Product Placement

When Ellen DeGeneres, hostess of the 2014 annual Academy Awards (better known as the Oscars), seemingly spontaneously gathered some of the most recognizable global celebrities to take a photo with her, millions of viewers around the world noticed not only beautiful dresses and wonderful smiles but also a shiny Samsung smart phone that was used to take the photo. As part of its sponsorship deal with the Oscars, Samsung negotiated with the ABC network to have its ­Galaxy smart phone integrated into the show. The phone was integrated quite successfully, and DeGeneres’s photo became one of the most retweeted photos ever. Such outcome is every product placement manager’s dream. Product placement is strategic integration into an event or a show so as not to be ...