Why Retailers Love Virtual Product Placement as a Holiday Marketing Solution

As the holiday season approaches, retail advertising becomes more critical than ever for brands looking to capture consumer attention and drive sales. However, with increasing competition and consumers tuning out traditional ads, major retailers need to find more effective ways to engage with their audiences. Leading brands such as H&M, Macy's, Best Buy, Target, and others are turning to Mirriad’s Virtual Product Placement (VPP)—an innovative solution that integrates products into popular content—to boost visibility and engagement during the busiest shopping season of the year.

WHAT IS VIRTUAL PRODUCT PLACEMENT?

Virtual Product Placement (VPP) allows brands to digitally insert products into pre-existing content like TV shows, movies, or music videos after they’ve been filmed. Unlike traditional product placement, which requires integrating items on set, VPP enables brands to place their products naturally into content that resonates with their target audience.

For example, as consumers watch a holiday-themed show or movie, they might notice a character wrapping gifts alongside a bag from  Best Buy or walking briskly past an H&M storefront that’s promoting its chilly weather wear. By blending products directly into the content, Mirriad’s Virtual Product Placement creates a seamless and organic connection with viewers, making it a perfect retail advertising solution for the holiday season. 

RECENT CAMPAIGN SUCCESS FOR A LEADING ADVERTISER

Mirriad’s new iSpot data highlights the impressive results of virtual product placement (VPP) for one of the largest U.S. advertisers. The data, using iSpot's pixel tracking methodology, revealed that VPP campaigns can generate significant sales boosts, including a 51% increase in average transaction value. Additionally, a six-figure VPP campaign achieved a 5:1 ROI, underscoring the high return potential of this advertising format. With a 27-fold increase in shopping incidence in exposed households compared to traditional TV spots, this study reaffirms VPP's capability to drive stronger consumer engagement and sales growth.

RETAILERS LEVERAGING VPP FOR HOLIDAY ADVERTISING

The holiday season is a time when consumers are already in a buying mindset, and brands are competing for attention in every way possible—from TV commercials to digital ads. However, data shows that 86% of viewers take actions to avoid traditional ads, making VPP a powerful alternative.

With VPP, advertising is integrated directly into the content where audiences are actively engaged.  These natural, in-content placements allow brands to showcase their products in moments that feel relevant and memorable to viewers, enhancing brand recall and increasing consumer engagement during the most critical shopping period of the year.

92% of US households tune in to holiday programming, making it clear that the holiday season presents a massive opportunity for brands to reach vast audiences. Additionally, there is a 34 ppt increase in ad awareness after VPP exposure within holiday content, indicating just how effective VPP can be in cutting through the noise and boosting brand visibility during the holidays. (Kantar)

MEASURABLE IMPACT FOR HOLIDAY CAMPAIGNS

One of the greatest advantages of using Mirriad’s Virtual Product Placement for holiday advertising is that it’s not only engaging, but also measurable. Retailers can now track essential KPIs such as in-store visits, online shopping activity, and actual sales as a result of their VPP campaigns. Mirriad’s VPP technology is integrated with standard TV ad reporting systems, allowing retailers to gauge the exact impact of their virtual product placements.

This data-driven approach ensures that brands know exactly how their VPP campaigns are performing during the holiday season, helping them optimize strategies in real-time to maximize sales and engagement. Whether it’s a spike in online orders for a product featured in a holiday TV special or increased foot traffic to stores after a placement in a popular holiday movie, retailers can directly link their placements to consumer actions. 

For example, research reveals that purchase intent increases by 24 ppt after VPP exposure within holiday content, underscoring the clear link between VPP and consumers’ willingness to buy products seen within their favorite shows and films. (Kantar)

REACHING DIVERSE AUDIENCES DURING THE HOLIDAYS

The holiday season is also a time for brands to connect with diverse audiences in an authentic way. With Mirriad’s Diverse Supplier Marketplace, retailers have the unique opportunity to reach Black, Hispanic, Asian and Pacific Islander (AAPI), LGBTQIA+, and women-owned media outlets, helping them engage culturally diverse consumers.

For instance, a Hispanic family might tune into a popular holiday show, where products are seamlessly integrated into the storyline. Or a holiday-themed reality show may feature a Black-owned small business promoting its products. These culturally relevant placements allow retailers to build deeper connections with hard-to-reach audiences, making their holiday advertising more inclusive and impactful. 

ELEVATE YOUR HOLIDAY RETAIL ADVERTISING WITH MIRRIAD'S VPP

With the holiday shopping season around the corner, now is the time for major retailers to rethink their retail advertising strategies. Traditional ads are increasingly being tuned out, and brands need more engaging solutions to cut through the noise and capture consumer attention. Mirriad’s Virtual Product Placement offers the perfect opportunity for retailers like H&M, Best Buy, Macy's, and Target to reach their audiences in a natural, non-intrusive way.

Not only is VPP an innovative advertising tool that enhances brand recall, but it’s also measurable, ensuring that retailers can track the performance of their holiday campaigns. By integrating products into holiday-themed content and reaching diverse audiences through the Diverse Supplier Marketplace, Mirriad’s Virtual Product Placement provides brands with the perfect combination of engagement, visibility, and real results.

Ready to make this holiday season your most successful yet? 

Contact Mirriad today to learn how Virtual Product Placement can transform your holiday advertising strategy and drive increased sales and consumer engagement!

This article was written by Emily Oberkrieser, Mirriad's Director of Integrated Marketing. Follow us on LinkedIn here.