Ofcom, the TV regulator, currently has recommendations out to counsultation on relaxing programme sponsorship and allowing Product Placement in the UK for the first time.
Richard Sambrook, Global Vice Chairman and Chief Content Officer at Edelman chairs the Product Placement podcast. He is joined by Jackie Cooper, UK Creative Director and Vice Chair, and David Fine, Director of Content, who offer their prespective on this changing landscape of TV in the UK and the new commercial opportunities which are opening up next year.
Podcast participants:
![]() |
Chair: Richard Sambrook, Global Vice Chairman and Chief Content Officer, Edelman Richard Sambrook is Global Vice Chairman and Chief Content Officer for Edelman where he takes a strategic lead on developing media content for clients and heads the crisis and issues practice. Previously he was a 30 year veteran of BBC News where most recently he was Director of Global News, responsible for radio TV and digital services for 230 million people each week. |
![]() |
Jackie Cooper, UK Creative Director and Vice Chair, Edelman Jackie has known PR all her professional life. Her 25 years in the business have been blessed with meeting and learning from a wide spectrum of talent – all leading to the liberation of setting up her own agency: From working side by side with an ex Features Editor on the Financial Times, to living in the tabloid dynamite world of Publicity Guru Max Clifford – via an ethical stint at Greenpeace, launching the infamous Anti Fur Trade campaign. |
![]() |
David Fine, Director of Content, JCPR/Edelman David has been in consumer PR for 15 years where he has worked with some of the UK’s biggest brands. He now runs the Content Consultancy to provide clients with innovative communication solutions in the age of the digitized and distracted consumer. This new take on creativity and media collateral offers brands the opportunity to create genuine 360 degree engagement and social media resonance via content partnerships with a range of stellar production partners. |












Great podcast. Product placement is a really effective way of advertising and I do agree that it will only serve to be effective if it is used in the story line, rather than just in the background. I don’t think it will change the foundations of UK television very much. We conducted a really useful survey which can be found here http://blog.tolunapro.com/2010/12/09/over-72-of-uk-tv-audience-claim-to-not-be-affected-by-product-placement/. It asks the public how they feel about product placement and if they are effected by it. 57% of people say that product placement has not effected them and 56.3% indicated that they don’t mind it becoming more prevalent.