There’s a behind-the-scenes to everything you see, hear, and read - and sometimes it’s just as interesting to see the finished product (a movie, song, or article) as it is to see the gears working behind that finished product as it is to get the result.
About a month or so ago I came across Buzz Bags while searching for something on LinkedIn and had to get the low down on the company. You’re probably sitting there right now trying to figure out how this is at all related to the topics usually covered here - hopefully this post will make it crystal clear.
If you go to Buzz Bags’ website, the first thing you see is the “Welcome” section. In it, they describe themselves as follows:
“We are a marketing and product placement company specializing in distributing fabulous, hip, cutting-edge and “must-have” products and gift certificates directly into the hands of trendsetters, A-listers and the media. Together, we create the buzz!”
I call them a fantastic aspect of product placement that really doesn’t have a negative feeling to it. It’s like the BASF thing - they don’t make the products, they make them better. Buzz Bags do just that - create “buzz” about your products by getting them in front of people. From trend-setters and culture mavens to the glitterati on the red carpet, Buzz Bags is there.
As a marketer, I’m always looking for a way to get a product or service in front of people without offending them and staying “on this side” of the unspoken line of marketing/advertising. Buzz Bags’ strategy is to get across the line in a way where you are actually getting a service performed just by being there and being who you are. You’re at a movie premiere - Buzz Bags might be there. Riding on the Hampton Jitney - Buzz Bags are there. Why were you there? You were going about your business or making your way to something entertaining.
Yesterday I spent a few minutes on the phone with Buzz Bags co-founder, Jane Ubell-Meyer (at right with Ken Aretsky of Patroon and Cafe 92 fame) to get a brief glimpse into how the company got started and what their business was like. What I found interesting is that this was all that they do. Create buzz. Typically when you hold an event, your “event management” staff, either internal or external, will put together goodie bags on their own. But that isn’t the focus of the event for those people. They’re planning the catering, getting the guest speaker, and ensuring you’re going to have enough chairs to fit 400 people into the room. The bags are important, but that’s not what they are doing the whole time. The sales folks at Buzz Bags take a look at your event’s audience, see what might be a valuable item to have in the hands of your guests, and work with their 3,000+ product-providing customers to get something relevant for your group.
If it’s 150 people to 1,500 people - Buzz Bags can come up with a way to put your product on display to the audience best suited for you. Of course, having the contacts to do so is key. Ms. Ubell-Meyer spent some time as a television producer at ABC and in public relations, which definitely doesn’t hurt.
So while product placement isn’t necessarily considered “traditional” media, the Buzz Bags folks are working diligently to knock down the stereotypes that the nontraditional advertising and marketing worlds have been dealt.
