Product Placement

This study will show the effects of product placement on the consumer's brand perception. The use of product placement on movies has grown rapidly in the recent years. Using the business definition, product placement is 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 this paper, only those under movie product placement will be discussed.

Based on the theoretical framework, the three dimensions of attitude -cognition, affect and conation- are linked in a causal chain which determines how the consumers respond towards a brand after exposure to advertisements. Since the researcher will only be determining how product placements affect the consumers' brand perception, only the first two dimensions will be focused. With the study of the theory of Cowley and Barron on the year 2008, the researchers identified which characteristics of product placement affects the consumers' brand perception. The researchers then came up with plot connection and frequency as the most prominent factor that affects how the consumers evaluate a product placement. The said factors affect the consumers' brand awareness, brand recall and assessment or evaluation which then comprises consumers' brand perception.

Awareness will first take place. In this stage, consumers will take notice of the brand due to the factors mentioned at the previous paragraph. Frequency and the connection to the movie plot has always been a factor on how the consumers perceive a brand after seeing a movie with such product placement. Repetition of the product's appearance can be a double-edged sword for marketers. It can generate positive or negative effects on the consumers' behavior. The introduction or the integration of the brand on the story plot of the movie plot has also been observed by the consumers. The appearance of the brand may be unnecessary and may gain negative reactions from the consumers. However, if the brand makes a significant contribution to the story it will facilitate memory.

Involvement of the products has been hypothesized to lead to greater perception of attribute differences, perception of greater product importance, and greater commitment to brand choice. Consumers are familiar with the brand under high product involvement and low level involvement easily attracts consumers by other information, like story structure. Due to the said factors, brand recall is generated. Brand recall means that consumer can remember the brand without any help, and there is also a stable position for the brand in the consumers' mind. Through brand recall, brand attitude or brand perception will be formed. Based on how the consumers recall the product, consumers will then process their assessment or evaluation of the brand. It may generate negative or positive brand perception