Research Shows That Product Placement in Television and Movies Favorably Affects the Viewer's Attitutude Toward a Product; Leads to an Increase in Sales

Product placement, or the deliberate placement of products in movies and television shows, has become a very popular method of advertisement. Having viewers see characters using certain products is an effective way of increasing favorable attitudes towards that product. The increasing support of these products due to product placement leads to an overall increase in sales.

An Increase in Viewer's Favorable Attitudes Toward a Product Leads to an Increase in Sales

According to a recent study on the correlation between a viewer's exposure to product placement and their resulting purchase behavior, the use of product placement in movie and TV shows is statistically proven to lead to an increase in sales of that product. One major example of this correlation is the increase in sales of Reese's Pieces after the release of ET in 1982. ET featured an Alien that had a love for Reese's Pieces. Just three months after the release of this movie featuring this product, sales had increased by 65 percent.

In an interview with Dr. Henry Boyd, a marketing professor at the University of Maryland, Boyd talks about the effectiveness of product placement and relates his opinion to the "classic example" of ET. Boyd also talks about how the movie originally wanted to use M&M's in the movie, but the company, Mars, declined the offer. Obviously Mars missed out on a huge advertising opportunity most likely because they were not aware of the effectiveness of product placement. Reese's pieces saw this opportunity and because of the use of their products in the ET storyline, the popularity of this product greatly increased.

Viewer's Attachments to Characters Using the Products is Directly Correlated to the Increase in Favorable Attitudes Towards a Product

 A study on the relationship between consumers and characters shows that a viewer's attitude toward a product and their likelihood to buy the product greatly increases if they see a character they are attached to using the product. For this reason, studies show that product placement is much more effective in TV shows, mostly because they air for long periods of time, allowing the viewer to become attached to a certain character. Movies do not have this advantage, as they usually only run for about two hours. TV shows usually run for many seasons, which allows long-time viewers to become captivated in the lives of the characters for years.

The image to the right is from a scene in the hit TV series "Desperate Housewives," which ran for a total of eight seasons and eight years. This was a long time for viewers to become attached to the characters and their fictional lives. The image features one of the main characters, Gabrielle, standing in front of a car that is clearly advertised as a Buick. This advertisement was very effective as it was featured in a very popular show that has viewers that have become attached to this character. The obvious support that Gabrielle for this car is likely to
favorably affect the attitude some viewers have toward this car.

 In a survey on product placement, 73 percent of people believe that product placement in TV shows was more effective than product placement in movies. The higher effectiveness of product placement in TV than in movies is due to the viewer's attachment to the characters, and in the same survey, 75 percent of people agree that viewing their favorite character using a product favorably changes their attitude towards that product.
                          
                                 
It is very common for TV shows and movies to use characters that are portrayed to the audience as important or powerful for the placement of products, as that has the most influence on the viewers. Viewers are likely to want to try a product after seeing an influential character using that same product. The attachment the viewer has to this character can lead to a slight attachment to the product, as they will now associate it with that character. Boyd speaks on the placement of products in the popular TV show "House of Cards" and the effect it has on viewers.

Companies Use Product Placement as Advertisement with Hopes of Increasing Sales

When companies pay to have their product embedded in the storyline of a TV show or movie, they have one goal in mind: to increase the sales of their products. Paying for this kind of advertisement is somewhat of an economic risk for the companies, but the effectiveness of product placement is very high and usually pays off in the long run. The effectiveness of product placement lies within the fact that most viewers do not even realize that they are being exposed to it. Viewers are being advertised to and are not usually aware of what is happening. Companies know this which is why product placement has become such a popular form of advertisement. Boyd addresses the goals that companies have when using product placement and says that all companies want to enhance their brand, and they can do this through product placement.

Product placement on TV and Movies is a much more discreet form of advertisement than commercials or previews. When a viewer is watching a movie or TV program, they are very tuned in and are focused on what they are watching. This is very different from how a viewer watches commercials or previews. Most people do not pay very close attention to these and the advertisements do not affect their attitude towards a product. In movies and TV, the placement of products does not distract the viewer from what they are watching because sometimes they are not even aware of what they are seeing. If a viewer does notice the deliberate placement of a product into the storyline of what they are watching, their attitude is likely to become more favorable of that product due to their attachment to the storyline or character. This is what companies are hoping would happen and what will help them to reach their goal of increasing sales. The TV and movie industries are rapidly growing due to the easy availability of both, and this is fueling the overall growth of product placement advertisement.