Last Updated: May 5, 2011
Product placement is becoming increasingly common on television stations in the Arab world. But should viewers be told when a can of soda pictured in their favourite soap opera is, in fact, an advertisement?
The UK has some of the strictest rules on product placement in the media but it has lifted a ban on the practice, allowing advertisers to pay for their goods to be seen on British TV.
But broadcasters must inform viewers when a programme contains product placement, by displaying the letter "p" in the corner of the screen at the start and end of a show.
click here to read the article
We asked three regional media executives: Do we need similar regulation in the Middle East?
Lance de Masi, the president of the UAE chapter of the International Advertising Association: "My view is that the "p" isn't necessary neither in the UK nor anywhere else. Products would not be accepted for placement unless there were a conceptual marriage between the product [and] its positioning … As the integration should be so strong, I believe that it is folly to talk about 'alerting' consumers to the presence of products. About what else would one suggest that they be alerted?"
Mazen Hayek, the group director of PR and commercial at the MBC Group: "We would love to start walking before running in that area. It's still too early to talk about [product placement being] misleading. But we will look at it, especially if it is adopted by large multinational advertisers, regulatory bodies, and if it is also adopted by other broadcasters globally."
David Butorac, the chief executive of the Orbit Showtime Network: "I'm certainly not adverse to brand-funded content and product placement, but it needs to be done subtly and responsibly. It's recognised as a legitimate part of advertising. The UK rules were among the strictest in the world, and here there isn't that regulatory insistence. So it is not something that I'd anticipate being a requirement in this region."
No comments:
Post a Comment