Priming movie product placements: New insights from a Cross-National case study

Abstract

The paucity of research on priming product placements and insights from practitioners (Study 1) motivated our investigation into how and when priming works in movie placements. Study 2 explores the impact of media priming (a media story announcing a movie placement before the movie’s release) and ad priming (a similar ad announcement) on recall through contrasts with no priming (control). US students watched a movie in a theatre after such priming for a subtle or a prominent placement. When compared to no priming, both media priming and ad priming enhanced recall for the subtle placement; no difference in recall performance emerged between no priming and either type of priming for the prominent placement. Contrast tests comparing media priming and ad priming indicated no differences in recall for either subtle or prominent placement. Study 3 replicated these recall findings with Italian moviegoers, and supported additional hypotheses and propositions for brand attitude. For the subtle (prominent) placement, attitude did not change (decreased) when comparing either media priming or ad priming with no priming. Contrast tests comparing media priming and ad priming indicated no differences in attitude outcomes, for either subtle or prominent placement. Using no priming as a baseline for comparison, the converging conclusion is that any type of priming improves (does not change) recall and does not change (worsens) attitude for subtle (prominent) placements. Overall, results do not support priming for prominent placements; selective use of any type of priming for subtle placements appears appropriate to improve recall outcomes.

Keywords:

• Product placement
• subtle
• prominent
• ad priming
• media priming
• brand recall
• brand attitude

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the authors.

Notes

1 Questionnaire instruments and experimental stimuli (for the priming related manipulations) were prepared in English and later translated into Italian by an author. Using a backward-translation approach, we verified the veracity of the latter version with a language expert fluent in both languages. The questionnaires administered in US and Italy were English and Italian versions, respectively.

2 Henry is a lawyer who survives a shooting accident and finds out later that he cannot remember anything. Henry also has to recover his speech and mobility, and adapt back into a life that he no longer fits in. Fortunately, he has a loving wife and daughter to help him. He learns about his old (pre-accident) life throughout the movie and discovers that he does not really care for the person he was earlier.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Giacomo Gistri

Siva K Balasubramanian serves as Harold L. Stuart Endowed Chair in Business, Professor of Marketing, and Associate Dean at Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology; Giacomo Gistri serves as Associate Professor of Marketing at University of Macerata.