Product placement is largely a function of the relationship between the consumer, sitcom character, and placed product. In fact, consumer decisions are oftentimes influenced by the alignment of one’s own attitudes with those of a character, a process of which is driven by attachment to this individual. Because viewers become actively vested in the lives of those in these television shows, they form deep connections with the characters which has the ability to influence various outlooks of the viewers, especially regarding consumption decisions. This suggests that the degree to which one relates with or connects to a character, the more likely he or she is to consume the placed product as well.
A similar sentiment is expressed in Alex Kotlowitz’s “False Connections” as viewers seek to mimic those who they see on the television shows, even if this does not match with what they know. Therefore, consumers are not just motivated by their desire to obtain access to the world of a higher socioeconomic class (potentially pictured in television shows), as suggested by Juliet B. Schor, but also to obtain access to the world of the characters in these television shows. Hence, product placement influences the memory, attitudes, and beliefs of the viewer about the products that are present within television shows.
The success of product placement is primarily influenced by the degree to which it makes sense within the given plotline. If a placement seems out of place, it is likely that it will be discounted or even result in adversely affected attitudes towards the brand. Therefore, the connection between a brand and the plot influence changes in memory and attitude (for the better or worse depending on how it is incorporated); however, television shows sometimes take the opposite approach and utilize over-the-top product placement, which works to varying degrees (e.g., the two case studies used in this project were extremely successful). Nevertheless, just because an individual is exposed to a brand through product placement does not mean his or her attitude will change; rather, brands must seek to blend their product placement seamlessly with the plot in order to increase the chances of successfully influencing memory AND persuasion (Russell, 2002).
As stated by Juliet B. Schor, “consumers are not deluded, duped, or completely manipulated. But neither do they act like profit-maximizing entrepreneurs or scientific management experts” (456). Therefore, advertisers must find a place in which they can insert their products into television shows that subtly manipulates the viewer and overtakes their rational decision-making process about consumption. Given today’s oversaturated advertising landscape, a smooth use of product placement is likely to be more powerful because it might not be perceived as a targeted persuasive message; however, consumers may also feel as though the obvious use of brand names in television is solely a reflection of the large amount of commercial content within the American consumer culture. Therefore, product placement can be used in a variety of ways, all of which result in different outcomes, demonstrating how there is not one correct or incorrect way to utilize this advertising technique.
To delve even further into the effect product placement has on viewers and media, we must first examine the complexity of the term. First off, researchers in the field have distinguished between product ‘placement’ and product ‘plugs’; plugs usually occur in talk shows or other non-storied programming, often as a conversation or short speech touting a product’s virtues, whereas placements are usually seen as an inclusion into a character’s story. According to La Ferle and Edwards (2006), plugs are better remembered because they are stored categorically (i.e. in reference to a weather segment), and are thus recalled anytime a viewer sees a weather segment. Product placements, however, are often stored ‘episodically’ (namely, in reference to the specific episode in which they are mentioned), and thus are recalled only when the viewer watches that same episode.
To look at some empirical data on product placement, we can look at a study of 105 hours of television spanning the week of January 14th, 2002. Product placements were shown the longest in game shows (8.5 seconds), sporting events (8.2 seconds), news and magazine shows (5.7 seconds), and storied programming (4.5 seconds). Visual placement lasted an average of 6.2 seconds, with the majority (68%) appearing for five seconds or less. Overall, brand appearances were quite prevalent, with one brand appearing, on average, every three minutes of programming (La Ferle and Edwards, 2006). In this study, performed 13 years ago, storied programming demonstrated the fewest and least prominent brand appearances, whereas game shows offered the greatest exposure. It may be that marketers and brand executives may have become privy to this trend and saw storied programming as an avenue that was not an ‘oversaturated advertising landscape,’ which, as mentioned above, may lead to consumers’ becoming inured to any kind of brand appearance. Additionally, viewers may form a positive attitude about a brand or product if they see their favorite character using it or speaking favorably about it.
In a more recent study (2011), economists Sukki Yoon, Yung Kyun Choi, and Sujin Song investigated viewer behavior and attitudes. They found that consumers are more aware of product placement as a phenomenon and accept it as an essential part of visual entertainment, so long as they perceive the placement to be connected to the story and adding value to their viewing experience. The researchers posit that an integrated placement might solicit a musing along the lines of “I like that, that was clever,” which is certainly the case in the 30 Rock examples examined on this website. It matters to viewers that the brand use “furthers the plot, heightens realism, and somehow adds enjoyment to their viewing experience.” If the product placement does not fit these criteria, it is instead perceived as an unwelcome distraction and an intrusively integrated sales pitch, which, as mentioned above, is repellant to consumers (Yoon, Choi, and Song, 2011).
Malcolm Gladwell provides an interesting parallel in his exploration of ‘coolhunting’. Producers and executives use prominent figures in order to ‘plug’ or advertise certain products; in the case of mass media, they use popular sitcoms (such as Community and 30 Rock) because they have dedicated followers who are attached to the characters and story lines. In the real world, the ‘prominent figures’ are people like DeeDee, who are widely admired and have high visibility as a ‘cool kid,’ whom companies hire to work at their stores, wear their product, or simply act as a brand ambassador (Gladwell, 1997).
*For images depicting examples of product placement on television, please refer to the “Image Gallery” sub-page.