Product Placement in Virtual Reality Videos from the Perspective of Dialogic Engagement

Abstract Two studies were conducted to examine product placement in virtual reality (VR) videos using the theoretical framework of dialogic engagement. Specifically, Study 1 used content analysis to investigate VR films on YouTube, and Study 2 applied a phenomenological approach to explore young consumers’ responses to this innovative promotional tool. Findings revealed that while, in general, greater interactivity and dynamicity are more desirable to achieve a higher level of engagement, a balance between interactivity, dynamicity, subtlety, and prominence should be achieved to bridge the gap between product placement practices and audience’s perceptions.

[1]  Davis Merran Cashing in , 1993 .

[2]  M. Nelson Recall of Brand Placements in Computer/Video Games , 2002, Journal of Advertising Research.

[3]  T. B. Cornwell,et al.  Cashing in on crashes via brand placement in computer games , 2005 .

[4]  M. Kilger,et al.  Do Measures of Media Engagement Correlate with Product Purchase Likelihood? , 2007, Journal of Advertising Research.

[5]  Yang Feng,et al.  Facilitator or Inhibitor? The Use of 360-Degree Videos for Immersive Brand Storytelling , 2018 .

[6]  Mary-Lou Galician,et al.  The Evolution of Product Placements in Hollywood Cinema , 2004 .

[7]  Michelle Renee Nelson,et al.  Advertainment or Adcreep Game Players’ Attitudes toward Advertising and Product Placements in Computer Games , 2004 .

[8]  Leonard N. Reid,et al.  Moviegoers' Experiences and Interpretations of Brands in Films Revisited , 1999 .

[9]  Ya Ping Chang,et al.  Effects of Interactions and Product Information on Initial Purchase Intention in Product Placement in Social Games: The Moderating Role of Product Familiarity , 2015 .

[10]  Bobby J. Calder,et al.  Engagement with Online Media , 2010 .

[11]  Sabine Tan Modelling engagement in a web-based advertising campaign , 2010 .

[12]  E. Reijmersdal Brand placement prominence: good for memory! Bad for attitudes? , 2009 .

[13]  Sara Steffes Hansen Brands Inspiring Creativity and Transpiring Meaning , 2009 .

[14]  Ronald A. Yaros,et al.  Examining the Influence of Telepresence on Spectator and Player Processing of Real and Fictitious Brands in a Computer Game , 2006 .

[15]  Juran Kim,et al.  A Multifaceted Tool for a Complex Phenomenon: Coding Web-Based Interactivity as Technologies for Interaction Evolve , 2008, J. Comput. Mediat. Commun..

[16]  Sun Joo Ahn,et al.  TV advertising engagement as a state of immersion and presence , 2017 .

[17]  Mel Slater,et al.  A Framework for Immersive Virtual Environments (FIVE): Speculations on the Role of Presence in Virtual Environments , 1997, Presence: Teleoperators & Virtual Environments.

[18]  M. Molesworth Real brands in imaginary worlds: investigating players' experiences of brand placement in digital games , 2006 .

[19]  C. Veloutsou,et al.  Consumer engagement in online brand communities: a social media perspective , 2015 .

[20]  Kenneth R. Lord,et al.  Product Placement in Movies: The Effect of Prominence and Mode on Audience Recall , 1998 .

[21]  Ye Wang,et al.  The influence of dialogic engagement and prominence on visual product placement in virtual reality videos , 2019, Journal of Business Research.

[22]  James A. Karrh,et al.  Audience Response to Product Placements: An Integrative Framework and Future Research Agenda , 2006 .

[23]  Jonathan Steuer,et al.  Defining virtual reality: dimensions determining telepresence , 1992 .

[24]  Kathleen J. Turner,et al.  Insinuating the Product into the Message , 2004 .

[25]  Guendalina Graffigna,et al.  The Concept of Engagement: A Systematic Analysis of the Ongoing Marketing Debate , 2010 .

[26]  Huan Chen,et al.  CONNECTING OR DISCONNECTING: LUXURY BRANDS’ SOCIAL MEDIA STRATEGIES AND AFFLUENT CHINESE FEMALE CONSUMERS’ INTERPRETATIONS , 2016 .

[27]  C. Russell Investigating the Effectiveness of Product Placements in Television Shows: The Role of Modality and Plot Connection Congruence on Brand Memory and Attitude , 2002 .

[28]  Mel Slater,et al.  A note on presence terminology , 2003 .

[29]  Howard Rheingold,et al.  Virtual Reality , 1991 .

[30]  Harsha Gangadharbatla,et al.  A Comparison of In-Game Brand Placement for Active Versus Passive Players , 2016 .

[31]  Ben Lowe,et al.  Young adults' perceptions of product placement in films: An exploratory comparison between the United Kingdom and Hong Kong , 2017 .

[32]  Jennifer Edson Escalas,et al.  Self‐Construal, Reference Groups, and Brand Meaning , 2005 .

[33]  Eui Jun Jeong,et al.  Brand Logo Placements in Violent Games , 2011 .

[34]  Eva A van Reijmersdal,et al.  A New Branch of Advertising , 2009, Journal of Advertising Research.

[35]  R. Morgan,et al.  Customer Engagement: Exploring Customer Relationships Beyond Purchase , 2012 .

[36]  Grant Mccracken The long interview , 1988 .

[37]  John D. Leckenby,et al.  Establishing a Paradigm: A Systematic Analysis of Interactive Advertising Research , 2017 .

[38]  Michael L. Kent,et al.  From Homo Economicus to Homo dialogicus: Rethinking social media use in CSR communication , 2016 .

[39]  Antonio C. La Pastina,et al.  Audience Ethnographies: A Media Engagement Approach , 2005 .

[40]  S. Czellár,et al.  The Importance of a General Measure of Brand Engagement on Market Behavior: Development and Validation of a Scale , 2009 .

[41]  Jeannett Martin,et al.  The Language of Evaluation: Appraisal in English , 2005 .

[42]  Stephen J. Gould,et al.  "COME ON DOWN": How Consumers View Game Shows and the Products Placed in Them , 2006 .

[43]  Sun Joo Grace Ahn,et al.  Self-Endorsing Versus Other-Endorsing in Virtual Environments , 2011 .

[44]  R. Brodie,et al.  Consumer engagement in a virtual brand community: An exploratory analysis , 2013 .