Soap operas are best vehicle for product placement on TV

Soap operas and dramas would be the natural home for product placement on commercial television, according to research commissioned by Marketing Week.

Coronation Street
Coronation Street: Public would welcome product placement

When Lightspeed Research asked which type of programmes should contain product placement, 58% of people said soap operas.
Drama received a positive vote from 41% of the poll and sport from 37% (male only 43%). The thumbs down went to children’s programming, with a vote of 9%.

Only 36% of the poll thinks that product placement will impact on their enjoyment of programmes, but 81% don’t think seeing product placement on TV will influence their purchasing decision. For 18- to 34-year-olds, this figure shrinks to 77%. The online research drew 1,001 responses.
Product placement could provide commercial broadcasters with a much needed new revenue stream, although advertiser body ISBA has said that it is happy with the current system of unpaid prop placement.

The Government has said it will legislate for product placement but there will be a list of banned products, in particular alcohol and food and drinks high in fat, salt or sugar, along with gambling, smoking accessories, over-the-counter medicines and infant formula.