Large Movie Distributor and a Term Paper

1.

Clinique and Sony invested in the Web Sitcom "Sufei's Diary" because they were trying to reach out to their target audience in non-traditional ways. Clinique has a small market share and this is a way to improve the market share by targeting an older, more upscale demographic because Sufei comes from a wealthy family. The Clinque products are actually used in the storyline (called product placement) and due to the popularity of the series, they can get into the minds of potential customers. Additionally, there are a number of other advantages, where the Sony followed this premise by having their products such as televisions and digital cameras used in the show. This is a way for a brand with a lot of competition to differentiate itself. Sony was also the producer of the video series, so they could also have name recognition at the beginning and ending of each episode, which is also a boon to Sony's plan as new people curious about the series might see this at the start of the episode. Clinque chose to work with the premise that the men watching would be more likely to buy Clinque products for their significant others. There may have been no other way to reach this type of customer, as traditional print advertising is generally in women-focused magazines. Other potential sponsors of this Chinese sitcom might use these same techniques, but there are only so many advertisers that could have product placement before it would overshadow the series itself.

2.

The personality and lifestyle of the men used in the product placement campaign are confident, well-to-do jet-setters who have a very active social life. They are similar to the "Most Interesting Man in the World" campaign that is probably modeled after the basic Jaguar idea. There is an attractive allure to any individual living this lifestyle of rubbing elbows with celebrities, exclusive clubs and locations, and using expensive products. These men are very confident, have successful careers, and may be surrounded by beautiful women. Thus both men and women alike are attracted him because of who he is and what he surrounds himself with. This man is a mini-celebrity himself within the small circle he fraternizes in.

3.A Jaguar XK was given to various people to be driven quite prominently in a number of cities. Those individuals were "real life" users of the vehicles who would go to local hotspots and talk up the car when they were seen. These are exclusively handsome men who dressed well. This is how the car was getting noticed as the target audience for this car generally frequents these exclusive establishments. By being in the midst of large groups of potential customers, this "real life" user, who is not promoting himself as a salesperson, is more likely to form a favorable relationship with those interested in it. Anyone could also try the vehicle if they asked the individual, thus forming impromptu test drives in a more relaxed setting. Beyond the people that are there to witness it first-hand, this strategy can also bring in "water cooler" talk that helps to spread the word through gossiping, much like any other celebrity story.

4. The limitations of these strategies are that these are all extremely targeted at a specific subset of the general population. The risk associated with product placement is that it could backfire and create a negative association with the product. This is primarily because some people do not like to be manipulated or deceived by having the products of Clinique, Sony and Jaguar appear as if they were chosen at random when they were not. There is a slight difference with Jaguar, as they are trying to be "better" than average, and thus could alienate a potential buyer who does not fit the lifestyle that is being touted in the advertising. Therefore there is a fine line that has to be constantly managed in order to prevent the technique from backfiring. Clinique and Sony have to also contend with the writers and avoid any other issues such as a controversial topic on the show such that….....