TYPES OF SPONSORSHIP 357biased (positive) perceptions about brands because they are endorsed – in their perception – by trustworthy
actors.^52
In many cases, viewers are hardly aware of the placements and do not consider them as having a commercial
intent. In other words, there is less ‘persuasion knowledge’^53 than with advertising. Therefore, brand placement can
be more convincing than traditional advertising. Brand placement combines some of the advantages of advertising
and publicity.^54
Some claim that the practice of brand placement is inherently deceptive. Audiences do not perceive it as
advertising and develop no counter-arguments. Consequently, brand placement may be most effective when the
distinction between advertising and programming is blurred and people are not particularly aware of its influence.
Hence, there is an implicit conflict between the need to make placement effective and the need to protect consumers
from being misled.^55 Explicit disclosure of brand placement may serve to increase the accessibility of the persuasive
or commercial intent behind placing brands, but may at the same time produce resistance to persuasive attempts
and undermine the persuasive power of brand placement.^56Broadcast sponsorship
Broadcast or programme sponsorship is an increasingly important phenomenon. In the UK,
broadcast sponsorship is estimated to be growing by approximately 15% per year.^57 I n s o m e
countries, as in Belgium, government-owned TV channels are not allowed to broadcast adver-
tising messages, but are allowed to have their programmes sponsored, which makes broadcast
sponsoring an extremely visible phenomenon. Broadcast sponsorship diff ers from plain
advertising in a medium, in this case TV, in that the sponsor has an infl uence on the content
of the sponsored programme. Diff erent types of broadcast sponsorship can be distinguished.
Mentioning the name of a sponsor in a TV programme is called billboarding : ‘this programme
was produced with the kind co-operation of company X’. Product or brand placement involves
the sponsor’s product being used during the programme, and it is deliberately shown to the
audience. In-script sponsoring is a specifi c form of product placement. Th e sponsoring brand
becomes part of the script of the programme. For instance, if a programme is sponsored by a
telecoms company and the presenter asks the live audience to switch off their mobile phones,
this establishes a connection between the sponsor and the programme. In prize sponsorship,
the sponsoring company pays for awards or prizes, and is mentioned in the programme. In
the case of programme participation, product placement and billboarding are combined. Th e
TV channel produces a programme in close co-operation with a sponsor, for instance a tour
operator that sponsors a travel programme, and pays for the prizes to be won in a contest
during the programme.^58Brand placement is by no means a recent phenomenon. In the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s, tobacco companies signed
contracts with movie stars to smoke in their films. Among others, in 1937–8 Gary Cooper, Joan Crawford, Clark
Gable, Barbara Stanwyck and Spencer Tracy received $6800 from Lucky Strike, an amount that is the equivalent of
$100 000 today. Also stars like Gloria Swanson, Bob Hope and Henry Fonda received $1500 (equivalent to about
$25 000 today).^59 ’Allo ’Allo is sometimes called the mother of modern brand placement in TV programmes. There
is hardly any brand of beer that did not appear in the bar behind René’s back.BUSINESS INSIGHT
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