Regards,
Roy

I hadn’t thought of that — but yes, in a way. Product placement aims at getting into the context — the social and lifestyle context the brand wants to be associated with, as well as the context of use. So yes, insofar as broadcast media can do it. Come to think of it, using radio show hosts to read ads is also analogous to what social media might do to embed brands within the stream.

There is a significant difference, tho: broadcast placement isn’t authentic — the audience knows what’s going on. We know an ad is an ad, as we know a show is a show.

We haven’t yet successfully crossed the “fourth wall” yet in social media — which would be where members of the audience themselves become purveyors, sponsors, endorsers, and just plain fans.

thanks!

TV will only make the connection when social media enters that stream – where home computers are able to post videos. And RSS feeds bring you the entertainment you want – and so sponsored advertising would be possible based on search data (welcome Google into your home) and more general demographics.

Best marketing is word of mouth and real service. Comcast and Home Depot have gotten onto Twitter and so built their brand positively. That Kryptonite bike lock company was blown out of the water because they either didn’t monitor or didn’t respond to forum posts.

If GM and Detroit in general would get the hang of this stuff, we’d probably be getting cars that last more than a few years and are cheaper and safer.

By the same context – any politician who figures this out will soon become a lobbyist – because there’s more influence and possibility of making a difference when you have your finger on the pulse of what’s +actually+ going on….