Students’ perceptions on the effectiveness of product placements: A case study of a private higher education institution in Durban

Abstract

The aim of the study was to investigate students’ perceptions of the effectiveness of product placements and to determine whether they are aware of product placements, whether they pay any attention to product placements and whether the exposure to product placements has influenced their purchasing behaviour in any way. This study adopted a quantitative research approach and employed the case study design; hence, the main focus of this study is on how students, based at private higher institution in Durban, perceive the effectiveness of product placement. The study was conducted at a private higher education institution with an estimated population of 1000; the sample size was 135. The form of non-probability convenience sampling method was employed. Although the form of non-probability sampling techniques is not common in quantitative studies, sufficient representation was ensured. Hence, the research results were able to be generalised from a sample to a population. Quantitative data was collected using the questionnaire method. SPSS statistical package was used to capture numerical data. The study also employed both descriptive and inferential statistics in order to infer the sample results to the entire population. The quantitative data analysis results indicated that product placements are similar to traditional advertising in terms of capturing the audience’s attention, developing positive feelings towards the product and recall when faced with a purchase decision. The study has also contributed immensely to the digital and social media advertising theory and practice.