Product placement requires involvement

As a parent and marketing lawyer, I am extremely conscious of product placement and integration in entertainment. In fact, my children are good at pointing out clear paid-for placements while watching television or (whispering) in the movies. There is no doubt that alternative marketing strategies such as product placement and product integration are dramatically increasing. Recently, Stamford, Conn.-based PQ Media LLC, in its Global Product Placement Forecast indicated that paid product placement spending increased 42.2% to $2.21 billion in 2005, and continued growth is predicted for this year. One of the primary reasons for the increase in product placement is the fact that television users are filtering out traditional advertising through the use of their DVRs, watching DVD releases of television programs and other digital means. Other types of event based or event-creating promotions are also increasing as marketers try to take their message directly to the public.