Insert Your Device Name (Here) with Product Placement

Sales skyrocketed after Reese's Pieces appeared in E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial (Photo credit: Jason at clicker.com)

All in an episode’s work?

Sure, product placement is nothing new. Hate it or love it, it cannot be ignored. But, one thing is for sure, there is no denying its impact.

Remember the yellow, orange and brown candy that made its big appearance during the movie E.T.? Although Reese’s Pieces were introduced in the market in 1979, it was not until 1982, when the blockbuster E.T.: The Extra-Terrestrial featured the candy, that it instantly became wildly popular. Sales of the peanut butter-flavored candy shot up 65% in June, the month after the movie’s release.

Product Placement is a Smart Creative Strategy for Pharma and Devices

Fast forward almost 30 years to now, product placement is everywhere. Products like Vicodin, NuvaRing, Cipro and Ambien, among others, have been cleverly woven into plot lines numerous times in shows like Scrubs, Grey’s Anatomy and Private Practice. According to Nielsen, from 2006 to 2010, there were more than 5,300 product placement occurrences across 12 major broadcast cable networks in prime time. When done right, visual, verbal and usage product placements provide an opportunity to put your brand or product in a place that will be viewed, right in the middle of that “sitting on the edge of your seat, prime time moment.”

Here’s what you should know about product placement for drugs and devices:

1. The Right Fit:
Medical related television shows staff full-time medical writers and call on partnering physicians and device companies whenever it makes sense to have a prescription or device as part of the plot. Prime time product placement can be the result of negotiations or even sheer luck. In many instances, producers incorporate products after the script is written, with a procedure already in mind — meaning the editors are possibly already looking for your product. They seek you out, and that equals no cost to you.

2. Making It Work:
Set designers and script writers seamlessly weave everyday products into prime time stories. When our client, KCI, was approached by The Sopranos for use of their new V.A.C.^® Therapy product, we worked hand in hand with the editor and writers to ensure the product was used appropriately both in script and on set. To ensure accuracy and authenticity, a team of technical advisors, product experts (you) and writers work together to showcase products in their truest environment, using the correct language, techniques and people. Products used must be real and relevant. During an episode of Private Practice, ABC’s popular medical drama, Dr. Addison Montgomery says, “I did some research and found a new protocol… on this machine, the da Vinci… I’d be able to cut in ways that I’d never be able to do freehand.” Almost 8 million viewers watched the da Vinci machine in action.

3. Investment and Payoff:
Compared to ad buys, product placement is a minimal investment with a potentially high ROI. Additionally, due to the dramatic show settings, like hospitals, the demand for cutting edge, expensive props offers an accessible venue for cost-effective exposure. In one instance, the producers of ER discovered the CereTom online and immediately incorporated it into the script. After the CereTom machine’s appearance on ER, website traffic increased by 60% over the following month, and their sales department received 10 direct inquiries for the $330,000 product.

As healthcare marketers, in a world of savvy, no-nonsense clinical decision makers, we must be creative and bold in our approach. We must continually seek to cut through the clutter and reach those potential influencers and users in unexpected ways.