain brand, but also cause resentment among the audience. Hunan Satellite TV's "Invincible Ugly Girl" made the Chinese people realize for the first time that advertising placement can be so indiscriminate and bombarded everywhere, including food, drinks, shampoo, contact lenses, accessories, bank credit cards, websites, shower gel... …In this 36-episode TV series, more than 30 brands*** created tens of millions of yuan in product placement advertising revenue.

3. The frequency of implantation is too high

Placement advertising is implanted in TV series, and when the TV series turns into a large commercial, this will turn the advantage of product placement into a disadvantage. The numerous product placements in the TV series "Country Love Story" disgusted the audience. For example, a close-up shot of a certain dairy product lasted for more than 45 seconds. In addition, every episode has a shot of a certain brand of car driving through a shallow pond and splashing water. , the whole village drives cars of the same brand, and driving them together is like holding a car show. Such high-frequency advertising placement will arouse the audience's resistance.

3. Strategies for product placement in TV dramas (1) Content first, advertising second

The brand must be consistent with the positioning of the work, which is the basic requirement for product placement marketing . A typical example of failure should be in the TV series "Let's Watch the Meteor Shower". Murong Yunhai is the heir to a well-known company, but the car he drove when he debuted was a domestic sedan, which shocked people.

Appear reasonably rather than exist rigidly. I have to mention "Let's Watch the Meteor Shower" again. The heroine Chu Yuxun in the play always likes to wash her hair with a certain brand of shampoo when she is sad. There is even a 5-minute hair washing scene in one episode. This plot shocked the audience. Breathe hard.

(2) Fully consider the target population

That is, whether there is any overlap between the advertiser’s target consumers and the TV series’ target audience analysis. This is a priority when using product placement. problem. It is obviously inappropriate to embed IT products in a TV series targeting housewives. The separation of the target audience will result in ineffective or inefficient advertising.

(3) Product placement should consider the characteristics of the brand or product itself

Although product placement is an effective way of transmitting information, it is not a product of any kind. Using this method will achieve good information dissemination effects. Therefore, we must first start from the characteristics of the product itself to determine whether it is suitable for product placement.

First of all, because product placement is a relatively covert method of information dissemination, this method is more suitable for old brands in the middle and late stages of the company's product life cycle, and is less suitable for new brands in the brand introduction period. When a brand is in the introduction stage, consumers are relatively unfamiliar with the brand and may not notice the implanted brand products at all; while when the brand is in the middle and late stages of the brand life cycle, the brand has already penetrated deeply into consumers. Internally, product placement can consolidate consumers' memory and understanding of the brand's products.