Brand placement in text: the short- and long-term effects of placement modality and need for cognition

ABSTRACT

The present research explores how placing a brand name in the dialogue versus the narration of a fictional text (i.e. placement modality) affects brand attitude and purchase intention. Moreover, it studies the moderating role of need for cognition (NFC) and measures brand responses both immediately after exposure and two weeks later. As predicted, encountering a brand name in the dialogue as compared to in the narration of a story is associated with lower brand attitudes for readers with high NFC at both measurement points. Purchase intentions are similarly affected, but the effects are only significant at a delay. In contrast, brand evaluations of readers with low NFC are largely unaffected by placement modality.

KEYWORDS:

• Brand placement
• written narrative
• placement modality
• need for cognition
• brand attitude
• purchase intention
• delayed effects

Acknowledgment

The authors gratefully acknowledge the financial support of the University of Antwerp Research Council.

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Yana R. Avramova

Yana R. Avramova (PhD, University of Antwerp) is postdoctoral researcher at the University of Antwerp, Faculty of Applied Economics, Marketing Department. Her research focuses on brand placement effectiveness in print and audiovisual media.

Patrick De Pelsmacker

Patrick De Pelsmacker (PhD, Ghent University) is full professor of marketing at the University of Antwerp, Faculty of Applied Economics, Marketing Department and at Ghent University, Faculty of Economics and Business Administration, Marketing Department. His research interests include advertising effectiveness, advertising in new media, consumer behaviour, branding and ethical marketing.

Nathalie Dens

Nathalie Dens (PhD, University of Antwerp) is associate professor of marketing at the University of Antwerp, Faculty of Applied Economics, Marketing Department and at Antwerp Management School. Her research focuses on advertising effectiveness for different marketing communication formats and branding strategies.