If Survivor is all about regular softies like us getting by without the niceties of life, why is Procter & Gamble (NYSE: PG) set to join contestants on the island? It's true, on Friday, Reuters reported that the consumer products giant is the latest big name to jump on the show's product-placement bandwagon.
Recently, we heard how Sears (NYSE: S) plans a TV show (some say infomercial) to tout its wares. Just last week, Rick Munarriz discussed, again, Survivor and how certain products -- not least of which is Coke (NYSE: KO) -- have turned up to tap what is still a robust audience.
In fact, for the week of Dec. 8-14, several Survivor episodes had top placements on the Nielsen's ratings, while the show's finale made No. 2 on the chart, with 25.2 million viewers. Other reality shows made the Top 10 as well, with Monday Night Football stumbling in at No. 10. Reality still sells.
Tacky and heavy handed as product placement appears, it's increasingly regarded as necessary to combat the new ad-dodging technologies like TiVo (Nasdaq: TIVO). Advertising has been forced to evolve at a rapid rate over the last few years, most notably perhaps by creeping into content.
Meanwhile, though hardly new, the tactic is getting noticed as the practice becomes more widespread and aggressive. Earlier this month, news organizations including the Los Angeles Times reported that Nielsen has begun tracking product placement on television shows.
Some investors may cheer P&G's entry into this high-profile fray. Well-placed inserts of everything from Pantene to Scope to Secret might help keep someone from getting voted off the island, not to mention grab some viewer mind share.
However, whether consumers will think positively of the products or simply tune out the obvious pitches remains to be seen. The danger in the jungle could soon include a very annoyed audience.
Tivo is a David Gardner top pick in Motley Fool Stock Advisor. Is P&G jumping on a bandwagon that's just going to turn viewers off? Can't get enough of Survivor (or wish it would go away)? Talk it out on the Procter & Gamble orSurvivordiscussion boards.
Alyce Lomax welcomes your feedback at alomax@fool.com.
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