The product placement should grow up at the same time with the “Placement Planner”: the professional figure (adviser or agency) that studies any possible occasion for product placement, analyses, evalues and proposes them to his/her clients on the base of their profile, budget and aim. Well the bad news is that in Italy this does not happen as the Placement Planner does not exist. Really the chances to plan placements within shows, serials, movies, clips and videogames both in Italy as well abroad are concrete…it is only managed in quite an uncoordinated way, sometimes just supported by a PR activity or a few more. No structure is able to gather all the placement possibilities to propose them in a well-integrated planning of product placement that can use more productions as well more means. The other evening I was watching the Olympic Games and above all the curling game between Swiss and Danemark. Curling is a new and pleasant sport (a sort of bowling on ice): during the last edition in Turin many people have begun to appreciate this sport quite chic without being snob (as the Polo). Well I noticed two things during that game. The first is that there are quite a good number of updated fans; the other is that in a month there will be the World Men’s Curling Championship here in Italy… in Cortina to be precise. Unfortunately it is too late to think to exploit such an occasion to do some product placements; but if there had been a work of coordination, the organisers would have gathered funds not only through sponsorships but even through this channel. And the Companies would have been pleased….that night moreover, quite a quarter of an hour was dedicated to the make-up of the nice Danish athletes plus an unimprecise number os minutes to explain the technical equipment and more. An event, such as the World Championship, can be coonected to an incredible range of secondary initiatives, promotion activities and more, speaking in terms of placement big “windows” of great interest. I believe there will need time but the product placement will pass through the Planning Planner sooner or later.

 In Italy for some reasons people have not talked about it yet, but during these days the shooting of a new reality quite curious will begin, “Basketball Wives” (on line on VH1 since March the 15^th). Realised and produced by Shaunie O’Neal (Shaquille’s wife) before their separation, she has never thought to cancel her Show because such an unpleasant event in her private life, on the contrary the most ex-famous NBA wife has just changed a few details. Thus, instead of following the troubled life of the Basketball Wives, you could follow the daylife of fiancèes and ex-wives. In the cast there are Jennifer Williams (Eric Williams’ wife), Evelyn Lozada (ex-fiancèe of Antoine Walker), Mesha O’Neal (Jermaine O’Neal’s wife), Royce Reed, Faith Rain and Shaunie O’Neal. They drive luxurious cars, live in the most prestigious houses, wear the most expensive clothes, they represent the American dream. They are always looking for news, creativity, trends and anything else to show for first just to be recognised as trendsetters…. and lots of Italian Companies should profit of this incredible occasion with product placement actions.

 There is one way really sure to test product placement and its efficacy: the Super Bowl. The Super Bowl, at the beginning of February, represents one of the most followed programmes not only in the USA but in all the world. A great occasion for lots of Celebrities (actors, musicians, trendsetters, Vips, journalists and buyers) to exploit this catwalk to consolidate their image in a frame that talks more about costumes and fashion than sports.

However all these ShowBiz Stars use to relax, before their public apperance, in a lounge room full of interesting objects, accessories, personal gifts, electronic gadgets, clothing, jewels, etc. All these products have to be worn during the SuperBowl, the TV reportages (E!, News Live, Extra Entertainment Tonight, Fox, etc.) and the press reports (US Weekly, Life& Style, Daily Variety, Enterteinment Weekly, LA Confidential, Hollywood Reporter etc). Both when the VIPs wear these obejcts only for fitting or really in public, it is allowed to take pictures and use them for ads or marketing strategies. It is really a unique occasion for all those brands that want to propose or re-propose themselves on the USA market. The lounge room tradition is really an old one and well appreciated by the Stars. In the last edition of the SuperBowl, there were important Vips such as Winona Rider, Samuel Jackson, Paris Hilton, Eva Longoria, Paula Abdul, Debra Messing, Jason Lee, Patrick Dempsey, Kate Walsh, Teri Hatcher and more.

For 7 years he has made a spectacle of himself at the Tour de France, the most spectacular racing cycle in the world, watched by thousands of TV stations all around the world. After 3 years of inactivity, Lance Armstrong has come back to the tour to make product placement too. Before going to France he participated at the Tour of Italy where the promotional protocol was the same though with a minor impact on the international media. His aim was to give visibility to the project

But above all his t-shirt and bike, shot for hours, were the best promotional means.The address of the portal was in fact both on the bicycle frame as well on the t-shirt sleeve and even the sports journalists did not miss the chance to underline the importance of such an enterprise maybe considering its importance and all the PR work done behind.

A great operation, managed with professionality and efficiency from which there will lots to learn… by the way the portal is really excellent and I invite you to visit it.