BOCA RATON, Fla., Jan. 2, 2012 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ — Bikram Balance® has retained TransMedia Group to publicize its launch of the world’s most powerful and complete fruit and vegetable vitality drink ( www.bikrambalance.com ).

TransMedia said its publicity will highlight Bikram Balance® providing the anti-oxidant power of 15-plus servings of fruits and vegetables in each powdered scoop mixed with eight ounces of cold water, making it one of the most energizing and rejuvenating all-natural dietary supplements. This opportunity was recognized through Brand In Entertainment ( www.brand-inentertainment.com ), a premier brand integration firm.

“This is not only one of the most wholesome vitality drinks ever developed, but yoga lovers and consumers everywhere will find it tastes great,” said TransMedia’s CEO Tom Madden.

TransMedia ( www.transmediagroup.com ) plans to fire up publicity for Bikram Balance® later this month with a goal toward creating maximum awareness of one of Bikram’s flagship products through traditional, as well as social media reaching Bikram studios and hundreds of thousands of Bikram’s dedicated yoga and hot yoga followers and enthusiasts nationwide.

“We’re so pleased to have the opportunity to work with Bikram Balance®. This is an exceptional product backed by scientific research and groundbreaking clinical studies,” said Louise Canuto, TransMedia’s Director of Public Relations. “There is nothing not to like about Bikram Balance® and we’ll be resourceful and assertive in spreading the message about its energizing and unique nutritional power.”

“Bikram Balance® is not just the perfect fruit and vegetable drink for dedicated Bikram followers, but for anyone who wants to jump start their day, so eventually it will go beyond the yoga industry and carry the celebrated Bikram name and legend into retail,” Madden said. “This product promotes regeneration, improves performance and enhances muscle development. In addition, it is also used by the recreational athletes and busy individuals burning on all cylinders to help sustain and boost energy, burn fat, and more.”

“Everyone knows that one of the biggest names in yoga is Bikram-Choudhury, the most respected living Yoga Guru. He is the founder of hot yoga, which takes place in 105 degree Fahrenheit temperatures, helping to flush away waste products and toxins through the circulatory and respiratory system. Bikram Balance® is the perfect drink to hydrate, alkalize and energize you after any session of yoga,” Canuto said.

CONTACT: Louise Canutolouise@transmediagroup.com561-750-9800 ext 217

SOURCE TransMedia Group

Copyright (C) 2012 PR Newswire. All rights reserved

Natrol, Inc.
Lisa Sheppard
Senior Director of Marketing
818-739-6000, LSheppard@Natrol.com
(More Information / Interviews Available)

Brand in Entertainment CEO Rolfe Auerbach explains why DR marketers should try brand integration.

BY CHRIS ROSICA / PHOTOS BY BRIAN DAVIS

DVRs, TiVo and Hulu.com are just a few of the reasons why advertisers have created alternative ways to reach audiences rather than rely on traditional commercials. In movies, television programs, video games, live theater productions, books—virtually every form of entertainment—branded products increasingly have roles. Not only are products seen in passing like the cereals on the shelves in Jerry Seinfeld’s kitchen, they are woven into plots. Giving products cameos or even bigger parts has become a widely used and accepted marketing practice, especially in movies.

Movie-goers have grown accustomed to seeing familiar products on screen and even having them used as plot devices. After Reese’s Pieces appeared in “E.T., the Extra-Terrestrial,” the candy enjoyed tremendous sales growth, according to business news accounts at the time.

The romantic comedy “What Women Want” illustrates what brand integration really means—embedding the product in the storyline. In the 2000 film, characters played by Helen Hunt and Mel Gibson discussed Pepsi’s brand objectives while strategizing on the Nike and Visa accounts at the advertising agency where they work.

At a time when consumers are DVRing past traditional commercials, brand integration gets products attention they wouldn’t otherwise get. Moreover, once a movie finishes its run in theaters and enters the TV and rental market, products have an opportunity for primetime exposure without marketers having to pay for a commercial in that more expensive advertising time slot. The product appears in a recurring role for the life of the film’s airing of eight to 10 years with consumers tuned in to watch.

No one knows more about this method of marketing than Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand in Entertainment (BiE). His Los Angeles-based company specializes in brand integration that achieves believability because it helps storytellers tell the story. Brand in Entertainment routinely draws praise from clients for getting products better known and helping them reach or surpass sales goals. After focusing on products from Fortune 1000 companies, Auerbach developed an approach so direct response marketers can take advantage of product integration opportunities. The concept he pioneered for the DR industry now is taking off.

Necessity Is the Mother of Integration
Auerbach first got involved in brand integration to solve a problem. In the 1990s, he had a television program called “Infinite Power Workout with Frank Zane” on one of the major networks. Under funded, he turned to brand integration to keep the show on the air. Everything seen or used on the show, from the exercise equipment and dietary supplements to the wall coverings and carpeting, was the result of paid sponsorship.

In the movie “Pure Country 2: The Gift,” the DR spot for the Kymaro Body Shaper from BJ Global Direct prominently appears in the scene.

Since that time, Auerbach’s company has perfected the art of subtly weaving brands into entertainment in ways that far exceed simple product appearances on sets. Brand integration is preferable over product placement and has greater potential benefits for marketers. Managing Director Bohb Blair of Mindshare Invention worked with BiE on behalf of consumer products powerhouse Kimberly Clark on two film projects: “Meeting Spencer” and a second film coming out later this year from Universal. He says “what differentiates [this type of marketing] is the ability to discuss integration at the development stage, getting your objectives in place while the script is being finalized rather than being tagged on at the end.”

Having worked with clients representing 2,700 brands, the BiE team partners closely with entertainment content creators, going as far as offering script and plot recommendations, so clients’ products are portrayed in ways that will support the desired outcome. BiE is paid for its services by the producers, networks and studios—so advertisers aren’t incurring additional expenses for BiE’s services on their behalf on top of what they pay the entertainment companies.

For producers, the fees brand integration raises can determine whether a film project gets green lit. Doug Schwartz, an executive producer who has worked with Sony International, Fox, Lionsgate and was the executive producer of TV’s “Baywatch,” says brand deals BiE negotiated for his “Little Hercules 3-D” movie made the production possible because the film budget would not have been fully funded otherwise.

Among some of the company’s many successes, BiE supported the launch of the Gillette Fusion, securing the brand in an episode of Donald Trump’s “The Apprentice” TV show. The razor turned out to be the second biggest consumer product launch in history. According to Robert DeMartini, now president and CEO of New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc. and formerly chief marketing officer of Gillette, Auerbach’s team “is very nimble and creative…and knew how to work with all parties involved to maximize value for our product launch.”

BiE also hit a home run for Embassy Suites by integrating the hotel chain’s brand objectives into one of the most watched episodes of “The Apprentice.” The episode challenged the competitors to redesign the hotel staff uniforms as part of a larger re-branding effort. “BiE even arranged for Ivanka Trump to visit our hotel for the night of the showing, and the integration proved to have a positive impact on the brand nationally,” says John Lee, vice president of brand marketing for the hotel chain.

Finding Perfect Fits for Brands
“We have a fantastic cast of people who can position the brand in the best way possible,” says Auerbach. “Brands can become part of a film’s overall marketing strategy, including social media outreach. It’s a matter of looking at all the mediums in which the film is being presented—Facebook, games, etc.—and finding a good fit for the brand. This provides another opportunity for advertisers to engage their audiences and stretch their marketing dollars.”

With the cost of filmmaking so high, it is no surprise the entertainment industry regards brand integration as an important revenue source. It’s also a win-win from the perspective of marketers, especially because having their products in movies means they have the potential of being viewed intact on pay-per-view, on-demand or DVD rental long after the initial cinematic release ends.

Getting DR Spots Into Films
In pondering how to include DR products in films, the light bulb lit up for Auerbach when he realized footage of actual infomercials could appear. (Auerbach believes DR marketers have been slower to seek out brand integration opportunities than conventional advertisers because up until very recently their traditional business model was working exceptionally well and getting results.) Although theater-goers can’t respond immediately, they certainly can remember the product name and later search for it on the Internet. Viewers watching rented movies at home can pause the movie to jot down a phone number or URL.

To make it easier, BiE makes sure the toll-free number and website address are shown larger than they appear in the infomercial or spot. Not only are both the phone number and URL larger, the contact information is exclusive to the movie, meaning the response rate can easily be tracked. This provides an invaluable tool for measuring the ROI of the brand integration. BiE so far has positioned or is negotiating to complete DR products in 15 out of the 37 movies in its slate with major stars in 2011-2012. Twenty-two movies still remain available for DR product integration in the coming year. Usually, only one DR client’s infomercial appears in a movie so they won’t compete against each other for attention.

The Back Story

BiE (http://brand-inentertainment.com/) is a leading brand integration firm with more than 35 years of advertising experience. Based in Los Angeles, Calif., the team works directly with national and international brands to organically marry them with entertainment properties. BiE is the matchmaker of Hollywood and Madison Avenue, unifying entertainment properties and brands. Respectively, BiE is sensitive to the creative integrity of the filmmaker/content producer and seeks to create brand integrations best suited for the storyline.

The film “25 Hill” about financial challenges threatening the existence of the All American Soap Box Derby, as told movingly through the story of a young boy whose soldier father was killed in Afghanistan, includes the Dual Saw™ from Omni Reliant Inc. and TireRack.com, to name just two BiE clients in the production. When insurance company Geico learned of the real-life problems of the Akron-based derby it became a major underwriter of the event itself and, under the guidance of BiE, got involved in the film. An actor playing a Geico executive also has a speaking part in the movie.

Corbin Bernsen, an actor and producer, conceived of the idea for “25 Hill,” wrote the screenplay and stars in the movie. His Team Cherokee Productions and Home Theater Films have “always been advocates and believers in brand integration into filmed entertainment done properly.” Bernsen explains why he values the relationship this way: “BiE, having occupied the space well before others, knows not only how to ‘get’ brands into films, but does so in a way where the film experience isn’t interrupted and at the same time, provides the brand great visibility.” He adds that BiE’s “ability to work seamlessly with filmmakers makes them the leader in the field.”

Among other movies already released that incorporate BiE clients are “Pure Country 2: The Gift” featuring singer George Strait (Kymaro Body Shaper from BJ Global Direct) and “Hard Breakers” (Flirty Girl Fitness from Savvier). Movies don’t have to be hits to make it big for the brands in them. Auerbach can name a list of box office flops that, nonetheless, helped move lots of products. “Films that never attracted large audiences in theaters have a second life and sometimes even develop a cult following, giving brands another shot at getting noticed,” he notes.

To explain exactly what BiE does, consider the film called “Vengeance” due to start shooting later this year. In it a lead character released from prison sees a TV spot for Doc Wilson’s WreckingBalm tattoo remover and decides to use it. The product advances the storyline and fits seamlessly into the movie narrative. From a marketing perspective, having a movie character heed the call to action in a DR commercial is a grand slam.

Another great example of BiE’s work is under negotiation to appear in an upcoming movie called “A Different Kind of Love” starring Richard Dreyfuss. The actor plays a pudgy older man who falls in love with a much younger woman. Early in the film, he sees a commercial for a diet supplement and orders it. The Dreyfuss character incorporates the supplement into his weight-loss regimen and viewers will watch him try to slim down as the plot unfolds.

But Wait, There’s More
BiE has brokered deals giving DR companies the right to subsequently use in their own infomercials footage from the film in which their products appeared. That implied third-party endorsement adds credibility and, inserted into either a short- or long-form spot, can dramatically enhance the finished infomercial. The approach can generate buzz in the media and stoke online conversations, making it another great way to stretch marketing budgets further. It’s also a useful tactic in developing a brand, not only as a promotional sales tool.

BJ Fazeli, founder and president of BJ Global Direct, has used this tactic. “We view product integration not only as a means of direct response selling, but as a novel way to build the Kymaro brand,” he says, speaking of one of the many lines his company markets. Fazeli believes positioning Kymaro products like the Body Shaper in films complements the line’s association with the world of fashion and has lent marketing support to line extensions.

Try It, You’ll Like It
DR companies reluctant to jump into brand integration with both feet can test the water first. Brian Williams, executive vice president of BiE and a go-to guy for creative ideas, said once advertisers try it, they return again and again, making it a permanent fixture in their marketing mix. “For people on the fence, we have many options to experience the process and judge the results. Something that reassures newcomers is that BiE takes measures to ensure the outcome will turn out well for brands. We become the product police—in a friendly way,” says Williams. A BiE staff representative stays on sets while a client’s product is being filmed to make sure everything goes according to plan. “There are never any surprises.”

BiE goes out of its way to make it easy for brands to try integration for the first time, according to Auerbach. He and his team will walk clients new to this type of marketing through the process and work with them on developing their campaign. “We can find fits for brands of all shapes and sizes. And our producers know if they do good work for our clients, the clients will come back,” he adds.

One way to test drive integration is to insert a brand into a film during post-production. Although the product won’t be part of the plot, it will have visibility, which never hurts and could result in a sales bump. “Think of an attractive actress seen working out with a piece of exercise equipment,” explains Auerbach. This approach works especially well for companies with existing products positioned to capitalize on emerging trends. Slotting into a movie already shot saves time and can get products in front of viewers at the peak of a product’s lifecycle.

Almost every product can find a place in film, but Auerbach recommends against giving an unrecognizable or new item a debut in a movie. That’s because viewers won’t realize the product is genuine and will confuse it as something dreamed up by the screenwriters to fill a need for a relevant prop.

American pop culture has come a long way since Groucho Marx got a laugh when he threw a floundering Thelma Todd a Life Savers candy instead of a flotation device after she fell out of a canoe in the 1932 film “Horse Feathers.” Whether the makers of the iconic American candy paid to include Life Savers in the Marx Brothers movie remains shrouded in history. But it’s clear brand integration can make a mint for both the entertainment industry and savvy businesses that use the marketing method effectively.

Judging by the long list of satisfied customers within the entertainment and consumer products industries, Auerbach and his innovative Brand in Entertainment staff have proven they know what it takes to make integration highly rewarding for all parties concerned.

Chris Rosica is author of “The Authentic Brand” (TheAuthentic Brand.com) and an expert in online reputation management, media training, crisis communications, public relations and Internet marketing. He is managing partner of Interact Marketing (www.InteractMarketing.com) and president and CEO of Rosica PR. Contact Rosica at chris@rosica.com.

For producers on a quest  for new ways to fund their projects, brand integration may be the answer.  

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand In Entertainment,  demonstrates how to create new revenue streams by building brand messages organically into your storyline or show structure. Using examples of national and international brands that have been seamlessly incorporated into some of the biggest movies, television shows, webisodes, concerts and music videos in the world, he’ll show you how to expand your budget with funds that do not have to be paid back.

Rolfe Auerbach, CEO of Brand In Entertainment, is a veteran entertainment and advertising executive with seven Telly Awards, five Vision Awards and an Emmy nomination to his credit. Since its inception in 2000, Brand In Entertainment has integrated products and brands directly into the storylines of numerous entertainments. As President and CEO of Brand in Entertainment’s predecessor, HP Media, Rolfe created and operated the Product Integration Organization for Fox Television Studios, incorporating products into productions at Fox, MGM, Lions Gate and Paramount. He also created product integration for such music labels as Atlantic, Lava, Elektra, RCA, Arista, Universal, Jive and Sony.

Event: Monday Sep 27, 2010

Check out the images below to see how everything went on set with the integrations for GEICO, Dual Saw, and Tire Rack into “25 Hill”:

Guess what’s coming to a movie,  TV show and your cell phone: infomercials!

BJ Global Direct, an Irvine company built by 35-year direct response veteran BJ Fazeli, is finding all sorts of new media ways to get exposure for its products.

The company dreams up, manufactures and sells several dozen beauty and home fitness products under the brand name Kymaro. (The name is a combination of Fazeli’s daughters Kyana, Mahadice and Romy).

The company’s biggest seller for the past couple of years is the Kymaro Body Shaper. The newest product is the Rhythm Rocker that Lacey Schwimmer of Dancing with the Stars is promoting. It launches July 26.

BJ Global also produces the infomercials used to sell these products. But increasingly the company isn’t limiting the showing of those long-form commercials to television.

“We started on television,” Fazeli says. In today’s world we have a second screen with the Internet. And the next step is a third screen we’re looking at, cell phones.”

The company’s selling website, UbuyEZ, has links to its commercials on YouTube. It also has Facebook and Twitter accounts and a blog.

“We’re breaking onto the silver screen with product placement in a movie this fall,” Fazeli says. He won’t disclose the name of the movie but says that in one scene, an actor will be watching an infomercial for the Body Shaper and the toll-free ordering number will be visible.

“We don’t expect people in the theater to write down the phone number but when the movie goes to DVD, people can pause it and write down the number,” he says.

BJ Global is also doing product integration with a reality TV show this fall. Again, Fazeli says he can’t yet give the name of the show but the theme will be ultimate fighting for women and the Kymaro Rhythm Rocker will be one of the pieces of equipment used to get into fighting shape.

“We’re marketers,” Fazeli explains. “You just keep your ear to the ground and keep moving with technology.”

Fazeli has been involved with infomercials since the early days when he set fire to the hood of a car to show how well a certain car polish protected the finish.

About five years ago BJ Global Direct decided to concentrate on products that make people look good, feel good and are priced under $50. It has about three dozen active products including clip-on hair extensions, backless bras, sunless tanning products, tummy control jeans, facial hair removers and an exercise devise that fits in the doorway.

“As Seen on TV products are blossoming because we are spending so much money to promote them,” Fazeli says.

And with big dollar investments, Fazeli is not about to ignore any medium that will reach potential customers who want to look  better and have $50 in their pockets.

 Wall Street Journal PAGE ONE. APRIL 28, 2010.

Sponsors Dropped Out, Attendance Fell; Producer Corbin Bernsen Plays the Hero

By TIMOTHY AEPPEL

AKRON, Ohio—The All-American Soapbox Derby has fallen on hard times.

In November, the organizer of the race, in which kids ride cars they build down a hill, was sued by its hometown bank, FirstMerit Corp. The bank was demanding repayment of two loans totaling $623,000. The derby couldn’t pay.

That led to a bailout: The city of Akron guaranteed the debt of the nonprofit derby group. And the bank restructured the loan on favorable terms.

The uproar caught the eye of Corbin Bernsen, the actor best known for his portrayal of sleazy lawyer Arnie Becker in the 1980s TV series “LA Law.” Now a director and producer with his own production company, Mr. Bernsen was inspired to write a script about a young boy who saves the derby after a bank calls its loan. The movie is now being filmed here in this former tire-making capital; part of the profits will go to the race organization.

The derby’s problems have much to do with how the world has changed and how the 75-year-old race hasn’t.

The competition began in Dayton, Ohio, during the Depression, when children started racing homemade cars. The first “All-American Race” was held there in 1934. It moved to Akron a year later. Derby Downs, the group’s track, was built by the Works Progress Administration.

It’s still a “gravity race,” meaning no engines. The cars just roll down a hill. For safety, the course is designed so the cars don’t go faster than about 35 mph. Since speed is largely determined by how far the cars roll, the track was shortened in 1971, from 1,175 feet to 953.75 feet. A sign at the starting line notes that fact. The fastest time ever logged on the hill was 27.10 seconds in 1974.

In one sense, the race has grown. Competitions in the 1960s typically had about 100 contestants; last year, there were 603 boys and girls—in three separate divisions, including a “masters” division open to racers up to 17 years old (and weighing up to 160 pounds.) Sanctioned local races are now held in 150 other cities and about half a dozen countries.

But kids today are more likely to play video games than to tinker in the garage with power tools. And audiences have other distractions. The annual race, held in July, once drew crowds of more than 50,000; last year it attracted only 15,000 people paying $5 at the gate.

The erosion of corporate support, however, has been crippling. In the heyday of the derby, in the 1960s, Chevrolet sponsored and promoted the race. Over the years, big corporate backers brought celebrities, including Ronald Reagan, Rock Hudson, Evel Knievel, and O.J. Simpson. The late actor Jimmy Stewart attended six times.

The derby lost its last major sponsor, Levi Strauss Co., in September 2007, as the recession was hit and companies of all types were slashing promotional spending. Levi Strauss says that was no reflection on the derby, just “changing budgets.” That left the derby reliant on the income it gets from donations, selling the $500 kits used to build cars and from licensing fees it charges other cities that have races.

The lack of a major sponsor willing to pay $250,000 a year for the privilege, forced the derby deeper into debt. Even after slashing spending, it has an annual budget of about $1.1 million.

“Corporations are looking for return on investment,” says Roger Rydell, a public-relations executive at Akron’s Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co., a newcomer to the derby board who heads a new marketing committee. “It could be that the metrics associated with that return have become a little more mercenary than in the past.”

The race isn’t in the clear yet. The city, as part of its bailout, pressed the group to replace most of its board with local business leaders who could help it modernize. And it still has to pay the debt. “We really need one large title sponsor—or five at $50,000,” says Jim Huntsman, the derby’s chief executive. The group is toying with new ideas, including a possible tie-in with the Boy Scouts.

The derby’s rich history and the prospect of a great family-oriented tradition falling by the wayside attracted Mr. Bernsen. “We could do this very Disney-esque,” he says, “but we’re doing it kind of dark.”

The movie, “25 Hill,” is about a young boy named Trey Caldwell whose father, a reservist, is killed in Afghanistan after the two have begun building a derby car. The script is full of real-life dilemmas: The boy gets the derby car for Christmas, but he had wanted a laptop. He eventually becomes obsessed with winning the big race and upholding its traditions. In the movie, Mr. Bernsen plays a fireman and past champion soapbox derby racer who steps in to help the boy build the car.

Then there’s the bank. In the script, young Trey goes to Akron to confront the banker who has called the loan. The banker turns out to be a grandfatherly fellow who explains to the boy that the problem is a lack of sponsors.

For the record, FirstMerit declined to speak about the real-life issue. In a statement, the bank’s chief executive, Paul Greig, said the bank was a “proud annual contributor to the derby for decades,” and noted that the bank contributed $50,000 to the current fund-raising effort being led by the local chamber of commerce on behalf of the derby.

Meanwhile, the effort to make the movie may also be helping to solve the current sponsorship problem: Mr. Bernsen has signed a deal with Geico, the auto insurance giant, to play the role of the sponsor that comes to the rescue in the film. And Geico has agreed to be a sponsor in real life. Says Ted Ward, Geico’s marketing vice president: “Who doesn’t like an all-American Soap Box Derby?”

Printed in The Wall Street Journal, page A1