Product Placements

Abstract

The global market for product placement, the practice in which firms pay to place branded products (e.g., brand name/logo, package, signage, other trademarks) in the content of mass media programming, has exploded. A pair of studies test two potential moderating factors that may help account for the lack of attitude change reported in past experimental studies of placement effects. Specifically, this paper examines the effects of repetition of branded product placements in television and movies, comparing those that are subtle/"not in your face" with those that are more prominent/obvious. Findings suggest that the type of placement (subtle/prominent) and repetition (low/moderate) interact to impact brand- and placement-related judgments. Specifically, repetition of prominent placements for known brands has a negative impact on brand attitude. For subtle cases of product placement, however, consumer attitudes are relatively positive and moderate levels of repetition have little incremental impact. In addition, findings suggest that studios ought to evaluate placement options carefully, as repetition of prominent placements may lead to reduced affect for their productions, thereby fueling a decline in their audiences. Theoretical and practical implications are offered.

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