NEW YORK: Well, here is another revenue stream for TV news channels - especially those who showcase style, fashion, glamour - to provide entertainment-news programming. Its called "immersion" marketing in Fox parlance!

An adage report says that cosmetics major L'Oreal has actually bought an entire fashion news programme (launched last week on WE network) called Full Frontal Fashion. L'Oreal has become the integrated sponsor of a segment featuring the cosmetics company's key stylist and spokesperson named Oribe.

Here in India, too, companies such as Hindustan Lever Limited (HLL) leverages its brand endorsers (Jawed Habib and Samantha Kochar for Sunsilk; Yana Gupta for Lakme) during mega events such as Lakme India Fashion Week.The specially created hair-styling saloons held within the same premises as the fashion events gives added mileage to drive home brand saliency. However, HLL doesn't actually buy time but piggy backs on the fact that news channels consider it to be an event of national relevance.

Abroad, WE network is not the first to mix product placement with news-type programming. Fox Sports Net has launched branded-marketing deals for the Best Damn Sports Show Period and 54321, its new extreme-sports show, with companies such as Ford Motor Co and Labatt USA.

Encouraged by the reponse, the WE networkis planning another show on shoes and seeking sponsors for the same.

However, the programming team has to ensure that the "immersion" process has to be seamless without much compromise.