What’ll Be Hot for the Holidays?
By Hollie Bethany

Tell ‘em what they get, Johnny!

Furby™

Another rapidly emerging area for the toy industry is product placement.  Companies arrange for the appearance of the toy product as prizes on game shows, in TV shows and movies, as background in commercials for non-related products or set decoration for Broadway shows, and negotiate celebrity ownership. 

The manufacturers themselves can coordinate product placement, but it is time-consuming to make contacts and negotiate contracts.  If a manufacturer has the monetary resources, hiring a product placement firm may be a good idea.  These companies have established contacts and can quickly get products into the public eye with a massive campaign.  

Guns for Hire

Publicists and public relations companies are becoming more important in product introduction, too.  The publicist, or a PR person, writes and disseminates press releases about the product to magazines and news shows that target the product's consumer demographic.

Many publicists also employ a product placement group for the convenience of the manufacturer, and will work to get the manufacturer’s representative interviews on TV shows and with print media, to talk about the product. (cont.)

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