Social networks being embraced by marketers.
Social networking certainly is being embraced by marketers.
An article in today’s Online Media Daily (or see my furl archive) supports this point.
NEWS CORP.’S FAST-GROWING MYSPACE.COM IS looking to place its user-generated content into TV shows.”
The enormously popular social networking site is working on deals that, Gold said, will extend the life of a TV sponsorship for a marketer, “integrating social networking into the TV show and their traditional TV buy.” All this would expand the life of a TV deal from “30 seconds to 3 months,” he added.
Kind of vague on how this might be done, so that brings to mind the following questions:
- This user-generated content couldn’t change the script of a show, could it?
- Or, could it be some kind of commercial-like content that shortens the length of the show?
- Or, could it be kind of like what MTV or TRL does?
- Maybe it’s like those annoying bottom-of-screen tickers that come and go?
- Or, perhaps could it be something that runs during the credits, kind of like how some shows run blooper outtakes?
- Or, maybe something more contest-like which solicits comments?
- Perhaps it’s a show in itself, as in Bravo’s Viral Videos (see my blog post on 2/28/06).
Either way, it might only be a step away from Digital Product Placement (see my blog post 2/19/06 ). And, as a recent TV news report pointed out, this allows a different product to be featured throughout the life of the show, i.e., once when the show is first run; another product when it is in syndication; and then another when it goes to DVD.
No appearance royalties need to be paid. An ongoing income stream of marketing money now goes to the makers of the show. A win-win for them.
And, for us, there seems to be no escape.
