Earlier this month Nestle’s Dolce Gusto became the first example of paid product placement on British television when it appeared on ITV’s This Morning in what is rumoured to be a three-month, £100,000 deal.

Product placement is nothing new. It has been a feature of films and American television for some time – remember the specific car brands driven in different movies by James Bond or the blurred out Coca Cola cups on the judges’ desk in American Idol.

But recent research suggests that most UK consumers do not believe product placement will increase their likelihood of purchasing particular brands. What should brands do?

Our view is that consumers are not really in a position to judge the effectiveness of product placement. It will likely prove as effective – or possibly more so – than other forms of “ambient” media. What consumers can convey, though, are the parameters for acceptability. A gratuitous product shot dominating scene will likely irritate whereas a relevant product or brand used in a natural setting, or sitting inertly on the sidelines, will likely be more acceptable.

Conversely using actual brands rather than either made up brands (bottles of ‘fake’ lager in the Vic on Eastenders) or products with their labels covered (from Big Brother to Blue Peter etc.) could become less distracting and maybe even less noticeable, as there will be less conflict between what we expect to see (familiar, branded products) and what we actually see (made up/covered up).

So the message to brands – make certain your placement clearly makes sense. Don’t be seduced by television, choose the property based on its synergy with the brand and its relevance to your target market (research can help you with this) and ensure the brand or product is set in a correct context. The setting should feel as authentic and ‘real’ as your brand does in the ‘real world’. If you achieve this, then success is possible when used in selective, tactical bursts.