Product Placement Research

Effective marketing strategies for product placement

My dissertation examines the evolution of traditional marketing practices to combat shortening attention spans, thus influencing product placement—the incorporation of branded content in entertainment media. With U.S. product placement spending reaching $18.8 billion in 2021, this research quantifies success using brand recall, memory recall, and KPI's.

To determine what forms a memorable brand impression, this research explores reactance theory, plot connection, psychological memory models, and relevance. Developing an analytical framework could improve decision-making for production companies and help brands predict product placement’s impact on sales.

Tripartite Typology of Placement Intent

Incidental placement

A discrete style of placement that is still present within the storyline and composition of a film or show, but to an exceptionally high degree of integration.

Referential placement

Typically consists of characters within a particular scene briefly verbally mentioning or subtly physically gesturing towards a product.

Explicit placement

The most commonly used type of placement, due to it being the most prominent.

Potential Key Performance Indicators

Associative cognitive frameworks allow for the creation of questionaries that quantify brand attitude and brand image. Consumers will use associative language to create their own perception of a brand's attributes.

Achieve a 30% increase in the average number of positive brand image associations per consumer within 4 weeks of (film name with branded content)'s release in cinemas.

Metrics for Effectiveness

Brand Awareness

The extent to which consumers are familiar with the qualities of a given brand. This can be as simple as the existence of the brand, or as complex as their values.

Brand Engagement

The stage between pre- and post-awareness. A holistic term representing the relationship between a brand and the viewer or consumer. The quality of the engagement is determined by brand perception.

Brand recognition

The extent to which consumers can identify a brand through visual and/or verbal cues.

Brand attitude

The emotional component of a consumer's perception of a brand. Works hand-in-hand with brand image, a representation of the brand's symbolic attributes.

The extent to which consumers are able to remember a brand. Can be measured either immediately after watching a film or show with product placement or after a significant amount of time.

Brand recall

Marketing & Film: An Analytical Framework for Effective Marketing Strategies when using Product Placement in Film & Television in the Context of Psychological Reactance

Measuring Plot Integration.

Psychological reactance theory tells us that disruptive branded content in film and television is known to trigger negative attitudes from viewers towards the brands.