Ever watch a television show and notice the type of laptop being used or notice the brand of clothing that a character only wears? Some could say that it is accidental or that it was just a random selection by the filmmaker, but most would say that this is a specific tactic of marketing teams around the world.
Product placement has been used as a form of marketing for years upon years. Companies can slickly have a character drinking a can of Sprite, having the label pointed outwards so that the brand can be seen.
It never has to be blatant, but it can be noticed.
Who says this can’t be used in the world of online videos? Who says it hasn’t been implemented already?
With videos receiving millions of views, it could serve to benefit companies to implement product placement in videos. Most users that make the videos are often sipping on soda or mentioning specific brands already, so why not let it benefit the video maker and the company? By paying the user to use specific brands, they would be happy in getting payments for doing their usual thing, while the companies can promote their product without commercials.
However, a company must be careful to choose the right video. It would be quite a waste if a company were to choose a user that isn’t that popular or a user that typically downplays companies. If a user was chosen like that, then they could easily agree to the deal and then go on to rant about the company and the deal that they made, thus embarrassing the company.
Some could say that marketing tactics like these are ruining the entertainment industry, but in reality it has been there from the beginning. Even before laws prohibited it, tobacco companies would enlist a film to promote their cigarette by having the actor smoke only that brand, while often flashing the pack to show the label.
It could do little to help that company, but some could say that as the audience looks up to that actor, they may feel as if they should seek out the brands in which their celebrity is using. Whether it be conscious or not, we are all consumers living to find our next product, or next brand, our next lifestyle.