Sample Dissertation 6 - Product Placement In Films 5h676p

Attitudes towards Product Placements in Film’s Student number 043279496

May 2007 Dissertation submitted to the University of Leicester in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of BA Management Studies

Contents Page 1) Abstract

3

2) Introduction

3

3) Literature Review

6

3.1) Marketing Communications

6

3.2) Product Placement

8

3.3) Reasons for the Use of Product Placement

9

3.4) Brand Association: Contexts and Celebrities

11

3.5) Attitudes Towards Product Placement

12

3.6) The Ethics of Product Placement

13

3.7) Product Placement in Films

14

4) Research Questions and Objectives

14

5) Methodology

18

5.1) Subjects and Settings

18

5.2) Procedures

19

5.3) Data Analysis

20

6) Results: Analysis and Discussion

21

6.1) Brand Awareness and Attitudes

21

6.2) The Amount of Product Placements: Saturations vs. Realism

24

6.3) Attitudes Towards the Ethical Concerns of Product Placement

27

7) Conclusions

30

8) Reflections and Recommendations

33

9) Appendix

40

9.1) Discussion main themes and quotes

41

9.2) Discussion questions used as prompts

46

9.3) Group Interviews (Attached to back cover)

2

1) Abstract

Product placement in movies is becoming an increasingly popular method of marketing communication. This study documents the attitudes towards product placements in films focusing on brand awareness and brand attitudes, attitudes towards the number of placements and the ethical concerns. In order to investigate these attitudes a study of qualitative nature, utilising two focus groups, was undertaken. The results indicate generally favourable attitudes towards the use of product placement. Brand awareness is increased but brand attitudes are not altered as the result of the viewing of placements. Attitudes towards brands appear to be formed by personal preference. The results show that the amount of placements are deemed acceptable and also reveal what methods of placement are deemed the most effective in creating awareness. A blasé attitude to advertising in general was detected as well ambivalent attitudes towards the ethical concern of product placements. Managerial and research implications are built upon the findings of the study.

2) Introduction

There has been a rapid increase in cinema attendance throughout the world. Dunnett and Hoek (1999). In 2006 a reported 156.6 million visits were made to UK cinemas. European Audiovisual Observatory (2006). The large and growing number of people attending the cinema gives marketers the opportunity to use product placements as an alternative method of marketing communications, both in order to influence attitudes towards brands and create greater levels of brand awareness. Alternative methods of creating brand awareness and are being used as response to 3

the high cost and short life span of traditional commercials. The cinema offers a unique platform for rs as traditional means of communication such as television and radio offer the subject the opportunity to avoid the messages, the cinema overcomes this due to the viewing context of the communication. Phillips and Noble (2007). The viewer has chosen to go to the cinema and watch a production that may well contain marketing messages rather than have these placed upon them without prior choice. Product placement has many advantages as a marketing tool due to its captive nature and that it is viewed in a social setting free from other advertising clutter. Dunnett and Hoek (1996). Placements also offer longevity as they are embedded within a media production and therefore are open to repeat viewing. This method of marketing communications is now a common sight in both movie and television. Hudson Valley Business Journal (2007). As the practice of product placement has grown, more research has taken place into the field in order to discover the effectiveness and attitudes towards placements. Although research has taken place the growing pace and sophistication of product placement is outpacing this research. Hackley and Tiwsakul (2005). Previous studies on product placement have focused on ethics and acceptability of product placements within films, namely Gupta and Gould (1997); Balasubramanian et al (2006); Sargent et al (2001) and Karrh et al (2001). Such studies have focused predominately on American audiences and have used cross cultural comparisons to countries such as Singapore (Karrh et al 2001), French and Austrian audiences (Gould et al 2000) and Australian audiences (Brennan et al 2004). Studies such as those by Morton and Friedman (2002) and Nelson and McLeod (2005) concerning the resulting consumer behaviour as a result of exposure to product placement have again

4

focused on American audiences. In order to fully understand developing attitudes towards product placement it is necessary to gain knowledge from varying cultures. The aim of this paper is to asses the attitudes towards the marketing communications medium of product placement within films. This study aims to fill a gap in the literature by focusing on attitudes towards placements within a U.K audience so comparisons can be made to findings from previous research. This research first explores the practice of product placement and then attitudes before presenting the research findings and their managerial implications. Both primary and secondary research was employed. Drawing upon a wide range of academic journals, articles and books dedicated to marketing communications a wealth of information was discovered concerning both the practice of product placement and marketing communications as a whole. Literature concerning the ethics, effectiveness of and attitudes towards product placement was discovered in order to look for gaps to be filled by this research. Research questions were defined after this initial literature search. The study reported here focuses solely on attitudes towards product placement amongst a U.K audience and not the resulting behavioural aspects as a result of exposure to these marketing messages. The primary areas of focus within this study are the effectiveness of product placement in influencing brand attitudes and awareness, viewer attitudes towards the number of placement within film’s and the viewer attitudes towards the ethical concern of the practice. Such areas of research are deemed relevant and important not only to add to current research concerning attitudes towards product placement, but to add to the amount of cross-cultural literature. This will give the marketer the ability to compare the attitudes detected in this study to that of other cultures. Such research will also give marketers greater

5

insight into the practice and highlight the effectiveness of their efforts and expenditure. Four group interviews were conducted using two groups, each group watching two films. Group discussions were held after each viewing in order to uncover the attitudes relevant to the area of research and also to discover wider attitudes towards advertising in general.

3) Literature Review

The following section presents a review of the current marketing communications and product placement literature. It is designed to give an insight into the reasoning behind the use of product placements and demonstrate the area of concern as well as direct the research.

3.1) Marketing Communications Fill (2005) defines marketing communications as ‘a management process through which an organisation engages with its various audiences’. Advertising is the most visible and immediate form of communication between a business or brand and the customer and general public. White (2000). For Belch and Belch (2004) advertising is an integral part of market-based economies in which the consumers purchasing decisions are shaped by marketing communications. Marketing communications are therefore fundamental for business survival. For marketers it is the attitudes towards advertising and the subsequent view on the product or brand that is of direct interest. O’Donohoe (2001). Advertising takes many forms, it is therefore vitally important that the marketer uses the medium relevant to the message being communicated, and the medium that will gain most approval from the consumer. A

6

failure to ensure this may lead to ineffectiveness of communications and a dilution of the favourability of a brand or product. Recent developments in marketing media such as digital television, the increase in the number of radio stations and the internet has given people more choice, marketers therefore need to find ways of communicating more effectively. Johnstone and Dodd (2000). Such developments mean that marketers have more options as to where they can , but at the same time the consumer has more choice as to where they find information. With this in mind the media of today has become more fragmented. The challenge appears to be not so much the creation of the message itself, but finding the suitable medium in which the message is communicated. The choice of media for the communication according to Rossiter and Percy (1998) needs to fit the communication objectives and fulfil the basic requirement of capacity, the ability of the medium to convey the creative content of a campaign. Rust and Varki (1996) argue that interactive media will challenge and remove traditional mass media such as the 30 second television commercial as it will be able to better serve the consumer with regards to product information. However with modern emphasis on brand building it can be argued that purchasing decisions are not always based on product information. Although it is argued such methods will be better able to serve to customer, the problem of creating brand awareness, personality and identity still remains and rs are left finding to seek new effective ways to target a mass audience in order to create awareness. Fill (2005) suggests marketing communications at the most basic level fulfil one of four main roles. Communications can inform the consumer, persuade the consumer to purchase, reinforce an experience and act as a differentiator in markets where little separates products. Rossiter and Percy (1998) suggest five marketing

7

communication objectives of category need, the acceptance that a product can fulfil a desired motivational state, brand awareness, brand attitudes, brand purchase intentions and finally purchase facilitation. All these must be achieved and at full strength before a consumer will make a purchase decision. The emphasis here is on the brand and not the product showing that the consumers purchase decisions are based on brands and the characteristics associated with a brand rather that the product itself. Communicating a strong brand can be seen as the major factor in the success of a product, particularly when the brand shows consistency, familiarity and authority. Brierley (2002).

3.2) Product Placement Product placement is the ‘compensated inclusion of branded products or brand identifiers through audio and/or visual means, within mass media programming’ Karrh (1998:10). An alternative definition that sheds more light as to the intended effects of product placement views placements as ‘the planned entries of products into movies or television shows that may alter viewers’ products beliefs and/or behaviours favourably.’ Balasubramanian 1994). The placement of brands within entertainment media is rapidly evolving in both of scale and sophistication. Hackley and Tiwsakul (2006). Product placements have occurred in films since the 1940’s and have grown in prominence since. Nelson (2002). For rs, brand placement is an inexpensive way to create substantial reach and create positive brand awareness. Karrh et al (2001). Placements are no longer limited simply to cinema but are apparent in other form of media such as television programmes and computer games. Although starting slowly and showing sporadic growth (Balasubramanian et al 2006) product placement is now big business with placements growing by 46% in

8

2004 and total spend on product placements reached $4.2 billion in 2005. Marketing Management (2005). Friedman (1985) shows that the inclusion of brand names into songs and literature has increased since World War II. However, it is the paid inclusion of brands as a strategic marketing tool that has received more attention from marketers since the 1980’s. Karrh et al (2003). Placements are now highly prevalent and come in many forms with the five most commonly used forms being the product or brand shown in the background, product used as a prop, brand mentioning, product or brand shown in the foreground and dialogue mentioning. Edwards (2006). It is thus evident that varying methods of product placement can be used to fit differing brands and contexts within a production. A marketer has the ability to tailor the method placement to fit what they feel best suits the product or brand.

3.3) Reasons for the Use of Product Placement For Holt (2002), as businesses push hard at the branding paradigm and consumers become more knowledgeable and reflexive towards these marketing practices, they begin to lose their efficiency. There is therefore a drive to find new alternative methods of build brand awareness and this may help explain the growth of product placement. A number of advantages of product placements have been suggested by Belch and Belch (2004): Jobber (2004). Product placements benefit form high exposure levels and there is the opportunity for repetition of the message, such repetition and exposure can make placements cost effective considering the exposure they can receive. Placements can also benefit form source association, for example a viewer’s favourite actor within a movie, and this method allows the marketer to by advertising regulations, particularly where ethically charged products are the subject. Sutherland (2006) questioned why it is deemed acceptable

9

for companies to pay undisclosed figures to push their products or brands into the public light when it is not deemed acceptable for record companies to do so. It is clearly apparent that product placements are far less open to regulation than other forms of communication. Studies have shown varying reasons for the use of product placements. According to Nelson and McLeod (2005) the average US consumer is exposed to over 3000 brands per day, brands can therefore be playing a large part in modern culture. For Sawyer (2006) advertising, shopping and product consumption are important in everyday life so the viewing of brands is inevitable. Product placement can therefore be seen as a method of integrating brands and products in to a setting to give a more subtle form of communication in a cluttered environment. Sutherland (2006) argued that people judge what is popular from what is prominent, the more prominent a product or brand is throughout society, the more desirable it will become. Hackley and Tiwsakul (2006) term product placements as ‘experiential consumption’. They suggest that this form of communication can create far more intimacy than traditional methods can and the viewer is therefore subjected to an experience, and not deterred by pre-conceptions and defence mechanisms caused by the acknowledgement of paid advertising. Joachimsthaler and Aaker (1997) and Zyman (2002) suggest that the inefficiency, ineffectiveness and cost of traditional communication media such as television have led companies to utilise alternative marketing communication to create brand awareness. Product placement also gives another medium the marketer can use in an integrated marketing communications strategy, allowing brand building and positioning to a wide audience. The use of placements also enables longevity of the communication of a brand name, particularly in films and computer games. The

10

brand name is repeated with each subsequent viewing of a film or playing of a game, and as this is done at the ’s choice, product placement can be seen as a less intrusive method of brand communication. Williams (2004). Product Placement also yields the benefit of reducing production budgets in television, film and gaming. La Ferle and Edwards (2006). The sums paid to producers by marketers for placements may help explain their prevalence and growth. While there are many advantages to the use of product placement, disadvantages also exist. Belch and Belch (2004) and Jobber (2004) show that marketers may suffer from a lack of control and negative placements where the product appears in an unfavourable scene, the effect of placements in such cases may result in a dilution of brand loyalty. Competition from other brands within a context may also create clutter and therefore negative public reaction. Edwards (2006) suggests that the number of placements contained within television programming has left the r battling ‘clutter’ and although placement offers good value, it is this value that has contributed to the clutter and rs are now facing a dilution of exposure. Gould et al (2000) question the effectiveness of product placement in movies through the eyes of cultural difference. They argue that as product placements give standardisation but cannot be adapted to fit cultural differences their effectiveness may be reduced outside of the culture the film reflects.

3.4) Brand Association: Contexts and Celebrities Williams (2004) shows that placements are contextually integrated and therefore are non-invasive, placement are therefore seen as an experience rather than an ment. Contextual integration can be achieved by product placement

11

through character development and plot advancement in films, and product placement can also offer the chance of celebrity endorsement. Nelson and McLeod (2005). Rositer and Percy (1998); Lancaster and Reynolds (1995) show that the credibility of an ment depends on the sources credibility; differing views on differing sources can alter the way in which a brand is perceived. The use of celebrities has the ability to influence the source credibility of a brand. Sawyer (2006): Zyman (2002). This can be achieved by tapping into the celebrity’s ‘equity’. Zyman (2002:102). Such use of celebrities or actors enables their personality to ‘rub off’ on the product. Rust and Varki (1996). This will have the effect of enhancing the brand personality. The use of a highly credible and recognised person can therefore influence levels of expertise and trustworthiness. Ohanian (1991) found that the perceived expertise of celebrity’s actually increased purchase intentions, even though the celebrity may have no actual knowledge of the product. It appears here that the product placement allows the attractiveness of a brand to be increased through association with a particular individual, even should that individual have little actual knowledge or expertise in relation to the product or brand.

3.5) Attitudes to Product Placement Nelson (2002) suggests that viewers enjoy product placements as long as there aren’t too many as they aid realism and character development. Negative attitudes towards placements appear to be centred around the number of placements and amount of advertising in general. Rust and Varki (1996) suggest that consumers have built a resistance to the high degree of commercial programming seen on television and that channel zapping has lessened the effectiveness of traditional television advertising media. The pressure for rs appears then to be about how to

12

communicate a brand without encountering such defence mechanisms. O’Donohoe (2001;101) shows that consumers do not like repetition of ments and lengthy commercial breaks which have the ability to leave the viewer with a feeling of being ‘bombarded or oversaturated’. O’Donohoe (2001) also suggests that there is a growing cynicism within consumers towards advertising; rs need to find new ways to gain the consumers trust. There is therefore a tension between the perception and attitudes towards a brand and the reiteration of the brand name. Such sentiments have been echoed in relation to product placements as shown by Belch and Belch (2004). In an attempt to move away from the clutter of traditional mediums of communication it can be said that the clutter is moving elsewhere. Gupta and Gould (1997) suggested that attitudes to the product placement depend on individual attitudes to advertising in general so although it has been suggested that factors such as clutter and cynicism are affecting attitudes, generalisations cannot be made relating to all consumers.

3.6) The Ethics of Product Placement Gupta and Gould (1997) carried a survey of 1012 college students to test the ethics of product placement on movies and found that generally there were favourable views to product placements. However, they found that ethically charged products such as guns, alcohol and drugs were seen less favourably. Sheehan (2004) shows that it is of ethical concern that underage viewers can see items such as guns, alcohol and cigarettes. A study by Gibson and Maurer (2000) looked at the effects of smoking in film on behaviours and found that greater tolerance for negative and unhealthy behaviours became re-enforced over time. Other ethical concerns such as smokers being portrayed in some films as powerful people are also raised by Sheehan (2004)

13

and it is shown that such areas of concern have actually been addressed by various anti-smoking and cancer awareness groups. Morton and Friedman (2002) raise the ethical concern created by the blurring of advertising and entertainment created by product placement. Russell (2002) found that people held positive attitudes for products that they did not recognise as a result of product placement. Morton and Friedman (2002) also show that critics believe that the practice is unethical as the viewer may be unaware they have seen products within a scene. Product placement when viewed this way becomes a form of subliminal advertising. However such a view on subliminal advertising suggests a belief in the ive consumer. Sheehan (2004). Such a ive stance also ignores scepticism and resistance towards advertising as suggested by O’Donohoe (2001): Siva et al (2006). It appears that therefore there are varying attitudes towards the ethics of product placement depending on varying viewpoints.

3.7) Product Placement in Films The growth in the number of product placements increased sharply since the appearance of Reese’s Pieces in the 1982 film E.T; The Extra-Terrestrial caused the sales of the confectionary to increase by 68%. Balasubramanian et al (2006): Hackley and Tiwsakul (2006). Product placement has now become a favoured method for companies to raise brand awareness and create positive associations to a brand. Sergeant et al (2001). Today 15% of the revenue generated from films is from product placement. Twitchall (1996) cited in Sheehan (2004). Today product placements in films are highly prominent. In the Steven Spielberg film Minority Report, over 15 major brands including Nokia, Pepsi and Lexus appeared. In the Bond movie Die Another Day there were appearances from Jaguar, Aston Martin and

14

Thunderbird, who are all owned by the Ford motor group, as well as appearances from Finlandia vodka, Omega, and Sony Ericsson amongst many others. Jobber (2004). Fill (2005) shows that one of the most common products placed within films are cars. BMW reportedly invested £20 million on the placement of its Z3 roadster within the movie Goldeneye and the use of other advertising media to the placement and create awareness. This further shows that product placement aids the use of integrated marketing communications. Many studies concerning recall of brands placed within movies have been undertaken, notably Gupta and Lord (1998) who found that prominent placements achieved higher levels of recall and Morton and Friedman (2002) show suggested that any with a brand within a film can help influence purchasing decisions. Joachimsthaler and Aaker (1997) argue that visibility of a brand is underestimated as it signals leadership, quality and success, and people like to know brands even if they have never used them. A primary benefit of placement in movies therefore appears to be an increase of brand recognition.

4) Research Questions and Objectives

This section outlines the intent of my research. The main objective of this study is to consider and assess the attitudes towards product placement within movies. I feel it necessary to look specifically at attitudes because it is the attitudes of the viewers that will ultimately shape the effectiveness of the placements and subsequent attitudes towards the products and brands shown, as well as the movie itself. Studies have been undertaken with regards to attitudes to product placement amongst viewers but a gap appears to be apparent in attitudes towards enhancement versus saturation.

15

Therefore as well as looking at consistencies or inconsistencies in attitudes compared to other studies, this study aims to contribute new knowledge to the area. The questions have been developed to reflect issues concerning product placement that I have found in the literature on the subject. Attitudes shall be assessed using the following areas of investigations.

1) How effective are product placements in increasing brand awareness and attitudes?

One of the objectives of advertising as shown by Jobber (2004) is that advertising helps create awareness which in turn helps legitimise the company, its customers and products. Siva et al (2006) show that empirical results are mixed with regards to the effectiveness of placements on influencing brand attitudes. Here I will look at audience attitudes towards the effectiveness of product placement in relation to the legitimising of a brand, and also look to assess attitudes towards brands as a result of them appearing within film. I will also look to explore the affects of repetition of brand name on attitudes towards that brand. I feel it also interesting to consider what method of product placement the viewers deem to be most acceptable and effective in increasing awareness and enhancing brand attitudes. Here I shall also consider the use of celebrities alongside product placements and assess if they affect audience attitudes and perceptions towards brands. I will look to see if the affirmations of Sawyer (2006) Zyman (2002) and Ohanian (1991) regarding the celebrities influence on source credibility of a communication hold true.

16

2) Are there too many product placements within movies? Are they intrusive or do they aid realism?

The aim here is to assess attitudes towards the amount of placements within movies and to discover whether they form clutter. Clutter from placements within films has been suggested by Belch and Belch (2004) and I will look to assess if viewers feel this is so. I feel that it would also be interesting to explore whether viewers feel that product placements become the central focus of the film or not. I shall also consider viewers attitudes towards the number of product placements and there affect on the movie experience; whether they aid realism or are seen as an ment. Put another way the focus here is enhancement versus saturation. This leads on to the viewers attitudes towards the ethics of product placement and my next area of research.

3) What are the viewer attitudes towards the ethical concerns of product placements?

Television Week (2005) suggested that that the use of product placement within entertainment programming is in fact subliminal advertising. Here I will look to assess if this attitude holds true amongst the viewers. I shall consider the merging of advertising and entertainment and explore whether the viewer deems this subliminal advertising. I will also consider the notion of the ive versus the active consumer in my analysis to establish what category the viewer fits into. Another area of concern here are the attitudes towards ethically charged products such as alcohol and tobacco and I will look at viewer’s attitudes towards the placement of these products in movies, particularly where celebrities are seen using the product. I will

17

consider attitudes towards placements of such products when young viewers have access to the film.

5) Methodology

A qualitative study of cross-sectional design was undertaken as the study is concerned with particular attitudes towards product placement at this point in time. This will allow attitudes detected within this study to be compared to attitudes in the future in order to develop understandings of any changes or consistencies in these attitudes, and how these attitudes affect the effectiveness of product placement as a method of marketing communications. I have chose a qualitative approach as this method is hypothesis free and allows for the evaluation of natural international processes that could reveal subtleties that more stringent and scientific qualitative approaches could miss through the use of instruments such as attitudinal scales. Burns (2000).

5.1) Subjects and settings Two small focus groups were used. The groups were randomly sampled and groups were formed on availability for the viewing of both films. Group A was a family group and consisted of four individuals aged between 18 and 65. Group B were a group of students aged between 20 and 22. The individuals within the groups all knew each other and this helped ensure that there are good group dynamics, thus helped the subjects stay at ease and promote more open discussion. The advantages of focus groups as shown by Patton (1990) are the checking that takes place within the group that eliminates false views and it is easy to establish consistent views. Ideally

18

larger group would be used but due to time constraints in data analysis and problems gaining consistent commitment from participants for the study this was not a possibility. The type of product placement used varied in both of product, brand and method of placement within the films.

5.2) Procedures The films used as the stimulus for discussion were Minority Report with over 15 major brands appearing on billboards throughout the movie at a reported cost of $25 million, and the James Bond film Die Another Day with twenty major brands placing products at a cost of $30 million. These movies were chosen as they were the movies in which there were the most product placements in 2002. Campaign (2002). Both films were watched before hand to ensure that there were varying methods of product placement in order to ensure that the films would help address the research objectives. Prior to the viewing of each film the groups were given the Karrh (1998) definition of product placement mentioned earlier to ensure each subject knew what a product placement is. A film was shown and an open discussion regarding the issues under question was undertaken following the viewing of the film. The film was show in whole in order to show the product placements in context rather than parts of the film in which the placements were prevalent. Showing small sections of the films in which the placements were more prevalent would have highlighted the placements and this would have distorted my findings as my aim was to assess them within the whole movie experience. Conversation was directed using a few pre-planned questions as prompts in order to get conversation under way and address the research questions. These questions can be found in the appendix (p46). Equal input was

19

encouraged from all participants to increase the depth of information. Conversation was allowed to roam freely in order to discover what the participants deemed interesting and to discover wider attitudes but conversation was re-directed when deemed unproductive or irrelevant. Bryman (2004) It is felt that using a qualitative focus group will produce a greater depth of information rather than using attitudinal surveys with pre-determined responses. An assurance to the participants was be made prior to discussion to assure that there is no right or wrong answer in attempt to remove social desirability, what the respondent thinks they should say rather than feel. Black (1999). A different film was shown each time and after the study has been completed with the first group it was repeated with the second group in order to collect a greater amount of information. Initially it proposed that I would show four films instead of two in order to generate a greater depth of knowledge but due to the difficulties in gaining commitment from my subjects this was reduced to two films. Although this did not give me my ideal study design I still feel that it will generate a sufficient amount of information on which to build my analysis.

5.3) Data Analysis All interviews were recorded using a video camera thus giving the ability to visualise the responses as well hear them. Key points were noted and colour coded dependant on what research question they contributed towards. This made analysing the results simpler and was also done in order to look for repetition and therefore develop verified points of analysis. The key points noted can be found in the appendix (p41). Full transcription was not practical due to time constraints and the large amount of dialogue. Although transcription would have allowed coding of data and easier verification of points, it would have broken up the narrative flow. Coffey and

20

Atkinson (1996). One of the most common criticisms of qualitative data analysis as shown by Bryman (2001) is that transcribing and coding leads to a loss of context, using the video camera allowed me to analyse in context.

6) Results: Analysis and Discussion

Attitudes towards the practice of product placement and the placements themselves are vitally important for marketing practitioners to understand in order to effectively direct this form of marketing communications. The following discussing has been split into three sections addressing each of the research questions concerning attitudes towards the practice detected from this study. The main themes and quotes that formed the basis of this discussion are displayed in the appendix. (p41).

6.1) Brand Awareness and Attitudes The first area of research was concerning the effectiveness of product placement in increasing brand awareness and enhancing brand attitudes. The most effective placements in increasing brand awareness were those with actual physical products coupled with dialogue mentioning. Such effectiveness is felt to have occurred through the viewer being able to gain a greater experience of the product. The most notable examples of this are the Bollinger and Aston Martin placements in Die Another Day and the Gap placement in Minority Report. The Aston Martin placement was deemed as particularly noticeable as its repetition was reported to make it the central focus of the film. Other placements that were deemed effective in of prominence and therefore recognition of a brand name were British Airways in Die Another Day, as although not giving a dialogue mention, utilised a prominent

21

and sustained foreground placement and Lexus in Minority Report. This particular placement again did not use dialogue mentioning but repetition of the Lexus logo and the use of a physical product in a car which aided the recognition of the brand name. The effectiveness of a placement depends not solely on the effectiveness of the placement itself but also upon the film itself. An engaging film in which the viewer is highly involved will lead to viewer to process more content and therefore product placements. It is also suggested that the recognition of product placements will also depend on the pace of the film. Respondents, particularly that in group A suggested that more placements were noticed in Die Another Day as there was a less complex plot and the placements were spread evenly throughout the film rather than in clusters, as was the format in Minority Report. One respondent went on to comment on how the standard commercial break may be more effective in creating awareness as some of the placements may be totally lost due to the pace of the film. However it was later commented that product placements may not be as ‘aggravating’ as commercial breaks. It therefore appears that there is indeed a tension between the repetition of the brand name and the individual attitudes held by the viewers as to what is deemed too much advertising. Too much becomes a negative whilst too little and subtle results in no heightening in brand awareness. A common theme found was that the viewer sees the brands or products that that particular individual can relate to or has an interest in. For example, the respondents varied as to what car’s they recalled from Die Another Day due to their particular interests. It would therefore appear that product placement can be loosely targeted to specific audiences as a means of creating brand awareness. The overall suggestion from my research with regards to brand attitudes is that these product placements did not make the group want to purchase these

22

products directly, however they did affectively aid the creation of brand awareness. It appears the dominant effect of product placement is the legitimising of a brand name. The need and effectiveness of such placement was discussed in relation to the expenditure of the brands. It was suggested by one participant that research should be undertaken to discover the true financial benefit of product placement and whether the costs of utilising such a form of marketing communication can return the costs on investment; this is if the objective should be to recover these costs. I would suggest that the primary function of product placement is the creation of brand awareness. The repeating appearance of a brand name, although creating greater levels of brand awareness does not appear to affect attitudes towards a brand. The attitudes of the groups towards the products or brands within the film were not altered or enhanced by the placements themselves but attitudes were changed with the use of celebrities. However, even with the addition of celebrity endorsement the change in attitudes did not affect all and these changes depend on personal preferences towards the celebrity and/or the character portrayed by the celebrity and their traits. It would appear that the suggestions of Rust and Varki (1996) and Ohanian (1991) can be loosely but not wholly applied here. One participant commented ‘I don’t like Lexus’’, later ‘I don’t like Tom Cruise’ and also suggested that any attitudes would be shaped by personal preference to the product or brand rather than the celebrity. Although the same respondent said that he found the Lexus in Minority Report ‘cool’, no attitudes were changed. This is felt to be due to personal pre-formed opinions. The only example of influence can be found as a result of association with the James Bond character but not the actor Pierce Brosnan himself. It was commented by some that Aston Martin receives favourable response from association with Bond and certain models of Aston Martins were recalled such as the DB5. Such association

23

can be seen to drive interest in the Aston Martin brand, but again this only runs as far as personal preferences. A common theme found is that viewers felt that the overall viewing emphasis was on film itself rather than the brands and the products and brands were merely incidental to what was happening within the film. This goes to explain why other than the use of celebrity/character association, the product placements did not alter brand attitudes. The findings from this study suggest that product placements have no defining effect on brand attitudes and this may be linked to wider social structures and marketing activity. Saturation from ments and marketing activity in all walks of life has created a blasé attitude towards advertising in general. Such an attitude could be argued to be produced as the result of cultural processes such as the merging of entertainment and advertising as suggested by Hackley and Tiwsakul (2006). It is felt that such attitudes have resulted from a combination of both these factors. It was suggested that although marketing activity does indeed create awareness, attitudes are shaped by personal desires and preferences rather than the ments themselves. It would thus appear that although it is felt the films were not overly saturated with brands (the inclusion brands reflects real life) the saturation of advertising messages outside of those appearing in films affects the ability of product placements to influence brand attitudes. This leads us to my next area of research.

6.2) The Amount of Product Placements; Saturation vs. Realism Secondly this paper set out to address attitudes towards the number of product placements in movies. Primary focus here was on whether it is felt there are too many and to discover whether they are deemed intrusive or aid realism.

24

Instead of placements losing effectiveness through saturation, my findings suggest the number of placements actually enhance the realism of the film via the inclusion of branded products we see everyday. The inclusion of brands within this form of mass-media programming can therefore be seen to be creating a greater reflection of real life. An example of this is found in Die Another Day with the inclusion of the Aston Martin Vanquish. Although both groups agreed that the car became the central focus of the film, both felt that its inclusion aided the film. Another example of such attitudes is demonstrated through a scene in Minority Report where Tom Cruise is being chased through a shopping mall. The inclusion of brand names such as Ben and Jerry’s and Burger King above the shops was reported to create a sense of realism as within a shopping mall you expect to see such brand names. This echoes Williams (2004) suggestion that product placements are contextually integrated. It is interesting to note that although it was felt that there were at times an emphasis on the products within the films, it was reported that this is a reflection of real life and this may be seen as a contributor towards why the amount of placements are deemed acceptable. Nelson’s (2002) suggestion that product placement is deemed acceptable as long as it appears to contribute towards the film is ed by my evidence. Although it was felt by both groups that the number of placements within the two movies was acceptable, the products that seemed to appear without contributing towards the realism of the film were deemed intrusive, the most obvious example of this is the Guinness placement in Minority Report. In a scene full of placements, Guinness gains attention due to its use of dialogue mentioning and foreground appearance; however it was deemed intrusive by both groups as it contributed little to the feel of the film. This particular placement was seemed as a blatant ment

25

and drew responses such as ‘that was the worst one’. It is clear to see that such forceful methods of product integration draw negative responses. Such attitudes would back up the suggestions of Balasubramanian et al (2006) that blatant placements have the ability to irritate. The Guinness placement was reported by respondents to have created a self parodying feel. It is therefore important that the products appear in the right context whilst contributing towards the content of the film in order to gain a favourable response form the audience. As mentioned, the frequency at which the brands appear in the films affects recall, but this frequency also affects attitudes towards the intrusiveness of these brands. Whilst the placements in Die Another Day were not deemed intrusive due to there constant pacing, the clustering of placements in Minority Report led to a saturated feel in certain scenes that some, although not all respondents felt was intrusive. Although the amount of brands appearing in each film is very similar, 15 in Minority Report and 20 in Die Another Day, the frequency at which they appear affected attitudes to placements but not the brands themselves. It would appear that the suggestion of Gupta and Gould (1997) that attitudes towards product placement depend on individual attitudes to advertising hold true. It is possible to detect an element of ambivalence in the attitudes towards the need for product placement in films. Although it was felt that there is not necessarily a need for these branded products within the film as the plot and the action are the central focus, the inclusion of brand identifiers of branded products does aid realism. It was suggested that people are already aware of such brands and that any such brands could be used to create realism. An exception to this is when celebrities are associated with a particular brand, the notable example of this is the association of the

26

James Bond character with Aston Martin and this was reported to be expected as central to his character.

6.3) Attitudes Towards the Ethical Concerns of Product Placement The third and final area of research was the attitudes towards the ethical concerns of product placement; the view of product placement as subliminal advertising and the attitudes towards the inclusion of ethically charged products within films. Television week (2005) suggested that the use of product placement is indeed the use of subliminal advertising but viewer attitudes appear to be somewhat ambiguous. It was suggested that product placement can be viewed as subliminal but there was generally a high level of brand recall from the participants in the study suggesting conscious rather than subconscious effects of product placement. It is important to that this may be due to the nature of the study, particularly as the study progressed and the participants gained fuller awareness of what the study concerned. One major debate would be the legitimate interest of the individual or how much they desire to know. Balasubramanian (1994). Balasubramanian (1994) and Hackley and Tiwsakul (2006) argued that the use of hybrid messages (a mix of advertising and promotion) such as product placement raise questions as to consumer education as such messages are paid for but the promotional intent remains hidden. My results show that the consumer is far more aware of the workings of such methods of communication as product placement and more educated to the processes of advertising that suggested by Balasubramanian. It would appear that my findings suggest that the viewing of product placement fits more into the category of ‘experiential consumption’ rather than ‘entertainment marketing’. Hackley and

27

Tiwsakul (2006). The brands were experienced as part of the movie and therefore should be deemed to fit into this category. Although the context of product placements is a movie and not an ment itself the participants still recognised that the inclusion of the brands or products within the films was paid for. It is important to that the participants suggested that the placements aid realism and this may explain why they are not necessarily deemed subliminal. However it was suggested that subliminal messages are inherent in life and as there are so many marketing messages it is not possible to consciously process them all. Thus it would seem that advertising has not just merged with entertainment but also with all forms of culture. In the debate concerning the active vs. ive consumer, the consumer appears to be active not ive. Personal traits, desires and preferences appear to shape individual attitudes towards product placement and this is reflected in my research by the change in attitudes towards the brands on show; there was very little. This would go to reject the notion of product placement being a method of subliminal advertising and therefore challenge the suggestions of Television Week (2005). It is also suggested that at a first viewing many of the products or brands embedded in the production may be missed or viewed subconsciously but subsequent viewings, particularly with a repeat viewing of a film or the purchase of a particular film on DVD will reveal more product or brands. Salzman (2000) suggested that the consumer is active due to cultural processes, particularly the cultural need for self empowerment. The consumer and in this case the viewer will not be shaped by messages presented to them but rather the attitudes defined and enacted by the self. My research also detected a scepticism and cynicism towards advertising as noted by O’Donohoe (2001) and Siva et al (2006).

28

This further suggests that the viewer holds an active stance, again ed by the development of blasé attitudes as a result of saturation form marketing messages. Over the last decade the ethical concerns of product placement have received considerable attention, particularly where alcohol and tobacco is concerned. Balsubramanian et al (2006). With regard to the concerns towards the placement of ethically charged products within films, my findings are conclusive. Both the films shown were a certificate 12 and the inclusion of ethically charged products, particularly in Die Another Day, were reported to be central to the James Bond character. Although it was felt that Bond is a character that people may wish to aspire to, there was no promotion of a drinking culture. Although respondents understood why there may be concerns towards using ethically charged products, particularly where young viewers have access, the overall response was features of both films, in particular the violence, are of more concern than the ethically charged products. Such concerns are backed by Brennan et al (2004). The common feeling was that young viewers will not be influenced to start smoking or drinking by product placements not intended for their viewing. It was suggested that people over-estimate these concerns. The findings of this study echoes that of Morton and Friedman (2002) in that if attitudes towards placement are to be influenced, they are more likely to be so by who uses the product in the film rather than the ethical concerns. These suggestions are relevant to the films watched and may differ from film to film.

29

7) Conclusions

This paper is concerned with assessing the attitudes towards product placements in film. The main areas of concern were brand attitudes and awareness, realism versus saturation as a result of the inclusion of product placements and attitudes towards the ethical concerns of placements. For the most part the study detected positive attitudes towards the practice. It appears that the viewers feel that the primary role of product placement is to increase brand awareness and this appears to be the main affect of such placements. The most effective forms of placement in creating awareness are those utilising physical products with dialogue mentioning. Although these are the most effective it is found that the viewer primarily sees that brands or products that they are already familiar with, relate to as a means of personal preference or already use. Repeated images of the brand name or branded product also reinforce awareness. It is apparent that attitudes were not altered significantly by the placements and any attitudes that were altered were as the result of the use of associating a brand with an aspirational character. However even these changes were marginal and did not affect all. This study discovered a ‘blasé’ attitude not only product placement but to advertising in general, further emphasising the importance of individual attitudes to macro contexts in establishing attitudes to micro contexts, namely product placement. It was commented by one participant that young people notice more ments as they are part of youth culture. If this should be true, this would bode well for product placements in the future but this would need empirical testing, especially against the suggested saturated nature of advertising.

30

Product placement in movies adds a sense of realism to a film except in situations where there is no detectable contribution to the film. The frequency of the placements and the pace of the film are also important in determining attitudes towards product placements contribution towards advertising clutter in films. It was commented that although the inclusion of branded products or brand identifiers aided realism, any brand could be included in a film and the product or brands were merely incidental to what was going on in the film. This further backs up the creation of realism through utilising placements. Such attitudes would suggest more of a positive for the film and the marketer. The only times branded products are to be expected in film’s are when they are associated with particular celebrities or characters, for example James Bonds association with Aston Martin and Omega watches. Although there does appear to be some attachment to ‘human brands’, as suggested this attachment can only form if there is an existing positive feeling towards the ‘human brand’. Thompson (2006). This last point although ing previous research, may need further and more comprehensive testing in order to make solid generalisations as these findings were based on two films. The attitudes towards the ethical concerns of product placement are somewhat ambivalent. Although there is appreciation for the concerns in general there appears to be very little actual concern. The appearance of ethically charged products such as alcohol and tobacco within the films was not deemed problematic as there was no obvious glorification of these products within the films viewed. The concerns of product placement as subliminal advertising also show ambivalent attitudes. Suggestions that the product placements could be deemed subliminal was contested with high brand recall levels, however this may be due to the study design and repetition of procedures. Such attitudes towards the ethical concerns of placements

31

can be seen to benefit the practice as there is less concern than first appears. It may be said that there is concern from a minority but the majority remain unmoved by such worries. It is suggested that advertising has not just merged with entertainment but also with wider culture and this is why brand attitudes showed little sign of change as a result of the placements. Advertising appears to have penetrated popular culture, advertising and culture learn from each other as well as sharing artistic pretensions. O’Donohoe (2001). Such a view may further demonstrate the blasé attitude towards advertising. The saturation of marketing communication messages on a day to day basis is felt to have left the individual with too much information to process over too short a time, hence why the placements had little effect. Instead personal opinions and preferences appear to determine consumer behaviour rather than influence from methods such as product placement. The findings of this study carry managerial implications. It would appear by the lack of concern for the suggested ethical implications of product placement by viewers that is indeed possible for marketers to by advertising regulations. A managerial implication for this is that product placement will not be an effective medium for introducing a new product or brand to viewers. Alternative mass media should be utilised to create a general awareness and this can be reinforced through the use of placements. The attitudes towards the frequency of placements suggest that clustering of placements should be avoided and if possible placements should be spread evenly through the film as not to create an intrusive feel. This study also highlights the difference in attitudes between cultures. For example Karrh et al (2001) reported that there is far more concern regarding the inclusion of product placement amongst viewers in Singapore than is reported in this study. As moviemakers cannot

32

adapt films to suit varying cultures, differing attitudes are to be expected between these different cultures. Marketers may also address the amount of advertising they produce against its effectiveness. It would appear the more cluttered the advertising landscape becomes, marketing communications get lost and therefore more are produced and again these become lost in an even more clutter environment; so the cycle repeats. Product placement is an important promotional method that yields the benefit of heightened brand awareness but not should be solely relied on to do so. It is suggested that in an already saturated advertising environment product placements further add to this saturated feel and this may explain their limited ability to influence brand attitudes and attitudes towards product placement in general in any discernable way.

8) Reflections and Recommendations

A problem with the qualitative approach as shown by Burns (2000) is that it is difficult to apply standard conventions of reliability and generalisation. The attitudes discovered in my research are specific to the participants and as I used a relatively small number of participants due to time and commitment problems my results can not be deemed as a generalisation and relevant to all movie viewers. A trade off was made between a small number of participants providing rich information and a large sample providing the ability for generalisations. However I do feel that these results do offer new insights into this field as well as ing previous literature. I also feel that the handling of the groups and interview processes removed any bias and

33

social desirable answers (Creswell 2003) and I managed to uncover true thoughts from the participants and therefore my results are representative of the participants. The repetition of procedures may distort findings as the participants began watching more carefully for the appearance of brands and therefore the movie watching experience is not fully replicated. However with the groups I was able to assemble, and the study design, this was not an issue I could manage a way of controlling. The only way of doing so would be to use a different group for each movie viewing but this was not practical again due to commitment problems. Although the level of involvement in the group discussions was higher in group A than in group B, I feel that I found all the information relevant to my research objectives. Perhaps the lesser involvement by group B suggests much about their particular opinions towards the area. Overall I felt that my research questions were well defined and that I managed to address all three sufficiently to build suitable conclusions. A possible area for future research is to attempt to discover at what point saturation from product placements occurs: at what point do the audience deem there are too many. It may also be beneficial to discover when people start to filter out advertising and also product placements in order to understand what the optimal amount of marketing communication is. Research could focus on attitudes towards placements within different genres of film to discover what genres prove the most effective in influencing brand attitudes, and also to look at attitudes within varying groups. (i.e. age, ethnicity, religion and gender). Future studies may simply replicate this study to test the levels of external validity of this study. Dooley (1995): Wells (1993). This study may also be replicated but using differing groups for each viewing thus eliminating any pre-conception as to the aim of the study, a repetition using more

34

groups and more films as stimulus material may also give greater generalizability to the findings. Product placement is a method of marketing communication with growing importance. Morton and Friedman (2002). Such future research will add to the current knowledge and give greater levels of effectiveness to this method of communication.

35

Bibliography ● Balasubramanian, S (1994) ‘Beyond Advertising and Publicity: Hybrid Messages and Public Policy Issues’, Journal of Advertising, Vol 23, No 4, pp29-45 ● Balasubramanian, S et al (2006) ‘Audience response to Product Placements’, Journal of Advertising, Vol 35, No 3, pp115-141 ● Belch, G and Belch, M (2004) ‘Advertising and Promotion’, Sixth Edition, McGraw-Hill, New York ● Black, T (1999) ‘Doing Quantitative Research in the Social Sciences’, Sage, London ● Brennan et al (2004) ‘Product Placement in Movies: An Australian Consumer Perspective on their Ethicality and Acceptability’. Marketing Bulletin, Vol 15, No 1 ● Brierly, S (2002) ‘The Advertising Handbook’, Second Edition, Routledge, London ● Bryman, A (2001) ‘Social Research Methods’, Oxford Press, Oxford ● Bryman, A (2004) ‘Social Research Methods’, 2nd edition, Oxford Press, Oxford ● Burns, R (2000) ‘Introduction to Research Methods’, Sage, London ● Campaign (UK) (2002) ‘The 10 Top product placements in features’, Issue 51, p36 ● Coffey, A and Atkinson, P (1996) ‘Making Sense of Qualitative Data: Complementary Research Strategies’, Sage, California ● Creswell, J (2003) ‘Research Design’, 2nd Edition, Sage, London ● Dooley, D (1995) ‘Social Research Methods’, third edition, Prentice Hall, New Jersey ● Dunnett and Hoek (1996) ‘An Evaluation of Cinema Advertising Effectiveness’, Marketing Bulletin, Vol 7, pp56-59 ● Edwards, J (2006) ‘Coke Forces TV Placement Clutter Debate into the Open’, Brandweek 1/16/2006, Vol 47, issue 3 ● European Audiovisual Observatory (2006) ‘European Union Cinema Attendance up by 4% in 2006’ http://www.obs.coe.int/about/oea/pr/berlin2007.html ● Gibson, B and Maurer, J (2000) ‘Cigarette Smoking in Movies: The Influence of Product Placement on Attitudes Towards Smoking and Smokers’, Journal of Applied Social Psychology, 30, pp1457-1473

36

● Gould, S et al (2000) ‘Product Placements in Movies: A Cross Cultural Analysis of Austrian, French and American Consumers Attitudes’ Towards This Emerging, International Promotional Medium’, Journal of Advertising, Vol 29, No 4, pp41-58 ● Gupta, P and Gould, S (1997) ‘Consumers’ Perceptions of the Ethics and acceptability of Product Placements in Movies’, Journal of Current issues, Vol 19, No 1, pp37-50 ● Gupta, P and Lord, K (1998) ‘Product Placement in Movies: The Effect of Prominence and Mode on audience Recall’, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Vol 20, No 1, pp47-59 ● Fill, C (2005) ‘Marketing Communications’, Fourth Edition, Prentice Hall, Harlow ● Friedman, M (1985) ‘The Changing Language of a consumer Society: Brand Name Usage in Popular American Novels in the Post-war Era’, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 11, No 4, pp927-938 ● Hackley, C and Tiwsakul, R (2005) ‘Entertainment Marketing and Experiential Consumption’, Journal of Marketing Communications, Vol 12, No 1, pp63-75, ● Holt, D (2002) ‘Why do Brands Cause Trouble? A Dialectical Theory of Consumer Culture and Branding’, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 29, pp70-90 ● Hudson Valley Business Journal (2007) ‘Oddpodz has a new take on product placement’, 26/3/2007, Vol 18, Issue 3, p22 ● Joachimsthaler, E and Aaker, D (1997) ‘Building Brands Without Mass Media’, Harvard Business Review, Jan-Feb 1997, pp42-48 ● Jobber, D (2004) ‘Principles and Practice of Marketing’, Forth Edition, McGrawHill, London ● Johnstone, E and Dodd, C (2000) ‘Placements as mediators of brand salience within a UK cinema audience’, Journal of Marketing Communications, 6, pp141-158 ● Karrh, A (1998) ‘Brand Placement: A Review’, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Vol 20, pp31-49 ● Karrh, A et al (2001) ‘Audience attitudes towards brand (product) placement: Singapore and the United States’, International Journal of Advertising, Vol 20, pp224 ● Karrh, A et al (2003) ‘Practitioners Evolving Views on Product Placement Effectiveness’, Journal of Advertising Research, June 2003, pp138-149 ● La Ferle, C and Edwards, S (2006) ‘Product Placement’, Journal of Advertising, Vol 35, No 4, pp65-86

37

● Lancaster, G and Reynolds, P (1995) ‘Marketing’, Butterworth Heinemann, Oxford ● Marketing Management (2005) ‘As Seen on TV’ Vol 14, No 3 ● Morton, C and Friedman, M (2002) ‘I Saw It In The Movies: Exploring the Link Between product Placements Beliefs and Reported Usage Behaviour’, Journal of Current Issues and Research in Advertising, Vol 24, No 2, pp33-40 ● Nelson (2002) ‘Recall of Brand Placements in Compute/Video Games’, Journal of Advertising Research, March-April 2002, pp80-92 ● Nelson, M and McLeod, L (2005) ‘Adolescent brand consciousness and product placements: awareness, liking and perceived effects of self and others’, International Journal of Consumer Studies, Vol 29, No 6, pp515-528 ● O’Donohoe, S (2001) ‘Living with ambivalence: Attitudes to advertising in postmodern times’, Marketing Theory, Vol 1, No14, pp91-108 ● Ohanian, R (1991) ‘The Impact of Celebrity Spokespersons’ Image on Consumers’ Intentions to Purchase’, Journal of Advertising Research, Vol 31, No 1, pp46-51 ● Patton, M. Q (1990) ‘Qualitative Evaluation and Research Methods’, 2nd Edition, Sage, London ● Phillips, J and Noble, S (2007) ‘Simply Captivating’, Journal of Advertising, Vol 36, No 1, pp81-94 ● Rossitier, J and Percy, L (1998) ‘Advertising Communications and Promotion Management’, Second Edition, Irwin McGraw-Hill, New York ● Russell, C (2002) ‘Investigating the effectiveness of product placements in television shows: The role of modality and plot connection congruence on brand memory and attitude’, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 29, No 3, pp306-319 ● Rust, R and Varki, S (1996) ‘Rising from the Ashes of Advertising’, Journal of Business Research, Vol 37, pp173-181 ● Salzman, M (2000) ‘Rise of the Prosumer’, Print, Nov/Dec 2000, Vol 54, Issue 6, p141 ● Sawyer, A (2006) ‘Possible psychological processes underlying the effectiveness of brand placements’, International Journal of Advertising, Vol 25, No 1, pp110-112 ● Sergeant et al (2001) ‘Brand appearances in contemporary cinema films and contribution to global marketing of cigarettes’, The Lancet, Vol 357, pp29-32 ● Sutherland, M (2006) ‘Product placement- regulators gone AWOL’, International Journal of Advertising, Vol 25, No 1, pp107-110

38

● Thompson, M (2006) ‘Human Brands: Investigating Antecedents to Consumers’ Strong Attachment to Celebrities’, Journal of Marketing, Vol 70, pp104-119 ● Wells, W (1993) ‘Discovery Orientated Consumer Research’, Journal of Consumer Research, Vol 19, pp489-504 ● Williams, F (2004) ‘Placement pulling power’, B&T Weekly, 4/16/2004, Vol 54, Issue 2467, p18 ● Zyman, S (2002) ‘The End of Advertising As We Know It’, John Wiley and Sons, New Jersey

39

9) Appendix (9.1) Discussion main themes and quotes (p41) (9.2) Discussion questions used as prompts (p46) (9.3) Group Interviews (Attached to back cover)

40

9.1 Discussion main themes and quotes Group A, Discussion 1. Post Die Another Day 0 mins:05 seconds - Brands recalled from the film (B.A, Bollinger, Aston Martin, Range Rover, Ford GT40, Ferrari, Lamborghini, Omega, Martini, Sony Ericsson. 1:15 - Yes there are too many placements (one participant) removes art aspect No there are not too many placements (three participants). Not going to influence purchase behaviour The brands fit into the film (the context and the genre of the film) Brands that stood out were…….. B.A stood out as there was a full screen shot of the plane Bollinger as visual and dialogue mentioning Aston Martin as visual and dialogue mentioning as well as heavy repetition 5:50 -

Blasé attitude towards advertising in general as bombarded with ads.

7:00 -

The Aston Martin brand is associated with James Bond. Recall of old models of Aston Martins (DB5).

7:30 -

No brand attitudes changed as a result of the viewing of the film, overall Viewing emphasis was on the film itself.

9:30 -

Doesn’t make people want to want products more

10:00 - Need the products to create the film but they don’t have to be branded 10:40 - The car is the focal point of the film at times and this appeals to different sexes and groups 11:30 - You see the products in the film that you can relate to or already know 12:50 - The inclusion of branded products aids realism as the character needs these products to function in his role and make up the images of the characters. 13:42 - The products need to fit the context of the film to be deemed acceptable 14:30 - No purchase decisions altered 15:50 - The concerns towards ethically charged products are appreciated bur people ‘read into it too much’. The use of such products is central to his character. 18:00 - Kids will not be influenced to smoke or drink by the inclusion of ethically

41

Charged products, however may not be a good thing it is glorified. Group A, Discussion 2. Post Minority Report 0:13 - Brands recalled were Lexus, Aquafina, Guinness, Reebok, Pepsi, USA Today 0:19 - ‘That was the worst one’ With reference to the Guinness placement 0:53 - Guinness and Lexus were the most prominent 1:04 - Pepsi stuck out as was on the screen for a long time. 1:28 - The Guinness placement was too ‘in your face’ and was seen as comical 1:52 - Products were not the central focus of the film 2:09 - Showed the brands as innovative as associated with future contexts 2:52 - No brand attitudes altered. The brands are incidental to what is going on in the film. 3:31 - The placements can get lost in the film when there is lots of action and pace increases (3:50) 4:07 - No purchasing decisions will be altered (group clear of this). 4:25 - The effectiveness of ments questioned 5:10 - Purchase decisions are built on personal preference, taste and experience rather than ments. 6:29 - Commercial breaks are a more obvious form of advertising. 6:44 - Product placements are ‘quite pretentious in places’ 7:13 - Product placements can be deemed as subliminal advertising 7:39 - Brands will only be associated with the film in the short run 8:05 - Youth see more ads as ments are a part of the culture they have been brought up in 8:30 - It was commented that brands may only have been recognised as respondents Were looking out for them as a result of the study 9:00 - The pace of the film determine how many brands you take in / . 9:39 - More brands were noticed in the bond movie as the placements were more evenly spread and not grouped together. It was also a less complex film.

42

10:00 - Older generations don’t notice as many ments. Recall also comes down to audience engagement. 11.45 - ‘Gap’ recalled. Product placement will only be as effective as the film is engaging. 12:11 - Product placement makes the film more realistic and authenticates the film. The film also legitimises the brand names. 12:50 - Product placement ‘making it realistic’. 13:49 - Product placements are not necessarily as aggravating as commercial breaks. 14:20 - The effectiveness of product placement compared to the cost was questioned by a participant. 16:05 - There is not necessarily a need for these products to be in the film as we know the brands but they do still aid realism. (16:39). 17:01 - The association of a brand with a celebrity (Tom Cruise) not influenced the the perception of the brand or attitudes. The central focus was the product and not the celebrity.

43

Group 2, Discussion 1. Post Minority Report 0:05 - Brands recalled were Pepsi, Ben and Jerry’s, Lexus, USA Today, Nokia, Burger King, Starbucks, CK One, Gap, Guinness, Aquafina, Bvulgari 0:37 - Link made between the Irish Colin Farrell and Guinness. -The brands that stuck out the most were… Amex – Billboard in the background Lexus – Repetition and physical product Bvulgari watch through repetition 0:59 -.The placements were sporadic and grouped together and this made the placements ‘quite intrusive.’ 1:23 - No attitudes changed as all the placements appeared to quick to be able to do so. 1:37 - ‘The Lexus was cool’. ‘It was cool car’. The response of one participant who later commented on how he doesn’t usually like Lexus’. 1:55 - Some of the placements ‘were too quick’. There were too many ads. 2:10 - ‘The ones that stuck out were the only ones in a scene’ eg – Nokia, Lexus 2:25 - Some commented that the Bvulgari watch was hard to as they were not familiar with the brand name. 2:38 - The ‘Gap’ placement was effective as it showed physical products and related to the future. 2:53 - The Guinness placement was ‘a joke’. It gave a self parodying feel. 3:23 - There was uncertainty as to whether the products were the central focus of the film or not. -‘Sometimes, there was no focus on the film - ‘Seemed a bit pointless’ - ‘That is what shopping malls are like.’ 4:00 - Yes can be deemed subliminal advertising as may have not noticed the products outside of this study. 4:37 - No regard for the concerns towards ethically charged products. ‘Kids are surrounded by ads for cigarettes.’ 5:02 - No attitudes were changed as a result of celebrity association. ‘I don’t like Tom Cruise.’

44

5:43 – ‘Associate more with people you want to be’. E.g. James Bond. Group 2, Discussion 2, Post Die Another Day 0:04 - The brands recalled were Sony Ericson, B.A, Jaguar, Aston Martin, Volvo, Porsche and Ford. 0:26 - Full agreement in that there were not too many placements. 0:38 - The car was the central focus of the film. 0:50 - The car being the central focus aided the film as ‘these sort of films rely on these products’. 1:13 - With reference to brand attitudes when talking about the Aston Martin-‘The film made it really cool.’ -‘He (James Bond) is cool.’ 1:55 - ‘Saying ‘The Aston’ was better than just showing it’. With reference to the effectiveness of the Aston Martin placement. 2:30 - No concern for the inclusion of ethically charged products. -‘Children won’t get the liver joke’ -‘I didn’t see the branded alcohol’ 2:24 - ‘Its not promoting a drinking culture’

45

9.2) Discussion questions used a prompts

●How many brands can you ? ●Do you think there are too many product placements? Why? ●Do you feel that the products on show are at times the central focus of the film? Do you feel this to be good or bad? Why? ●Does the appearance of a brand in a movie affect your attitudes towards the brand?... Why? (ie, association with situation, person, action) ●Do you think product placements aid realism or do you feel they get in the way? Why? Do you see them as a blatant ment or not? Why? ●What forms of placement do you find least affective and most intrusive and why? (ie, brand mentioning, dialogue mentioning, brad shown n foreground or background) ●Does the use of celebrity’s make you want to use or be associated with the brand or product? Why? ●Do you feel this type of marketing to be subliminal advertising? Why? ●How do you feel about the placement of ethically charged products such as tobacco and alcohol? How about where celebrities are involved? How about where young viewers have access to the film?

46