The Hindu Business Line : In-PRogramme placements

FOR the PR industry, it's the gift of the Magi. If not, then call it sheer coincidence. On one hand, the PR industry continues to gather arsenal to establish itself as a potent brand creation and marketing management tool. On the other, the effectiveness of advertising on a crucial mass platform like TV is declining. What's more, advertisers are being forced to rethink from an ROI point of view. Can there be a connect?

Yes, in-programme product placements weave in the virtues of PR wonderfully well. What was started by Procter & Gamble decades ago in the US is raining benefits on both marketers and broadcasters in India. Read on!

Till date, every discussion of in-programme placements has taken place in light of advertising campaigns and their ROI consequences. Not once have we spoken about this new tool in the context of public relations, which, like it or not, is slowly adorning the crown of integrated communications.

To start with, TV commercials have started showing lack of effectiveness. And things will only get worse. Here's a perspective - there were close to 3,906 brands being advertised on TV way back in 1994. This figure, as of 2004, stands close to 13,000. The figure has more than trebled. Again, the frequency of TV commercials showed a jump of 32 times last year as compared to 1995. From an advertiser's point of view, this clutter is a reason for worry. However, what actually fuels his anguish are the rising media costs. What is the best option then? Well, simple! Get inside the content of the programme.

But first, let's understand why in-programme works. For decades now, and obviously, there has been a constant rift between the advertising and content/editorial professionals. It's a different story though that probably this has been one of basic reasons why these two marketing specialisations have prospered to the level they are today.

Somewhere down the line, we all are aware that editorial or content endorsement works better for a consumer. Simply put, it appears more credible. This is because within our minds, we have been programmed to `adsorb' and not absorb ad campaigns. In other words, we tend not to accept the advertising messages at face value. Even more important, the average consumer feels that the information presented in advertisements is one-sided and many a time does not present alternatives. It does not tell the whole story, and more often than not, is misleading. This has often been a bottleneck with advertising messages.

Secondly, rarely would you find an advertising campaign talking about the product/service in detail. Further, the emphasis is too much on the `creative excellence' aspect. Often, we do not realise that for a consumer to be convinced about a product, it simply works best when he is given a feel of the entire package.

In contrast, blending the product/brand with the theme of the TV programme works wonders and goes a long way in the credibility measure. It is far away from the airtime we all call an ad break. More so, it is a part and parcel of the content that you as a viewer are so involved with. This is precisely what PR aims to achieve in its approach. Show the customer and the end consumer the true picture. Unravel the experience and let him take an informed decision which will be sound and sustainable.

In-programme placements are for all, and here size (of your organisation/brand) really does not matter. Whichever TV channel provides scope for desired viewership, the trick is to get inside the content. We saw this very effectively tackled in the recent milestone of the Indian TV industry - Indian Idol. Airtel, Nokia, Lays, ICICI Bank, name it, they were all there. Each's success, if analysed rationally, came about because they were not a part of ad breaks. They were inside the content. At this juncture, however, it may be interesting to note that if one schedules an ad campaign just after the brand was featured in the content, the brand recall goes up by as high as 22 per cent.

At this stage, one might bring in a new perspective of measurement. The concept of in-programme placements bring in huge benefits for the industry. Yet, there is no system to measure and bring in a value structure to it. Commercially, for advertisers, it definitely has brought in freshness to audience ROI. Having tasted early success, advertisers are going the whole hog to make the kill. It's economical and the attributes of PR bring in the much-needed success in the snakes-and-ladders game of brand recall. But obviously, advertisers would definitely want to refer to a cost structure.

For broadcasters, it has brought in new sources of revenues, not just from big-time regular advertisers but also small-time or even first-timers. For them, cash inflow is all that matters - and why not? The interesting point, however, is that you would not see a broadcaster so keen on adopting a value or a cost structure. The answer is very simple - the value-add that in-programme provides is definitely far effective and scientific as compared to what an ad break would yield. The broadcaster is very well aware of the PR benefits that are so intricately woven within the platform (read: content) that he has for sale. It is precious and he knows it can well be the goose that lays golden eggs. This provides the broadcaster with ample scope to manipulate the fee that he would charge from advertisers.

Now then, let's connect this development with how it will benefit the PR industry.

First, let's simplify PR - what we know as public relations. What if we replace `public' with `target audience?' Voila! What we get is Target Audience Relations. Needless to say, this makes the objective of every communication initiative so clear. PR can be communications anytime, anywhere and in any way, other than advertisements. Brand communication (read: conversation) with our target audience can not only happen through news coverage but even through product/brand placements while watching a news bulletin, a family serial, a music concert, cricket match and what not. What echoed as `The PR era cometh' a decade ago can today be re-written as marketing having entered the era of PR. Let's start by asking what the objectives of the PR industry today are: a) create or build brands b) sustain brands c) And bring in the "tangible" element to it - ensure that perception management yields something positive and that is measurable.

a) Advertiser Client: Like earlier, for in-programme placements, the size of your client really does not matter. Break the monotony of staid news coverage. Get into something new, innovative, effective yet entertaining. Call it infotainment, why not? In place of press conferences across cities, ask your client to consider spending that money in TV programme placements instead. Suggest suitable programmes that should suit the brand attributes so that it reaches out to the desired target audience. This can be far more effective and economical for your client. As PR agencies, you bring in true value-adds that will help your clients get that much closer to the consumers. Rest assured, clients will appreciate this.

b) Broadcaster Client: Today broadcasters, with their programme product houses, are juggling ways to ensure that they attract the best combination of brands for the maximum possible revenues. How about working on a story line around VLCC or a Lux? Why don't we introduce ICICI Bank here in this scene? Maybe it's a good idea if Mini Mathur opens the next episode of Indian Idol with a pack of Lays in her hands. The more placements are being used inside content, the more it asserts the effectiveness of PR that creates sound brand recall. If you are a PR agency, work with your client towards innovative story ideas to attract the moolah. No, this is not bookish. Make a beginning, the clients will applaud you for this.

Lastly, if you yourself are a client, pick up that phone and call your agency for a meeting now. Don't even talk about press coverage status or the next product launch announcement. Talk innovation. Talk infotainment. Familiarise your agency with the value-adds you expect - and it can be through any tool. Encourage them to think out of the box. Get into brand creation and sustain it. Product placements is the latest `intelligent way.'

(The author is Head (Corporate Communications) and Associate Director, Eikona PR Track, TAM Media Research.)

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