by Tatiana Repkova

Global paid product placement grew 37.2% to $3.36 billion in 2006 and is forecast to grow 30.3% to $4.38 billion in 2007, driven by relaxed European regulations, emerging Asian markets and shifting American models, according to research released today by PQ Media, the world's leading provider of alternative media econometrics. While the United States remains the largest global market for product placement, accounting for two-thirds of spending, growth will decelerate over the next four years, although remaining in the double-digits. Meanwhile, growth in the European and Asian placement markets will accelerate going forward, as legal restraints are loosened and global brand marketers move to capitalize on emerging opportunities in these regions, according to the PQ Media Global Product Placement Forecast Series 2006-2010: Country-by-Country Analysis. This new research series features individual reports on the 15 leading markets in Europe, Asia and the Americas, including data and analysis covering the period from 2000 to 2010. Key drivers of global product placement growth in 2007 and beyond include the relaxation of rules governing paid television placements in European countries through the "Television without Frontiers" directive, particularly in the United Kingdom, Spain and Italy; the evolution and growth of product placement markets in Asia, especially in China, India and Australia; and the continuing transition from non-paid to paid placement models in the Americas, primarily in the United States, Mexico and Brazil. TV placements remain the dominant choice of brand marketers, accounting for 71.4% of global spending in 2006 at $2.40 billion, with projected growth of 33.9% in 2007. The overall value of the global product placement market, including the exposure value of non-paid placements, grew 24.2% to $7.76 billion in 2006 and is projected to increase 20.3% to $9.33 billion in 2007, according to the PQ Media Global Product Placement Forecast Series 2006-2010: Country-by-Country Analysis. http://www.prwebdirect.com/releases/2007/3/prweb511540.htm; March 14, 2007