When it comes to product placement, more than two-thirds of consumers had positive or neutral views about the tactic, a recent study found.
The New Media Strategies study, which surveyed 862 online discussions on product placement, found that most consumers (69%) accept brand integration in TV, movies and video games as long as it doesnít take away from their entertainment experience.
Just under one-third of conversations were negative about product placement, with most saying they disliked excessive placement or unrealistic integration into a show or film.
Yet, despite consumer opinions, product placement remains a top tactic for some marketers in the age when consumers are skipping through TV spots.
“It’s here to stay,” Sam Huxley, vice president marketing, New Media Strategies, said. “You see a lot of consumers actually defending the practice. People support it.”
Of the 476 online discussions about product placement in movies, 75% of people were positive about the tactic. Some said brand integration was something they expected.
“With movies, a lot of people are saying they want to see products because it’s more realistic than seeing a generic can of beer,” Huxley said.
In television, consumers were less forgiving. In 476 conversations, 135 or 41% of people were negative about brand integration on shows, compared to 59% that were positive or indifferent.
“With TV, it’s a lot more up and down,” Huxley said. “It’s definitely prevalent, but slightly more negative.”
In video games, 80% of the 57 online discussions that included product placement seemed positive or unaffected by the tactic. One writer said, “it’s the same deal with product placement in the movies, but they do a better job of making the advertising less noticeable (except for when its done on purpose).”
New Media Strategies, a word-of-mouth marketing and intelligence firm based in Alexandria, VA, surveyed discussions across 43 Web sites, including Google.com and Yahoo.com and gaming sites such as IGN.com and GameSpot.com. The study took place between September and December.
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