Pitchman in Disguise, Drama
    Young candidates in the popular talent-contest, Superstar K2, sit around a table and choose what to eat for breakfast. There are several boxes of instant curry well organized on a kitchen shelf. ‘Which one is the best?’ ‘Demi curry. But there’s no chicken one.’ ‘Why?’ ‘It is so popular we ate all of them.’ Why does every program seem to change into a huge commercial? What is happening in Korea’s broadcasting industry? There are many examples. They buy gifts at a drugstore and hold a birthday party at a bakery shop. Products, whose brand names are exposed without any blur were shown. They actually vocalize the brand names. Viewers of this program complained that this commercial-like moment was PR of M net’s parent company CJ group’s affiliates. Furthermore, MC Kim Sung-ju counts down in a strange way. ‘Set, dul, hana, zero!’ (three, two, one, zero). This moment was for mentioning their supporting global company, Coca Cola’s product.

What Is PPL?
   Think about your daily life: have you ever had a day without any ads? As you wake up, ads are popping up here and there until you turn off the lights. People are constantly overwhelmed with ads. From the cereal box on your table to flashing banner ads on your favorite website and even on SNS, everything around us is filled with marketing strategy. Don’t you feel tired of all these?
    In this age of rising advertisement saturation, television commercials lose verisimilitude or credibility. Therefore, marketing strategists have to find unorthodox ways of making a breakthrough to push products. Stealth marketing, especially product placement, was introduced for those jaded consumers. The theory is that marketing is effective when consumers do not know it is marketing ploy. Companies give cash to the program producers for the casual positioning of company’ product. In other words, it is "the purposeful incorporation of a brand into an entertainment vehicle" such as audio and/or visual means within mass media programming. It is mutually beneficial to both producers and company executives. 

Why Did It Become So Common on TV Abruptly?

 
    Until recent days, there has been green tape covering the brand name periodically. Also, it was not hard to find censored images on the television screens. So, what has happened in the past year?
    Korea Communications Commission allowed indirect commercial ads in order to increase terrestrial radio broadcasting business operators’ ability to attract commercial ads and to increase the market. The new Enforcement Decree of the Broadcasting Act was established on Jan 26, 2010. This was proposed because of the black market of PPL. For the first time, a broadcasting company did not push hard on product placement in order to avoid NGOs and viewers’ criticism. However, product placement overflows on the screen these days.
    Although there is regulation on PPL, that is below 5% of the whole broadcasting time of a program, and under a quarter of the screen size is allowed only for entertaining and sophistication programs, covert PPL still exists illegally. According to KOBCO, there are eight programs warned from May 2010, to January 2011.
    In order to solve this problem, broadcasting companies and program producers should actualize the guidelines for gain-sharing and for audiences. For instance, Ofcom, British media regulation recently announced that warning P logo is designed to warn audiences the presence of product placement in the program.

Pros and Cons

 
    There have been many changes in broadcasting culture after the deregulation. For business, this is one of the best forms of embedded marketing. Audiences are tired of ads aired in between programs. Therefore, this can be a refreshing method of marketing to make viewers unconsciously accept the brand image. For instance, a high-end leather bag, which an actress had on a drama, became a best seller of the brand and they had no more stocks in Korea to be sold.
    In addition, producers take money and build plots around a certain brand of product. Therefore, at any time, the product can be disposed as much as the story line allows: companies can save hefty ad budget. Plus, it can improve the quality of the program. Producers can tighten their budget in making works that they want. As increasing cooperation investment unburdens the anxiety and they can make each scene of better quality.
    However, there are also negative points. First, if a program is not suitable to the brand, there are bound to be negative effects. For example,‘A’education company’s brand image was attacked severely by its sponsoring drama’s plot of illicit love which was abruptly changed as the story is unfolded.
    Second, many businesses are being criticized tinkering with consumers’ minds to buy the product. Furthermore, willy-nilly PPL lowers the quality of the program and could do harm to the company. Also, this could be backfired in marketing strategies, resulting in consumers too wary. 
 

 
    These days it is clear that we are not free from being exposed to stealth marketing. Therefore, there should be appropriate barriers and strict standards legislated to protect consumers. Nevertheless, viewer’s own decision is the most essential. Do not be swindled by pitchman’s hocus-pocus. Be a wise audience and judicious consumer. They have their eyes on your wallet while you are enjoying television.

 

By So Hae-jin CP Reporter
so-hj@cnu.ac.kr 

저작권자 © 충대신문 무단전재 및 재배포 금지