Editorial
The Gist
- Streaming surge. Product placement in streaming services and personalization in marketing is revolutionizing how we shop while we watch.
- Viral hits. Product placement can gain unexpected traction, turning accidental moments into marketing gold.
- Omnichannel win. Omnichannel marketing extends to streaming, tailoring offers across platforms for a seamless experience.
James Dean, Steve McQueen, Marlon Brando. What do all these legendary actors have in common? Well, a lot. But for the purposes of this article, we will go with their common, simple yet iconic wardrobe choice. A plain, white T-shirt.
Now let's talk about product placement marketing in streaming services.
Huh? Let me explain.
It’s the summer of 2022 and a brand-new TV show titled "The Bear" has graced the HULU landscape. The show follows a young man who is an experienced chef, who returns home to run his family sandwich shop after a devastating death in the family. In the pilot episode of the show, Jermey Allen White wears a Dean-McQueen-Brando type white T-shirt.
Soon after the pilot aired, internet sleuths took to reddit, TikTok and Instagram to discuss the origin of this T-shirt. Many loved the aesthetic and wanted to know where they could purchase it, because — why not, right? There’s nothing like a form-fitting, stoic-shaped piece of clothing that matches most of our style aesthetic preferences — and sure enough, the internet did its job like it typically does, and found the source of the familiar famed white T-shirt.
OK, so what’s the point, right?
Here’s the point. Product placement has always been "a thing." Since the 1920s, brand leaders have always yearned to place products in areas where consumers' eyeballs are glued. Placing products this way provides the brand a way to incorporate what they sell in a setting where consumer emotions and attention spans are heightened, which in turn — typically yields conversions.
So, what’s the big deal here, right?
Imagine watching "The Bear," seeing that white T-shirt and being able to purchase it directly through the streaming service that you’re watching it on.
Wait, what? Come again? That’s right — the world of digital commerce will soon make its way into our favorite TV shows, content and streaming services. Recently, I discussed why TikTok would likely change the ecommerce game through its newly enabled commerce ads and experiences integrated into their social media app (Native Advertising at its finest, am I right?).
Now, enter streaming services like HULU, Disney+, Netflix, Sling, Max and more. These curators of bingeworthy content are constantly looking for new ways to generate engagement and revenue, and they may have hit pay dirt with incorporating product placement for purchase and personalization in marketing within their streaming environment.
In fact, Netflix already has an ecommerce webstore enabled — where consumers can sort, filter and purchase by their favorite shows. It’s only a matter of time before Netflix and others create streaming experiences that allow you to pause the show, select a T-shirt or other product, add it to a checkout cart — and complete your purchase. Pretty great, right? You bet it’s great product placement marketing.
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But, within this new commerce channel opportunity, how exactly will this type of experience come to life? I mean, sure — some brands can pay to have their products placed alongside TV shows. But in our example around "The Bear," it just happened to be dumb luck that the T-shirt went viral. How can brands take advantage of unplanned successes like this?
Here are three areas to consider as this new commerce channel opportunity starts to take shape and become a reality (we aren’t there yet).
Related Article: Redefining Personalization in Marketing: How AI Is Changing the Game
AI in Product Placement in Streaming Services
I know I know; I likely sound like a broken record bringing AI into the conversation, but in this use case, it actually is needed. Traditionally, brands pay for their placement of products in TV shows. That trend will continue, of course.
But what will also accompany that traditonal marketing strategy will be the ability for the viewer to purchase that product within the streaming service. Think of this as an Amazon.com of the Netflix world, if you will. Netflix could become a massive marketplace of products from their various TV shows that consumers will be nudged to purchase directly when watching the show. Want this pair of shoes? Pause the show, use your remote, click on the shoes, add them to your cart and abracadabra, they land on your doorstep and are on your feet in two days. These streaming services will need to make investments into commerce platforms and find ways to integrate them into their existing viewing experiences that feel intuitive, natural and easy to navigate; but if done correctly, the upside of increased viewers, lifetime value and of course, revenue, will be massive.
Related Article: AI in Marketing: More Personalization in the Next Decade
Style and Behavior Curated Content
Netflix and others already recommend shows and movies based on numerous factors such as what you’ve previously watched, how long you’ve watched it, what you search for, what time of year it is and so much more. Moving forward in their newly-enabled commerce world, shows will be suggested based on style and product preferences, in collaboration with genre preferences. A carefully-crafted cocktail of what makes us, us will be used to cue up products that are likely to resonate based upon our preferences. Oh, and it’s not just products! Experiences will be sold, too. See a beach that looks tranquil? Book your trip here. Want to visit a restaurant featured in a cooking reality TV show? Make a reservation here. The possibilities for product placement and experience marketing here are truly endless.
Related Article: What’s Coming Next Decade for AI in Marketing?
Unified Synergy of Commerce
The unification of commerce really boils down to one main statement. Be where your customer is, and when you’re there — create an experience that (regardless of what channel) is perfectly curated based upon their previous experience behavior. The idea is for brands to digest what customers tell you about their buying habits, style preferences and behaviors — and, in turn, position products and services based upon these inputs, where brands and consumers have a dialogue, not a monologue.
Applying this omnichannel customer experience to streaming services will be 100% necessary. Leveraging dynamic retargeting omnichannel marketing campaigns through email, social, SMS and more will tee up products and experiences that consumers may have seen in their favorite TV shows.
Imagine this. You watch a reality TV show that features various must-see destinations around the country. As you watch, there are certain episodes you love, and watch over and over. In this situation, the streaming service knows what you’re watching and should leverage dynamic marketing campaigns to offer you the ability to visit that one destination that you watch over and over. The next time you check your email, an offer is there to book a trip and visit it with a meet and greet of their executive chef. The next time you log into the streaming service, that same offer is there. The next time you look to change/upgrade your streaming service, that offer is there.
This is what the future will look like. Brands need to embrace the idea of thinking differently, yes — but more so, realizing that being where their target customers are has never been more important.
Of course, as with anything, there’s a ton of work (specifically technology implementations and integrations) behind the scenes that needs to happen to make this type of product placement a reality. But remember, when the Apple Vision Pro came out, everyone said “nobody will pay or use that” — then, Meta recently released its Ray-Ban Smart Glasses collaboration and something that seemed unusable, became much more of a reality.
The conventional way of selling products and experiences holds no timeline or boundaries. I encourage you and all brands to break free from the traditional ways of interacting and selling products to your customers and, as one of the most infamous white T-shirt wearers once said, “Make them an offer they can’t refuse.”
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