We're in the midst of season 5 of *that* TV show that grips a nation of 16-29 year-olds across the nation (and my mum), and that means we're going to have beautiful outfits, amazing parties and stunning makeup looks in our faces nightly for the next few weeks. Like most, I am an avid Love Island watcher, but as a marketer, I can't help notice the obvious product placements throughout the villa. Just last night, Craig David was invited to host a party for the islanders. It looked like a great party with loads of decor out on the lawn, all adorned with the Ministry of Sound logo. Amber had a chat with Ovie sprawled out on MoS cushions, Maura and Lucie had a chat whilst drinking from MoS branded champagne flutes and there was the obvious perspex logo lit up in next to Craig David's DJ booth. To an outsider, this may look like overkill, but in fact, there was a huge spike in interest for Ministry of Sound over on Google trends during the episode. On top of this, I Saw It First (who sponsor the show and provide clothes for contestants) are getting more Google searches than ever thanks to the show.
Last year, the show's sponsors, Missguided, reported a 9,300% spike in the sales of one crocheted beach cover up worn by Dani Dyer, with many other items seeing sales spikes of 500%+, often resulting in items selling out within a couple of days after being show on the ITV2 show. Other sponsors including Jet2 Holidays, Superdrug and Echo Falls reported huge sales increases, with Superdrug experiencing a 16% increase in total profits during the show's run. These stats are incredible, and being on Love Island seems to be the most successful way to advertise to 16-29 year old females and experience huge ROI, however, it is definitely not a viable option for many businesses, so how can you harness similar results?
TV is quickly being taken over by YouTube as the most watched platform with paid-for advertising. Not only can ads be shown randomly before and during videos, but brands are increasingly sponsoring videos or series on YouTube, much like larger brands would on TV, except on YouTube, the stats and results are much more exact. Exact numbers of viewers, exact demographics and even watch rates mean any brand can calculate a better ROI and better analyse their viewership rather than relying on TV data which we all know is never 100% accurate.
Sponsoring a video is easy, and you don't necessarily need to send any products or offer a free service, although it's a good idea to offer an incentive to viewers, whether this is a free trial, exclusive access or a discount code for their first order with you. That way, viewers are more likely to give you a go initially, then, if your product or service is to their standards, become a repeat customer, next time without a discount code.
Whether small or large, it is guaranteed that there is a YouTube channel out there with the right viewers who will be interested in your offerings. Get in touch today to discuss sponsorship and other pathways into working with content creators on YouTube to harness the Love Island effect.