Measuring the Impact of Product Placement Dimensions on Consumers’ Brand Recognition ()
1. Introduction
Ever since commercial television was introduced in 1939, television replaced mass printing, and has been the major media for marketers and advertisers. Currently, as the world witnesses a dramatic information explosion, the effectiveness of delivering traditional advertising messages to target customers is greatly declining due to technological advancements like the internet, remote controls, Video on Demand (VOD), TiVo, and over-the-top (OTT) providers like Netflix, which allow people to set their own prime time and forgo advertisements as a whole [1]. Thus, marketers needed new ways to promote their products and services. Correspondingly, not only advertisers have been placing their brands and products in commercial spots, but they have been sponsoring and supporting programming that appeals to their target audience in an effort to profit from public exposure to television programs, series, sitcoms, and sporting events.
Every day, consumers are exposed to numerous commercial messages and advertisements, which they eagerly skip [2]. Reference [3] stated that many researchers have argued that traditional advertising has lost all credibility and is not as effective as it was before. They also claim that the 30-seconds spots on commercial breaks are now dead because of increasing cost and clutter. Advertisers are now facing a problem: they pay a huge amount on TV ads and those ads are not watched by the audience, so they have gradually been shifting to new techniques, and product placement is one of the new strategies that advertisers have been steadily implementing in order to make exposure unavoidable for audience [4]. Given that today’s consumers have a short attention span and want to directly access the content they intend to watch without any interruptions, product placement has been fiercely utilized [5].
One of the most important issues that companies investing in product placement are facing, is deciding how their brand or product will be placed within a movie. Before allocating a significant amount of their marketing budget to the product placement promotional strategy, firms must understand how various factors impacting the effectiveness of product placement are employed. This situation has pushed researchers to conduct further studies to identify the factors and conditions under which product placement will yield a positive attitude [4]. Nevertheless, no full consensus has been reached regarding the factors affecting product placement. Thus, this study is considered academically important as it fills the gap in literature on how to use product placement in manner that will impact consumer behavior [6].
The current research attempts to address this problem by assessing the factors that increase the effectiveness of product placement in movies through eliciting high brand recognition. Consequently, the research aims to investigate how various product placement dimensions including plot connection, product prominence, and the presence of a movie actor can affect consumers’ brand recognition of the placed brand. It will give insights to marketers on how to correctly place their products into movies to generate high consumer brand recognition.
2. Literature Review & Hypothesis Development
Nowadays, audiences have more control than ever before over their television viewing. Research indicated that, on one hand, a lot of people tend to switch television channels during commercial breaks when advertisements appear [7], and on another hand, many people, mostly young adults, are cutting traditional television and moving towards online streaming services platforms to skip or avoid ads altogether [8]. To meet their varied entertainment needs, the streaming services have also made it possible for people to watch television programs from around the world. People are going for streaming services like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, Hotstar, Voot, SonyLIV and AltBalaji to watch ad-free movies and TV shows [6].
2.1. Consumer Behavior towards Movies
People stay in front of their television, laptop, or smartphone screens for hours binge-watching television series and movies, and the fact that there isn’t any advertisement makes their viewing experience even more enjoyable [6]. This implies that marketers must consider alternatives to traditional advertisements on tv when coming up with strategies to promote their goods and services, and here comes product placement in media. The dynamics of the entertainment industry have changed as a result of streaming services, increasing the attractiveness of product placement for marketers [7] [8].
2.2. Brand Recognition Due to Movies
Reference [9] defined brand recognition as one’s ability to identify a brand as something that they already have seen or heard about. It is the extent to which consumers can distinguish and identify a brand quickly when any of its components including the logo or slogan appear [6] [10]. According to [11], the first step in the advertising influence process is brand recognition. Customers should first recognize a brand before they are attracted to the brand or influenced by it in any way. Reference [2] has mentioned based on other researchers that despite some criticisms, brand recognition is still the most fundamental and generally used indicator of placement effects. The type of product placement has a considerable impact on how consumers recognize brands [12]. The research also stated that other factors of product placement such as subtlety, duration of exposure, plot connection of placement, individual judgement, brand familiarity, and actors’ verbal mentions of the brand name throughout the movie have great impacts on brand recognition. Accordingly, these studies recommend that marketers use product placement as an active means to communicate to consumers about their brand, making it an effective advertising approach [6]. Thus, this paper seeks to assess product placement and its impact on brand recognition.
2.3. Product Placement
Marketers use product placement, sometimes referred to as placement marketing or brand placement, to advertise and market their products [7]. Reference [13] stated in their research that product placement was defined by Balasubramanian, (1994) as a “paid product message aimed at influencing movie (or television) audiences via the planned and unobtrusive entry of a branded product into a movie (or television program)”. In other words, product placement occurs when a brand-name product is inserted into an entertainment or a communication medium aiming to promote the product in exchange for payment from the product company [14] [15]. Reference [7] suggest that product placement should be embedded in movies and TV shows naturally to appear as if they are part of the media content, hence the audience won’t realize that they are being exposed to an advertisement. Product placement isn’t only limited to movies and TV programs, it can also be found in musical videos, video games, books, magazines, and comic books [15].
Product placement has gained great popularity over the past two decades, a lot of marketers and filmmakers are attracted to it [6] [16]. Reference [5] mentioned that one reason for this is due to the increasing range of digital platforms and streaming apps that let users watch films and shows online. Other reasons contributing to the increasing interest in product placement include advertising clutter, ad-skipping possibilities, and growing costs of commercial advertising [8]. Product placement in movies, TV shows, videos and other forms of media content greatly impact how consumers behave toward brands, it can greatly affect consumers decision depending on the individual attitude of the consumer considering the relevance of the advertising [11]. Thus, it is vital for marketers to understand how to effectively place their products within a movie. Choosing how to position a brand within a movie is a crucial decision for a company interested in investing in product placement. Below are some of the dimensions of product placement that marketers should consider.
2.3.1. Product Placement: Plot Connection
Based on existing studies about the movie marketing industry, these studies show that plot connection is one of the important dimensions of product placement [17]. Even though plot connection holds high importance, there is limited academic research on how it can affect consumers’ brand recognition [6]. Plot connection, also referred to as plot integration, is defined by [18] as the degree to which the brand placed is connected to the story, or the degree to which the brand placed is related to the film plot. Based on marketing experts that specialize in this field, a strong product placement is one where the product appears naturally in the film. It was declared by Chan, (2012) in the study of [2] that plot connection is thought to help in both consumers’ cognition process and persuasion towards the placed brand. The persuasive knowledge model proposed by [19] explains how consumers use their knowledge of persuasion to understand, assess and react to efforts of marketers to influence them. The theory declares that as the level of plot connection increases, the more it can hide the persuasion attempt of the brand resulting in a low activation of consumers’ persuasion knowledge helping then in recognizing and recalling the placed brand more. The study conducted by [20] supports this theory, their study findings showed that during a highly integrated placement, the audience could recognize and memorize the placed brand name more than in comparison to low plot integration placement. In addition, the study conducted by [2] also concluded that brands placed with stronger plot connection have a higher chance of being recognized. It appears that highly integrated plot connection has a positive impact on consumers’ recognition. Therefore, in consistence with other studies the first hypothesis emerged: Hypothesis 1: There is a positive significant relationship between plot connection and brand recognition.
2.3.2. Product Placement: Prominence
The product placement literature agrees on classifying prominence as one of its main descriptive characteristics [17]. Prominence is defined by [21] and by [22] as the extent to which the placed brand holds characteristics allowing it to be the center of attention of the audience. Several studies examined these characteristics, and out of them are the size of the placement and exposure time, the frequency in which the product placed appears, and the location of the brand on the screen [17] [20]. Hence, a prominently placed product is one that is very visible due to its size or position on the screen, on the other hand, a subtly placed product is one that shows in a small size, appears in the background far from the audiences’ visual focus, or is only visible for a very short time [22] [23]. The study of [20] showed that prominence has no significant effect on consumers’ brand recognition, as there were no visible differences in the results when comparing the condition of high prominence condition with that of low prominence. However, it was mentioned by [2] and [24] that in comparison to subtle placements, products that are placed prominently generate far greater recognition. Moreover, the study of [12] revealed that product prominence significantly improves consumers’ recognition. Thus, it Is anticipated that a high prominent placement will have a beneficial effect on consumers’ brand recognition. Therefore, consistent with previous literature [2] [12] [24], we propose a positive relationship between product prominence and brand recognition. We thus introduce the following hypothesis to be further tested: Hypothesis 2: There is a positive significant relationship between product prominence and brand recognition.
2.3.3. Product Placement: Presence of Actor
After reviewing the past product placement literature, it appears that the movie actors starring in films where the brand is placed is an important dimension of product placement that has the potential to affect its effectiveness [12] [24]. Based on the theoretical background of the classical conditioning learning theory, when linking a placement with another positively evaluated stimulus such as a movie actor, it positively affects consumers’ responses (Petty, Unnava and Strathman 1991; cited in [12]). It was mentioned in the study of [24] based on other researchers including Kamins & Gupta (1994) and Till & Busler (2000) that a good fit among the brand placed in the movie and the expertise of the actor can lead to higher brand recognition as well as positive consumer attitudes. However, the study findings of [24] didn’t support this assumption, as they revealed an insignificant relationship between an expert movie actor and consumers’ brand recognition. Reference [2] stated that products appearing being consumed by actors in movies have a high possibility of grabbing the attention of the audience, allowing them to assess the products more deeply, thus, enhancing the audiences’ brand recognition. Furthermore, the study conducted by [12] showed that when a principal actor is present during the placement, the audiences’ memory and evaluation is improved and their brand recognition is increased. After a thorough analysis of the past literature, the following hypothesis was derived: Hypothesis 3: There is a positive significant relationship between movie actor presence during the placement and brand recognition.
3. Methodology
This study is considered deductive quantitative research. When reviewing the literature review, three main hypotheses emerged that were sought to be tested scientifically; it is a top-down approach that starts with a general idea and then seeks to confirm it with real-world observations. The study took place during November and December 2023, following a cross-sectional timeframe. This study used administrated questionnaires to collect the needed data. The study took place in an artificial setting. The researcher set up various workstations on college campuses, sports clubs as well as malls to allow participants to first watch parts of the movie that hold high degree of product placements. Once they watched the clips, they then filled out the questionnaire.
The population of focus was college students of the age 18 to 22. This population was chosen as prior studies claim they are the highest consumers that watch movies on television, movie theaters or streaming applications [25]. Furthermore, other studies including [8] and [16] have mentioned that people who belong to this age have high possibility to take notice of products and brands placed in movies and other media content as they are more brand conscious compared to any other age group.
The population was sampled through non-probability sampling, specifically convenience. The researcher randomly visited various college campuses, sports clubs, and malls in which college students usually hangout. The researcher approached the students and asked them if they would like to participate in a study. Those who agreed were taken to a specific location made for the data collection. The sample comprised three hundred and eighty-six individuals of whom 201 where female and 185 males. Table 1 displays the respondents’ demographic profile.
The questionnaire was conducted in English and used existing scales to measure the research variables: product placement plot connection, product placement prominence, product placement actors, and brand recognition. So that to ensure clarity, a brief definition of product placement was provided at the start of the questionnaire. The questionnaire contained three main sections. Section one was an introduction to the topic of the research and how to fill out the questionnaire. The introduction section also confirmed the purpose of the study and that the study is confidential for academic purposes. This section was created to maintain ethical procedures of social science. Section two assessed the variables of the study; the scales were adopted from [26]. Product placement actor was measured through a 5-point Semantic Differential Scale, while product placement plot connection, product placement prominence, and brand recognition were measured through a 5-point Likert scale. The final section asked about demographic questions.
A pilot test was conducted before the actual data collection to confirm the accuracy of the questionnaire. 50 questionnaires were used in the test. A pilot test is an initial test or a miniature version of a larger-scale study or project. It confirms if the questions in the questionnaire are clear and understood or whether it needs further adjustments. When conducting the pilot test, it was confirmed that the scales were reliable and valid to conduct the study. Thus, the researcher began the actual data collection. The research sought to collect at least 384 questionnaires as [27] claimed this is the needed sample size if a population is over 10,000.
4. Data Analysis
In this study the researchers distributed 400 questionnaires. However, only 386 questionnaires were completed accurately. Thus, this study has a response rate of 96%. The results of this study are presented in the following section.
Table 1. Demographic characteristics for respondents’ profile.
| Demographic Characteristic |
Frequency (N = 386) |
Percentage |
| Gender |
|
|
| Male |
185 |
47.9 |
| Female |
201 |
52.1 |
| Age |
|
|
| 18 to 19 |
319 |
82.6 |
| 19 to 22 |
67 |
17.4 |
| Highest Completed Educational Level |
|
|
| Year one |
2 |
0.5 |
| Year two |
186 |
48.2 |
| Year three |
182 |
47.2 |
| Year Four |
12 |
3.1 |
| Other |
4 |
1.0 |
| Monthly Income Level |
|
|
| Less than 10,000 EGP |
210 |
54.4 |
| 10,000 EGP to 30,000 EGP |
120 |
31.1 |
| 30,000 EGP to 50,000 EGP |
29 |
7.5 |
| Above 50,000 EGP |
27 |
7.0 |
Once the needed data was collected. The researcher analyzed the data using SPSS as well as Smart PLS to conduct structural equational model (SEM). First, the outer model was tested to check the consistency reliability as well as the convergent and discriminant validity. Then the inner model was tested using Bootstrapping to test the research hypothesis proposed earlier.
4.1. Model Measuring
In this study, the outer model was tested, Figure 1 shows the loading values for the model as well as the R2 value, the R2 values for brand recognition is 0.225. In this model, there was no problem of multicollinearity as the variance inflation factor (VIF) values were less than five. To assess the model fit for a PLS path modelling, the standardized root mean square residual (SRMR) is considered the primary criteria. As a rule of thumb, the research model is considered to be perfect if the value of the SRMR equates to zero. In addition, any other SRMR value below 0.08 is also within the acceptable range of model fit. The SRMR value for this study is 0.067 which is close to zero and below 0.08, thus indicating a good model fit.
Reliability is the ability of a measurement instrument to measure the same thing each time it is used [28]. The most used test of reliability is done through calculating the Cronbach alpha of all statements for each construct. Cronbach alpha should not be lower than 0.7. Therefore, to ensure that all the indicators making up a certain construct are reliable and consistent with each other, indicators with Cronbach alpha less than 0.7 must be omitted [29]. In addition, outer loadings are also used as a measure of reliability, and the accepted threshold for outer loadings is 0.7. Validity refers to the extent to which a study correctly measures or reflects what it aims to measure [28]. To measure validity, the Average Variance Extracted (AVE) as well as the factor loading for each item must be calculated. To represent adequate validity, the AVE should be greater than 0.5, and factor loading should be at least 0.4 or greater [29] [30]. Table 2 represents the results of the reliability and convergent validity, and it shows that all indicators were accepted and proved to be valid and reliable. As shown, Cronbach alpha values of all statements are greater than 0.7, and all outer loadings are above 0.7 implying adequate reliability. Furthermore, the AVE for all variables is above o.5, and all factor loadings are above 0.5 implying adequate validity.
Table 2. Validity and reliability test.
| Variable |
AVE |
Cronbach Alfa |
Composite Reliability |
Items |
Outer Loading |
Factor Loading |
| Plot Connection |
0.658 |
0.740 |
0.852 |
PC1 |
0.802 |
0.811 |
| PC2 |
0.836 |
0.827 |
| PC3 |
0.795 |
0.795 |
| Product Prominence |
0.808 |
0.763 |
0.894 |
PP1 |
0.907 |
0.890 |
| PP2 |
0.891 |
0.890 |
| Movie Actor |
0.632 |
0.807 |
0.873 |
MA1 |
0.749 |
0.772 |
| MA2 |
0.766 |
0.787 |
| MA3 |
0.846 |
0.834 |
| MA4 |
0.815 |
0.789 |
| Brand Recognition |
0.659 |
0.741 |
0.852 |
BR1 |
0.844 |
0.826 |
| BR2 |
0.858 |
0.855 |
| BR3 |
0.727 |
0.753 |
Discriminant validity determines the uniqueness of each construct and whether it captures phenomena that isn’t represented by other constructs in the model. To determine discriminant validity, the Fornell-Larcker Criterion, and Heterotrait-Monotrait Ratio (HTMT) are assessed. According to Fornell & Larcker’s criteria, the square root of a construct’s AVE is compared with its correlation coefficients with other constructs, to demonstrate discriminant validity the square root of the AVE values of the constructs in the research should be greater than the correlations between the construct in the research [5]. Table 3 shows that the Fornell–Larcker criterion in this study was met as the square root of AVE of each construct was higher than its correlation with other constructs. As shown in Table 3, the square root of AVE for product placement is 0.811, which is higher than its correlation with the other variables: plot connection −0.169, movie actor 0.181, and brand recognition 0.070. The same is true for all the other remaining variables, their AVE square root is higher than their correlation with other variables in the study. HTMT ratio reflects the average of the correlations of indicators across constructs measuring distinct phenomena relative to the correlations of indicators within the same construct. To assess discriminant validity using HTMT, we compare its values with a predefined threshold of 0.90 where HTMT value should not exceed [31]. Table 4 represents the HTMT of this study and it shows no discriminant validity issues as all values are less than 0.90.
Table 3. Discriminant validity Fornell-Larcker criterion.
|
Plot Connection |
Product Prominence |
Movie Actor |
Brand Recognition |
| Plot Connection |
0.811 |
|
|
|
| Product Prominence |
−0.169 |
0.899 |
|
|
| Movie Actor |
0.181 |
−0.324 |
0.795 |
|
| Brand Recognition |
0.070 |
−0.378 |
0.392 |
0.812 |
Table 4. Discriminant validity HTMT ratio criterion.
|
Plot Connection |
Product Prominence |
Movie Actor |
Brand Recognition |
| Plot Connection |
|
|
|
|
| Product Prominence |
0.225 |
|
|
|
| Movie Actor |
0.239 |
0.403 |
|
|
| Brand Recognition |
0.116 |
0.500 |
0.492 |
|
Figure 1. Model with loading values.
4.2. Hypothesis Testing
The inner model was tested using Partial Least Squares-Structural Equation Model (PLS-SEM) to test the proposed research hypothesis. Bootstrapping was applied and Figure 1 shows the structural model. In order to assess the relationship between variables, path coefficients, t-statistics, as well as p-values were used. The path coefficients’ magnitude and sign are used to determine the effect of a variable on one another, as for the t-value and p-value they help in detecting the statistical significance of a relationship [8]. The p-value must be lower than 0.05, and the t-value have to greater than 1.96 to represent a significant relationship [32] [33].
Table 5. PLS-SEM analysis.
| H |
Path |
Path Coefficient (Std. β) |
Std. Dev |
t-value |
p-value |
Result |
| 1 |
Plot Connection |
◊ |
Brand Recognition |
-0.033 |
0.049 |
0.683 |
0.495 |
Rejected |
| 2 |
Product Prominence |
◊ |
Brand Recognition |
0.284 |
0.052 |
5.488 |
0.000 |
Supported |
| 3 |
Movie Actor |
◊ |
Brand Recognition |
0.306 |
0.052 |
5.867 |
0.000 |
Supported |
Table 5 shows the PLS-SEM analysis for this study representing the path coefficients, t-statistics, and as p-values. It could be observed that the impact of plot connection on brand recognition was found to be insignificant (P-value = 0.495, t-value = 0.683). Therefore, H1 is not supported. Product prominence has a positive significant effect on brand recognition (β = 0.284, P-value = 0.000, t-value = 5.488). In addition, the relationship between the movie actor presence and brand recognition is also observed to be positive and significant (β = 0.306, P-value = 0.000, t-value = 5.867). Thus, H2 and H3 are accepted.
5. Discussion
Product placement has been on the rise lately, this study aims to provide helpful insights into the efficacy of product placements in movies through evaluating consumers’ brand recognition to the placed brands. This study assessed three central dimensions of product placement, when conducting the analyses two dimensions were supported while one proved to be insignificant when it comes to brand recognition.
H1, positing a positive relation between plot connection and brand recognition, was not supported. Our results reveal that the degree of plot connection doesn’t affect consumers’ brand recognition, as the relationship between the two variables is insignificant. This finding is not in line with the persuasive knowledge model proposed by [19] discussed in the literature review. One reason pertaining to this inconsistency is that as the degree of placed brand plot connection increases, the more it appears to be naturally placed in the movie, thus, the audience might have not recognized the brands placed at all. Furthermore, this result is also not in line with the research findings of [2] and [20] as they both revealed that plot connection has a direct relationship with brand recognition.
H2, proposed a positive relationship between product prominence and brand recognition, was supported. The results of this study indicate that product prominence is an important influence on consumers’ brand recognition; higher prominence translates into increased consumers’ brand recognition. Thus, this study confirms that prominently placed products in movies are powerful enough to elicit consumers’ recognition. This result is in consistence with several other studies that found that prominence positively affects brand recognition including [2], [12], and [24], where they all adopted similar methodology as this study. On the other hand, our finding contradicts with the research findings of [20] as they concluded that the degree of prominence doesn’t show any differences on consumers’ brand recognition. When conducting their research, [20] investigated the effect of product placement prominence in fashion and beauty blogs, however, the current study investigates the effect of product placement prominence in movies, thus, the differences in the context might explain the inconsistency in the results between the two studies.
H3, suggested a positive relationship between movie actor presence during the placement and brand recognition, was supported. The PLS-SEM conducted between the two variables showed that there is a significant positive relationship. People tend to recognize brands appearing in movies being consumed by movie actors. The finding further reinforces those from prior studies, which suggest that the product placements through the presence of a movie actor positively associated with consumers’ brand recognition, among those studies are [2] and [12]. On contrary, our findings are in contradiction to the study of [24] where they revealed an insignificant relationship between celebrity endorser presence during the placement and brand recognition. When conducting their study [24] examined the effect of product placement appearing in YouTube videos on consumers’ brand recognition, while this study examined effect of product placement appearing in movies on consumers’ brand recognition. This could be one reason for the differences in the results between the two studies.
5.1. Theoretical Implications
This study aimed to contribute to the existing literature of product placement by examining how various dimensions such as plot connection, prominence, and the presence of a movie actor influence young adults’ brand recognition to product placement appearing in movies. Although there is currently considerable literature on the impact of product placement on consumers’ brand recognition, researchers have not reached a full consensus on the real effect of product placement nor about the factors that may determine the magnitude and direction of this effect. Furthermore, the effect of associating a movie actor during the placement on consumers’ brand recognition has not received a lot of attention relative to other factors such as product prominence and plot connection. The fact that product placement has been utilized a lot lately [4] [6], makes this study of great importance. The study revealed that both product prominence as well as the presence of a movie actor during the placement have the potential to positively influence consumers’ brand recognition. However, plot connection didn’t yield the anticipated results, as the study indicated an insignificant relation between plot connection and brand recognition. Thus, the present study offers an enhanced understanding on how different dimensions of product placement can affect the audiences’ brand recognition. In addition, it also examines the effect of associating a product with a movie actor, as it has been called for in past studies.
5.2. Practical Implications
This study provides marketers and practitioners with some important implications to increase consumers’ brand recognition. Product placement has proved to be an effective promotional tool for marketing a product. This research guides marketers on how to effectively place their products in movies to yield the greatest possible effect. Not only the Egyptian movie industry has been booming recently and generating revenues like never before, but also movie consumption is expected to increase through the coming years [34] [35] Consequently, marketers and advertisers should consider this as an opportunity to promote their products by integrating them into different movies. However, marketers should understand how to effectively place their products in movies, it’s crucial to make sure that product placement improves the content’s authenticity and doesn’t make the product appear out of place. Since this study found that product prominence and the presence of a movie actor are positively associated with the audiences’ brand recognition, it is important for marketers to consider both variables while formulating product placement strategies. It is recommended for marketers who are willing to raise consumers’ brand recognition, to prominently place their products into movies by making them very visible on the screen. To add more, the presence of a movie actor during the placement can also work wonders for consumers’ brand recognition. Marketers should show their products being consumed by movie actors, as the audience tend to highly recognize those products that appear with actors. On the contrary, marketers should avoid plot connection placements if they want to increase brand recognition, as the results revealed that there is an insignificant relationship between plot connection and brand recognition.
5.3. Limitations
Though the current study has provided some important insights into customers’ brand recognition toward products placed movies, the study has some limitations that should be taken into consideration. The study included only some of the product placement dimensions and neglected other dimensions including placement repetition, product familiarity, and serial position of placement. In addition, the present paper aimed to investigate the effect of product placement embedded in movies in general, thus limiting the results to be applied to other forms of media and not considering the potential role of different movie genres. The paper also focused on extracting scenes from one movie only, the results of this study might have been different if the audience were exposed to more than one movie or other movies. Another limitation to this study is the population under study. This research focused on college students of the age 18 to 22 neglecting other age groups, and the study was also restricted to a certain geographic location. These restrictions negatively affect the generalizability of the study findings. Finally, to collect the required data, the present study used only quantitative research methods.
5.4. Future Research Directions
Areas of limitations mentioned in the previous part should be taken into consideration in future studies. Further studies can include different dimensions such as product serial position, repetition of placement, or familiarity of brand placed to be added as independent variables. Furthermore, a moderator variable such as frequency of movie watching can be added to the model by future studies, as it may generate moderating effects. Future studies are recommended to investigate the impact of product placement dimensions on other media such as TV shows, music videos, social media, YouTube videos and video games, as this study was only restricted to product placement in movies. In addition, this study focused on product placements included in only one movie “Beit El Ruby”, future research can be conducted to study other movies or to include more than one movie. They could also study the impact of different movie genres on the effectiveness of product placement. In the future, other studies can include different population samples to include other generations than those who belong to the age group between 18 and 22. This study was conducted in only one geographic area, Egypt. Thus, it is recommended that future research studies conducted by scholars could apply the framework in different countries as other results may be conducted.
6. Conclusion
Product placement is considered embedded marketing or advertising as it is a form of advertising in which branded products and services are featured in movies or television shows or other media production that targets a large audience. This study claims that product placements can be presented in a way that will generate positive feelings towards the brand that is being promoted. As the brand is being implemented, mentioned, or discussed through the program, viewers get to notice and recognize the brand. They are not explicit advertisements. Product placement is effective, because it enables the audience to develop a stronger connection with the brand in a more natural way as they watch others consuming the products and services. Advertisers and producers have become more sophisticated in how they execute product placements. This study recommends that product placement to be effective on audience should focus on the dimensions of prominence, the location of the brand being used in the scene as well as the celebrity using the brands. For example, a product’s appearance may be relatively overt or seamless, such as if the same manufacturer made every car, shoe, or drink featured in a show or movie. These two dimensions of product placement can create explicit and implicit advertising effects. For example, viewers of product placement are more able to name a brand after seeing it used in the content. It can also create and cultivate different attitudes toward brands.
Conflicts of Interest
The authors declare no conflict of interest.