An exploratory study of product placement in social media

Abstract

Purpose -The purpose of this paper is to focus specifically on the examination of factors influencing the effectiveness of product placement in social media. Design/methodology/approach -Two field experiments were used to test research models and questions. In each experiment, random sampling was used to assign volunteers into groups, controlled by different experimental settings. Questionnaires were distributed to the volunteers in order to collect their attitude toward advertisement, brand impression, and intention to click the advertisement. Their browsing behavior was measured by click through rate, browse depth, and browsing time.Findings -The paper found that the effects of product placement conducts (product prominence and presentation) in social media are similar to the effects of product placement in other media. Also, a match between the vehicle and product would create deeper browsing depth and longer browsing time on the product web site. Product placement on a higher awareness vehicle would be more effective for marketing. Originality/value -This study makes its contribution in understanding the effectiveness of product placement in social media on delivering a marketing message. The results further highlight the importance of "integrating" the product placement content with its context and its vehicle.

Influence of social media marketing communications on young consumers’ attitudes

“…Schivinski and Dabrowski (2015) discovered that both user-generated and organizational social media brand communications positively affected awareness (cognitive responses). Labrecque's (2014) Liu et al (2015) examined factors that influenced the effectiveness of social media product placement. The investigation established videos with subtle product placements, which resulted in the most favorable attitude and behavioral responses, and that the effect of social media product placements was comparable to other media.…”

The effect of web advertising visual design on online purchase intention: An examination across gender

“…In this light, we attempt to explore whether visual cues in web advertising (e.g., background color, images, and flash design) influence advertising outcomes as measured by advertising attitude, brand attitude, and online purchase intention. In an internet context, much research has shown that attractive and pleasurable site stimuli can enhance positive consumer responses Ching et al, 2013;Cho & Kim, 2012;Day, Shyi, & Wang, 2006;Flores et al, 2014;Kim, Kim, & Park, 2010;Liu, Chou, & Liao, 2015;Moore, Stammerjohan, & Coulter, 2005;Richard, 2005;Sokolik et al, 2014). Hence, the responses of online consumers may be influenced by visual attractiveness in web advertising as well.…”

“…In addition, evaluation of the brand name was found to be dependent on its location in the advertisement (right vs. left) and the type of advertising stimulus (verbal stimulus vs. pictorial stimulus) (see Janiszewski, 1988Janiszewski, , 1993. Liu et al (2015) also theorized a positive relationship between the attractive placement of products and ATA. Additionally, several studies have examined the potential effect of site stimuli on visitors' responses Ching et al, 2013;Flores et al, 2014;Goodrich, 2014;Hwang, Yoon, & Park, 2011;Moore et al, 2005;Wu et al, 2008).…”

Effect of Instant Messaging Advertising on the Hierarchy‐of‐Effects Model Amid Teenagers in South Africa

“…However, the effectiveness of IM platforms should also be considered from a more holistic perspective, since social media advertising has a significant effect on attitudes that cannot be determined solely by CTR (Williamson, 2012). Several studies have focused on the examination of online consumers' attitudes and usage (Kuisma et al, 2010;Punj, 2011;Mina, 2012;De Haan et al, 2013); and, more recently, social media (Malthouse et al, 2013;Maxwell, 2013;Weinberg et al, 2013;Hardwick et al, 2014;Hollebeek et al, 2014;Liu et al, 2015). A majority of these inquiries agree that the primary objective of online and/or social media advertising is to establish favorable attitudes towards organizations and their brands.…”