Brand Appearances on Prime-Time Television

Abstract

This research provides a baseline study documenting the frequency, context and portrayal characteristics of brands appearing on prime-time television. One week of prime-time television on four major networks was used. A content analysis, using a coding scheme developed by Gupta and Lord (1998), was performed that captured the nature of brand portrayal in programs suitable for subtle persuasion. Results indicate that brands are prevalent on prime time television. The majority appear in sports, news, feature magazine and game shows. Forty percent appear in shows suitable for product placement—ones similar in context to commercial movies. Appearances in these shows are characterized by extended portrayals and prominence of display, involve character interaction and are essential to the scene dialog. Marketing implications and future research directions are explored.