Product Placement Entering Online Video Space

March 9, 2016December 14, 2020 Matthew O'Brien

Let’s face it. We are all tired of traditional commercials. So much so that we fast-forward through them while watching our favorite recorded shows. We will pay a subscription not to hear advertisements on satellite radio. So, how do advertisers get our attention? – Product Placement.

Product Placement has been around since TV was invented – they didn’t call them soap operas for anything – P&G Laundry detergents sponsored them starting in the 1930s.

One of the most famous product placements was the candy used to lure ET. What kind of candy would an alien enjoy the most? M&Ms turned down the opportunity, much to the delight of the Hershey Company. Hershey spent $1 million for the rights to promote their new candy, Reese’s Pieces. The company reported a 65% increase in profits just two weeks after the film’s premiere. (source)

Product Placement has even made it into Late Night television. Both Jimmy Fallon and Stephen Colbert show have product placements for various advertisers. And not all advertisers have to pay for their spots – Apple reportedly doesn’t pay for its iMac Placement (source), and Stephen Colbert was not paid for his 6-minute advertisement of Telsa. (source)

But as more people are moving to watch online videos – product placement is making its move. Josh Levya, a YouTube sensation, seems to be the king of product placement. He hosted a Royal Caribbean Adventure series as wells as a Microsoft Windows 10 series. Another hit series is the NERF Official ‘Nerf on the Job’ series. NERF integrates their product into an office setting. These full commercials feel more like their own TV show with different characters, plot twists, and drama. Video Series with product placement is definitely fast becoming the new trend.

But how much money are these companies making on YouTube videos? SocialBlade has the answers. SocialBlade not only breaks it down by YouTuber but estimates how much each video earned per day. Check out Josh Leyva’s and Nerf’s estimated earnings. Don’t forget, Nerf makes money on their products too – these numbers are just from people watching their videos.

Think you’re ready to make a move to video? Contact MINT Social for more information on video marketing.

Matthew O'Brien

With over 20 years of experience in the digital media world, Matthew has worked for and with Fortune 500 businesses and has built companies from the start-up stage to exit strategy. He recently helped develop a data insight engine to bridge the gap between search, social, and mobile marketing to maximize the visibility, relevancy, and predictive success of online businesses. Matthew is the founder of MINT Social, an award-winning digital marketing company that accelerates online marketing results to help businesses get found and thrive online. Matthew has developed an educational curriculum for Universities on social media for businesses, is a founding board member of the Arizona Innovation Marketing Association (AZIMA), a board member of HeroZona Foundation and on the advisory board (Vinnies) for St. Vincent de Paul - Phoenix. Matthew is a mentor with ASU Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group, a speaker on social media and digital marketing, and is a subject matter expert with many online portals.