Product placements are an effective way to increase brand awareness and drive sales. To help you secure product placements in top-tier publications, this blog will outline reactive and proactive tactics, as well as how you can prepare an effective product placement pitch.
Ways to secure product placements
Reactive
Monitor the likes of ResponseSource and Pressflow for journalist requests, seeking product suggestions for a new round-up, an updated round-up, or for a stand-alone review piece. Similarly, be sure to monitor the likes of X and Bluesky for any call-outs on these platforms.
Be prepared to react to trending topics, TV shows or events. For instance, the likes of Closer Magazine, Hello!,Good Housekeeping and Town & Country Magazine have all carried out gift guides to celebrate a new season of Bridgerton. Therefore, it pays to stay in the loop with popular culture and focus on which of your products could be a relevant fit.
Proactive
Contact relevant journalists to see if theyโre updating an existing round-up, where you would like your brand to be featured. Proactive outreach is also an opportunity to target review journalists, as well as any journalists which are relevant to your niche, to see if they would be interested in reviewing your product, or featuring it in an upcoming round-up they may have.
Top tips for preparing an effective product placement pitch
Reactive
- Outline a variety of product suggestions: Be sure to pitch a range of product suggestions, so that journalists can make the right choice for them. For instance, if theyโre seeking Christmas trees, be sure to include choices which are pre-lit, unlit, different heights, floor space size and varying price points.
- Pay close attention to further details specified, to ensure that youโre hitting the mark. For instance, if theyโre seeking products under ยฃX for a budget round-up, ensure that your suggested products fall within this price range. Similarly, if the publication is in the luxury sector, ensure that youโre pitching products with a higher price point.
- Include key product details: Be sure to link out to the product page, in the product name, and include a relevant description below. Clearly signpost the price of the product, including any โbeforeโ and โafterโ prices, if there is currently a sale on the product.
- If youโre pitching a product placement, for the likes of Black Friday, itโs important to include clear information on the date and time when the discounts go live, as well as when they end. If customers are required to use a discount code to shop the discounts, be sure to include the relevant code in your pitch.
- Provide accompanying imagery: Itโs crucial to provide the journalist with accompanying hi-res imagery, paying particular attention to whether they require cut-out or lifestyle shots. Itโs a good idea to link out to imagery, stored in the likes of a Dropbox file, rather than attaching the images to your email or using a link which will expire. Be sure to label your images with a clear product title.
- Offer a sample, where required: If the journalist has specified that they will require a sample for testing, itโs important to clearly state that a sample of the product is available. Make a note of whether they are seeking to keep the sample, or if they are looking to test and return the product, so that you can arrange a delivery, and relevant pick-up, accordingly. Sign-posting (SAMPLE AVAILABLE), at the beginning of your subject line, can be a great way to catch a journalistโs eye when they are looking through their inbox.
- Include a company bio: Itโs best practice to include a company bio in your pitch, so that journalists can find out more. This is a great chance to demonstrate why they should sample one of your products. For instance, if youโre a garden centre, which specialises in BBQs, and you are offering a sample of a BBQ, they may be more inclined to sample one of your products, over a company which does not specialise in this area.
- Time is of the essence: Journalists can close their requests for submissions early, if they have received enough relevant responses. Therefore, itโs important to submit your pitch as soon as possible, to increase your chance of success.
- Pitch for TV opportunities: Keep an eye on call-outs for props to be included in TV shows. For example, ITV may be looking for products to dress their set for a new dating show. With a primetime audience, this would be a great opportunity to get your clientโs product in front of a large audience. They may also thank suppliers with an online credit, which includes a link to your companyโs website.
Additional tips for proactive:
- Create a comprehensive media list: Search for terms you would like your product to rank for, in the Google news feature, to see what articles have been published. For instance, if you stock affordable standing desks in the UK, search for a number of terms such as โBest standing deskโ, โBest standing desk UKโ, โCheapest standing deskโ, as well as โStanding desk reviewโ to find out which journalists are covering these types of articles. When recording the top-ranking articles, filter out any publications where your business does not offer delivery to this country.
- Personalise your pitch: If youโre pitching to a journalist which has an existing round-up article, itโs important to personalise your pitch as much as possible. Compose emails individually or, if youโre using an outreach platform, such as BuzzStream, you can create a sequence containing key details, which you should then edit to tailor to each respective journalist. Be sure to include a link to their existing article to signpost where you would be interested in being featured, and to clearly demonstrate why this pitch is of interest to the journalist.
- Include the โwhy nowโ: It can be easier for a journalist to understand the โwhy nowโ if the product is seasonal. For instance, if youโre pitching Christmas wreaths, itโs a good idea to start your pitches around early October, for online press, as journalists will be looking to prepare their Christmas content in advance. For print, lead times will be longer so you can expect to be pitching Christmas content as early as July.
- If the product isnโt seasonal, such as ink cartridges, find a hook for the journalist as to why they should update their article. For instance, it could be a great time to suggest an update ahead of September, where students will be returning to their studies, and may be exploring their printer and ink cartridge options. Consider using Google Trends data with Glimpse to provide insights on when customers are looking for your product, and pitch around the time that search spike occurs.
- Send a follow-up email: Journalists can receive hundreds of emails a day, so do not be afraid to send a follow-up email to bump your pitch up in their inbox. Test changing your subject line, in your follow-up, to maximise the chances of your email being opened.
Securing product placements in top-tier publications can be a powerful way to elevate your brand and drive sales. By conducting both reactive and proactive outreach, you can increase your chance of success.
If youโre looking to secure product placements in top-tier publications, contact our team of specialists or, for further information, check out our case studies here.
