How to get your product in front of millions of potential customers

It doesn't take a Hollywood budget to get a product placement deal
A  home-makeover reality show called Home Free is currently in production, and being hosted by celebrity contractor Mike Holmes (the guy from Holmes on Homes).

The prime time show begins airing on the Fox network, and one of the episodes featured a product from a Kleber & Associates client—Feeney CableRail architectural railing systems.

This is an example of a marketing tactic known as Product Placement, and it’s a great way for brands to gain media exposure, without the cash outlay of a large ad buy or sponsorship.

product placement for building materials products

What is Product Placement?

Product placement is the appearance of brand names, products or services within the context of a movie or TV show. So instead of simply running a commercial, advertisers get their products integrated into the show itself—as part of the storyline, the props, or set decoration.

When most people think of “product placement,” they think movies and multi-million-dollar marketing budgets. Iconic scenes such as E.T. following a trail of Reese’s Pieces or Superman crashing through a Times Square Coca-Cola sign don’t just happen by accident—movie studios have entire offices dedicated to product placement and brand integration. Producers do everything they can to woo major advertisers, including rewrite scripts and change background scenery.

But not all product placement deals require a big Hollywood budget. In fact, 80% of product placement arrangements are for commercial TV programming, and Kleber & Associates has been on top of this trend for years.

Programming Opportunities

Since This Old House debuted on PBS in 1979, there have been countless TV shows built around home renovation, decoration and design, gardening, outdoor living and cooking (in other words, shows that are potentially a perfect fit for Kleber & Associates’ clients). When the HGTV Network launched in 1994, several critics wondered if it was too narrowly focused. The New York Times asked, “Is America ready for all-home TV?” But today, HGTV is a top-ten cable network, featuring shows like Property Brothers, Flip or Flop, House Hunters, and Love It or List It.

Of course, HGTV isn’t the only game in town for building materials marketers. Kitchen design products and appliances can also be integrated into programming on Food Network and The Cooking Channel. Then there’s DIY Network, The Learning Channel (TLC), and of course PBS.

It’s Who You Know

Through our relationships with producers and production companies as well as the publishing and media companies that own the networks and programming, Kleber & Associates is able to stay abreast of new shows and opportunities for our clients. We’ve brokered product placements on multiple highly rated shows, including The Apprentice, Good Eats, and Bob Vila’s Home Again.

On the syndicated show Livin’ Large, our client Studiobecker was featured building a gigantic custom closet for the show’s host, Carmen Electra. Then in 2014, K&A negotiated a similar deal with the DIY Network to feature WoodTrac closet systems on Rev Run’s Renovation.

Other product placements don’t actually mention the brand names on air. For example, appliances from Elmira Stove Works are regularly featured on Rachel Ray’s show, 30 Minute Meals, and Nadia G’s Bitchin’ Kitchen, at a fraction of the cost of a full endorsement.

In these instances, stills from the show and of the celebrity host can be featured in digital marketing efforts, multiplying the impact of the original placement.

Yet another type of product placement is news coverage—getting a product featured by network reporters or news anchors.

Editorial Coverage

For our client Mr. Steam, K&A negotiated a four-minute live demonstration of the Allegro Sauna on Fox & Friends, featuring an interview with the company’s CEO sitting with the hosts inside a steam cabinet.

Each of these placements were accomplished thanks to K&A’s strong relationships with the media. To find out about potential placement deals for your building product brand, give us a call. You may be surprised by the affordable cost, and by the potential ROI.