‘A host of organic product placement opportunities’ has been built into W Network’s upcoming The Smart Woman Survival Guide series, says Marilyn Orecchio, director of sales for the net.

The 13-episode lifestyle series about the lives and loves of a group of women who work on a fictional lifestyle TV show called Smart Woman debuts this fall, but the first two seasons have already been mapped out, complete with brand integration opps.

The idea for the series, Orecchio explains, ‘came from insights gleaned from our expertise and research – how do we communicate tips, helpful information for women who are time-strapped but also looking for ways to relax and be entertained? By creating a hybrid show that entertains and informs.’

Citing examples of ‘how advertisers can be organically woven into a scene and connected to an emotional high point without compromising the integrity of the show,’ she points to two examples of product placements on behalf of Nestlé (Haagen Dazs, Perrier, Lean Cuisine, Coffee Mate and Aero) and L’Oreal (Garnier).

When the characters need a break from stress, Haagen Dazs ice cream is worked into the scene as a respite from a hectic day. For service-based clients, there are opportunities to enlist real-life experts to be interviewed. In one episode, for example, Garnier’s skincare expert is a featured guest on the fictional TV show.

In Smart Woman‘s second season, storylines will focus on the financial category, specifically around buying and renovating a house, offering tie-ins with a new range of marketers. Overall, says Orecchio, ‘the series categories represent a great opportunity to feature not only the brand equities of the category sponsor via product integration, but also a platform for their spokesperson or expert, who can participate in the show within the show as one of the host’s guests.

‘The show is also a springboard for clients to connect with their consumers on other media platforms – providing them with a 360-degree approach to reaching their customers. A hub for other opportunities, the show can be broken into shorter platform-friendly segments for mobile, online or on-demand. For example, the content can be extended online with short demonstrations/instructional vignettes and extended to mobile phones with mini tips. The opportunities are limitless.

‘W grew to be number one with women by building on our philosophy of mining consumer insights and offering programming that really speaks to women,’ Orecchio concludes. ‘Everything we do is rooted in insights (that) help us create added value and stronger client initiatives.’