Research and Markets (http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/16399d/exploring_the_epig) has announced the addition of the "Exploring the Epigenetics Market: Opportunities for Product Placement and Innovations" report to their offering.

Over the past five years or so renewed attention has been paid to the field of epigenetics as scientists piece together a molecular puzzle revealing how heritable information, other than the DNA itself influences gene function. DNA methylation, histone modifications and chromatin structures all play a central role in the regulation and expression of mammalian genomes and are the central focus of much research today. Breakthroughs in epigenetics have also increased our understanding of transcriptional regulation, nuclear organization, embryonic development, and disease states. These insights will also be critical for advancing any field rooted in genetics including pharmacogenomics, stem cells, cloning, development, aging, and synthetic biology. Furthermore, as more epigenetic markers are associated with specific diseases, tools can be developed to diagnose patients and gauge the severity of disease.

Based upon a survey of 200 scientists, Exploring the Epigenetics Market: Opportunities for Product Placement and Innovations presents findings from a study that benchmarks the state of basic epigenetic research. While epigenetics research can employ such commonplace molecular biological techniques as restriction enzyme digestion, primer extension and Southern blotting, it also involves more complex technologies as DNA sequencing, PCR, real-time PCR, HPLC, and MALDI-TOF MS. Advances enabling faster and cheaper mapping of epigenetic modifications have accelerated discoveries in the field. This report reviews progress in both the discovery of epigenetic markers and the development of new epigenetics-based tools, and highlights opportunities for suppliers interested in designing and manufacturing new technologies to support epigenetics researchers.

In this study, scientists elaborate on processes and techniques they use to do epigenetics research, problems with protocols and antibodies, changes expected in the time/effort devoted to epigenetics research over the next couple of years and the estimated change in spending on chIP-related consumables through 2011. Scientists also provide opinions about suppliers of chIP and non-chIP grade antibodies, and indicate how these products are used, satisfaction with suppliers and desired improvements with each.

Designed to provide guidance for life science suppliers selling products that support epigenetic research involving chromosome immunoprecipitation (chIP), Exploring the Epigenetics Market: Opportunities for Product Placement and Innovations will help suppliers optimize product offerings and strengthen market position.

The goal of this study is to provide life science suppliers selling products that support epigenetic research conducted using chromosome immunoprecipitation (chIP) with information1 on how best to optimize their product offerings and strengthen their market position by identifying:

•    Processes and techniques scientists use to study epigenetics correlated with research goals
•    Anticipated change in percent of time/effort devoted to epigenetics research over the next several years
•    Key sources of information (i.e., scientific journals and conferences) that epigenetics researchers use to stay abreast of their field
•    Comparison of 2008 and 2009 expenditures on chIP consumables
•    Throughput and multiplex expectations for chIP assays
•    Prevalence of chIP kits and chIP-grade antibodies versus "do it yourself" chIP assays and researcher-validated antibodies for chIP assays
•    Leading suppliers of chIP assay kits and chIP-grade antibodies
•    Critical problems with chIP protocols and antibodies and the prioritization of specific improvements
•    Species, clonality, and target requirements for chIP-grade antibodies
•    Suppliers of non chIP-grade antibodies used in chIP assays
•    Validation issues associated with non chIP-grade antibodies
•    Comparison of chIP-Chip and chIP-Seq techniques
•    Degree of interest in conducting whole genome analysis studies
•    Leading suppliers of chIP-Chip arrays and chIP-Seq systems

Key Topics Covered:
Section 1. Key Findings & Implications
Introduction
in-Depth Analysis
Summary
Section 2. Methodology & Demographics
Section 3. Presentation of the Survey Data
Overview of Epigenetics Resesarch
Experience with Chromosome Immunoprecipitation Assays for Epigenetics Research
Experience with Chromosome Immunoprecipitation Antibodies for Epigenetics Research
Special Focus on Chip-Grade Antibodies
Special Focus on Non Chip-Grade Antibodies
Laboratory Budget for Epigenetics Research
Special Focus on Chip-Chip Experiments
Level of Involvement in Epigenetics Field

For more information visit http://www.researchandmarkets.com/research/16399d/exploring_the_epig
 

According to a McMaster University business professor, well-crafted movie product placements can boost a brand’s stock prices.

However, there is also the possibility of the opposite effect, says Anna Danielova, a finance professor from DeGroote School of Business. She says that when brands pick the wrong movie to integrate with, it could “flog” their product.

Danielova and fellow academe member Michael Wiles—from Arizona State University—recently studied 126 product placements in 24 motion picture films that were released in 2002.

The selection of the movies had a strict criterion. First, the movie had to gross at least $20 million during their opening weekend and the product placement had to be visually or audibly evident to the audience.

The study is published in the current edition of Journal of Marketing. It found that brand stock prices rose by an average of 0.89 percent after a product placement in a blockbuster movie.

The boost also increased for higher grossing films, especially for products which were visually and verbally referenced, and for integrated product campaigns.

“The finance theory is recognition hypothesis,” said Danielova. “So ... someone sees a Coke in a movie and says, ‘I do enjoy Coke, why not buy into it?’”

On the other hand, product placements in violent films affected stock prices in a negative way. Danielova cited Blade 2 as a prime example.

She concludes, “Perhaps people think the company condones violence or there is a negative association with the product.”

Another observation was that critically acclaimed and artistically driven movies were not good product placement vehicles. Danielova believes that in these type of films, the audience does not expect product placements.

She describes how to find a successful product placement as: “…a very fine balance companies must find.”

Danielova cited examples of successful product placements, such as Pepsi in Austin Powers, Mini Cooper in The Italian Job, and Ford in Die Another Day.

She adds, a product placement “has to be natural and suitable for the scene, characters and audience.”

Product placement is the next big trend to hit the advertising world. PQ Media says that it will be a $5.6 billion global industry next year. And if you tie a placement to an advertising deal, it’ll be worth $10 billion in value.

Source: TheSpec.com

Nobody likes watching commercials.

Marketers can try all sorts of gimmicks and directors can put as much creativity as they can, but consumers just don’t like commercials. That’s why advertisers are concocting new ways to reach the audience—product placement.

New research suggests that product placement gives brands a boost in stock prices.

““There’s quite a bit of value to be gained from film product placement because the spots are impossible to avoid, and you’re able to tie your product to the characters and what’s portrayed to get rich symbolic associations with the movie and pop culture,” comments Michael Wiles, a marketing assistant professor from the W.P. Carey School of Business at Arizona State University.
Wiles is a co-author of the study that is published in the July issue of the Journal of Arizona University.

“We looked at 126 product placements in 2002 films and found an average abnormal stock price jump of .89 percent for the related companies during the films’ openings. Interestingly, the bumps up didn’t reverse,” said Wiles.

Wiles and his colleague Anna Danielova studied how products were integrated to films and related it to how the brand performed. They concluded that several factors affect the performance of a product placement.

“The most successful product placements included a tie-in advertising campaign linking the product with the film and announcing the association before the movie’s release,” says Wiles. “Also, if the brand was already well-known, the product placement was more memorable. As expected, placements in higher-grossing films tended to be worth more.”

However, the study also found that a larger audience does not guarantee an effective placement. Wiles gave “Blade II” as an example. Product placements in the movie did not perform well. Wiles believes that brands integrated in the film were associated to violence and aggression. That’s why they did not perform well in the advertising measure.

Wiles says that product placements are most effective when they are in a “moderately enjoyable movie.” Plus, the product integrations should be natural, not forced.

He adds, “It’s a difficult balancing act to figure out which ones will be worth the most. You also have to avoid having too many placements in the same film. As more brands get mentioned in a film, the placements compete and become less valuable.”

The study gave also gave examples of successful product placements, like Austin Powers in Goldmember, The Italian Job, and Die Another Day.

Source: Arizona State University
 

According to Adweek, product placements from the top ten travel and hospitality brands on prime time television increased by 34 percent in 2008 compared to the previous year.

Seven out of ten of those brands were hotels and the remaining three were JFK and LAX airports and the Crow Greek Goldmine Tourist Attraction in Girdwood, Alaska.

Among the hotels, three Las Vegas brands posted the most product placement occurrences. These were the Paris Las Vegas Hotel and Casino with 474 occurrences, the MGM Grand Hotel & Casino with 271 occurrences, and the New York New York Hotel & Casino with 197 occurrences.

In broadcast network TV shows, Fox’s “So You Think You Can Dance” topped the bill for product placements for the travel and hospitality industry. The show, which had 534 product placements, was set behind the backdrop of the Las Vegas Strip with signs, banners, and logos from different Vegas hotels.

NBC’s “Last Comic Standing” was second in the list with 445 product placements, while “CSI: Crime Scene Investigation” had 349 occurrences to get third place.

 The research was conducted by Nielsen Co.