Burger King marketing director sees success with product placement
Burger King’s UK marketing director has said that the change in product placement rules will only be a success if brands can find a ‘credible reason’ to feature on particular programmes.
Sarah Power, marketing director for Burger King UK and Ireland also said that the changes in product placement rules on television in the UK presented “an interesting opportunity for marketers” and that she believed most would be “thrilled” by the government’s ruling.
Last week, The Government annouced a relaxation on the regulations restricting product placement on UK television, although placement of alcohol, tobacco and fat or sugar-laden foods will not be allowed.
“Certainly in the short term it could help drive incremental revenue for the TV station, as well as product awareness for the marketers,” explained Power.
“For product placement to be a success though, there needs to be a clear, credible reason for using a particular product on a particular programme so that key messages or USPs are succinctly communicated. It shouldn’t just be about audience figures alone and getting your product in front of as many people as possible.”
Power added that each product placement opportunity should be assessed carefully but that if the right opportunity arose, it would certainly be something that Burger King would consider as long as it followed HFSS regulations.
“Additionally, measuring the impact of product placement is a challenge in itself and marketers will have a job in working out return on investment versus more traditional sponsorship,” concluded Power.
Sarah Power sat on the panel for at the Drum Marketing Awards last week.