Impact of Brand Placement in Films - A Viewer‘s Perception

Recently, several factors such as consumer tendency to avoid television commercials by zipping and zapping them, audience fragmentation due to the rise in the number of cable channels, and commercial clutter driven by increasing time allocated to advertisements and a simultaneous decrease in commercial length have caused marketers to develop innovative advertising techniques. These changes have led manufacturers and marketers to seek newer ways product placement to reach the consumer. From the mere fact that product placement exists, one can determine that corporate India has found this advertising practice to be a useful tool, or at least an avenue to explore. Even with the risk involved, marketers and advertisers find that product placement can be a valuable marketing tool for creating greater exposure for their products. Product placement can be viewed as an alternative to traditional advertising, and marketers are looking for new ways to gain awareness among consumers. Films and television offer product exposure to millions of consumers, making product placement a rapidly growing advertising medium. By subtly weaving a product into a scene, marketers hope audiences will connect their brand with the stars or story they are seeing on the screen. When product placement works, the message can be more effective than a traditional commercial. The impact is greater because the audience is involved in the plot of the movie. The current study explores the viewer’s perception regarding brand placement in films. It further explores the gender as determinant of ad recall capability.