Abstract
Product placement refers to the planned and paid insertion of a branded product within a film or any other media that is capable of influencing the attitudes and the beliefs of the audience toward that specific product. The present article reports the results of two experimental studies on the attitudes of Italian consumers toward this practice. Findings show that attitudes change as a function of product type; individual differences, such as gender and age; movie watching frequency; as well as consumers’ personality profiles. Product placement in movies is quite recent in Italy, since it became a legal practice only in 2004. A comparison with results from previous studies on product placement acceptance, carried out in the United States, Austria, France, China and Australia, is also discussed.
Highlights
The first study on the general attitudes of audiences toward product placement (i.e. Nebenzahl and Segunda, 1993) showed that most consumers do not openly object to this practice, considering it as an efficient marketing technique
Product placement acceptance can be analyzed from two perspectives: general acceptance and acceptance concerning the insertion of specific products
Attention must be paid on particular aspects that can influence consumers' attitudes toward product placement: namely, the type of product included in a movie, the gender of the consumer, the frequency of film viewed (De Gregorio and Sung, 2010; Gupta and Gould, 1997; Gupta et al, 2000; McKechnie and Zhou, 2003); and, for the first time in marketing research, consumers’ personality profiles
Summary
The first study on the general attitudes of audiences toward product placement (i.e. Nebenzahl and Segunda, 1993) showed that most consumers do not openly object to this practice, considering it as an efficient marketing technique. Attention must be paid on particular aspects that can influence consumers' attitudes toward product placement: namely, the type of product included in a movie, the gender of the consumer, the frequency of film viewed (De Gregorio and Sung, 2010; Gupta and Gould, 1997; Gupta et al, 2000; McKechnie and Zhou, 2003); and, for the first time in marketing research, consumers’ personality profiles (cf Caprara et al, 1993) Taking into consideration these determinants, the results obtained in past studies, such as in Gupta and Gould (1997), and Gupta et al (2000), confirm that people who most frequently watch movies are more likely to appreciate product placement. Producers and advertisers select meanings and symbols belonging to the dominant culture in order to ensure an effective communication and, on the other hand, consumers’ reactions confirm or modify such cultural aspects and they provide elements for the stage
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