Mere Exposure as a Signal: Company Objectives and Research Propositions

As companies spend more and more money on product placement, what do they hope to gain from it? The current research answers this question by combing two divergent literature streams: mere exposure and signaling theory and proposing that this type of contact with the product is an example of mere exposure used as a signal by companies in presenting themselves to the consumer. To develop this theoretical framework, eighteen research propositions are proposed. Combining these two divergent literature streams provides a new perspective on how companies can communicate with consumers: companies may send a signal to consumers using mere exposure.