Getting the Most Out of Your Product Integration
Smart companies, whether first-timers or veterans of the TV scene, get the most out of their investment in a product integration by building a collaborative relationship with their production partner and engaging in the process from start to finish.
To show you how, we’re about to break down four strategies that smart companies use to maximize the effectiveness of their product integrations. Plus, we’ll add in a few tips for taking a combined TV and social media approach to your campaign!
If you’re new to TV, following these strategies can help you experience smoother sailing on your maiden voyage into this medium. If you’ve spent years including TV in your marketing plan, these strategies can help you prevent the pitfalls that sometimes come from slipping into “auto-pilot” and missing out on opportunities to get the most out of your investment.
(Note: We previously published an in-depth, three-part series about these strategies. For a deeper dive, follow the links below!)
#1: Communicate your goals and needs.
Identifying your goals and needs with your production company will help determine what kind of content and planning will work best to achieve them. Here are a few helpful questions:
- What do you want to accomplish with your product integration? Is your goal to build general brand awareness, demonstrate what your product does and how it works, or perhaps build trust in your brand?
- Is this integration part of a larger marketing initiative? For example, is there social media content you’ll need to complement your TV integration?
- Does your product integration have certain requirements or timelines that the production team should know about? The sooner your production team knows about these needs, the better they can plan for a smooth production process!
At Brenton Productions, we begin collaborating with our partners by asking these and additional questions and really listening to the answers. By engaging with clients in this manner, we can better attune to their goals and craft the right content and messaging. Want more help determining what will make your brand shine in the TV spotlight? Read on!
#2: Communicate your expectations (and don’t make assumptions).
No two production companies (or even TV shows) work exactly the same way. This means that whether or not you’ve worked with TV in the past, it’s best not to bring any preconceived notions with you about how the process is going to work.
By communicating your expectations up-front, the production company can address those expectations and incorporate them into the production plan – rather than when it may be too late in the process to make additions or changes. For tips on asking the right questions about your TV integration, read on!
Communicating Expectations About Digital Media Assets
In today’s multi-platform environment, it’s smart to think beyond your segment in the TV episode. What assets will you need to serve your social channels that require media of different formats and lengths? Figure this out now so you and the production company can plan and budget accordingly.
Content is not one-size fits-all, so the social media content producers should know ahead of time what kind of digital assets best fit your social campaign’s needs, using input such as:
- Is there a specific platform or type of content that is a higher priority?
- What specific metrics are you most focused on – video views, link clicks, engagement numbers – and what metric defines success for you?
- Do your social media assets need to link out to a different destination, like a custom landing page?
#3: Engage in the production process.
No one knows your product as well as you do, so providing your unique expertise will help make the best possible version of your product integration. Senior Producer Matt Allegretti (who directs Truck U, All Girls Garage, and Car Fix) says he always views input from clients as a major asset.
“The number one thing when we’re talking to them is, ‘Hey, you guys do this every day’,” he says. “There’s always going to be something they can offer, because they’re just in it; they live it; they breathe it every single day.” To learn more about bringing your valuable expertise to the production process, read on!
Smart companies know that engaging with the production team isn’t limited to the pre-production phone call; if it’s feasible, you should visit the set on the shoot day so you can truly be part of the process. While in-person set visits aren’t always possible for us these days, we now allow our brand partners to virtually visit the set (which may actually be better, since it doesn’t require booking any travel plans)!
Find out how Brenton Productions has been able to keep communication open even when a set is closed.
#4: Prepare for air and leverage your content.
Smart strategy doesn’t stop when the cameras are done rolling. Now is the time to promote your premiere date! If your production company has supplied you with any tools to promote the episode or share your segment, make sure to use them.
You should also get your website ready for traffic from your brand’s TV appearance, and be ready to track any KPIs you may have set up to help gauge the response to your integration. For more ideas about how to prepare for air, read on!
Social Media: The Right Content, in the Right Place, at the Right Time
If you’re taking a combined TV and social media approach to your integration, this is where your social media strategy should help you get even more out of your TV integration.
While TV provides incomparable audience reach, social media offers an array of opportunities for viewers to engage with your brand and follow calls to action. By partnering with an expert who understands the right types of content to use, when to use them, and on which platforms, you can optimize your social media content and its audience impact.
At Brenton Productions, our social media team provides partnership and support by:
- Creating custom content that aligns with your campaign goals
- Following platform best practices
- Setting up cross-posts and branded content partnerships to maximize distribution efforts
- Using our social media channels to support the distribution efforts your brand has in place
- Creating a content schedule that coordinates with your TV integration
We believe the key to all of these smart strategies is finding a collaborative partner to guide you through this process and provide you with opportunities to get engaged along the way. Have more questions about TV product integration? We’re here to help!
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