Position Paper: Product Placement disclosure

With the advancement in Internet speed and the introduction of digital television recording software, audience nowadays are able to avoid the commercial breaks in programming with ease. This has prompted advertisers to look for other methods of persuasion, and one of the most popular alternatives is product placement. Because of its more subtle nature compared to traditional advertising, there has been much concern and debate about the proper regulation on product placement, some argue that product placement should be banned completely, others ask for more obvious disclosures, while the advertising and media production industries advocate that the current level of disclosure is adequate. Combining recent research on public opinion, awareness of product placement influence, as well as experiences from other countries, it can be concluded that disclosure on product placement is necessary and could be beneficial to both consumers and advertisers in the long run.

Multiple studies have confirmed the persuasion effect of product placement. Tessitore and Geuens (2013) summarize its effectiveness based on two factors: firstly, product placements are difficult to avoid because it is inconspicuously integrated into the program; and secondly, it is a disguised marketing tactic. The authors argue that due to the lack of awareness of the persuasion attempt, consumers do not actively resist its effects. This proposition is also supported by another study on product placement in children’s movies, and found that nearly half of the parents involved in the experiment were unaware of the extent of product placement use in children’s movies (Hudson et al. 2008). The second study suggests that product placement is inherently deceptive because it is often below viewers’ threshold of awareness.

Although requests for stricter control on product placements have been voiced long ago, up until 2008, the Federal Communications Commission had dismissed these requests based on the evaluation that no actual claims were made. Advocates for more control, on the other hand, state that mere presence, even without explicit claims, could invite inferences as to popularity (Sutherland, 2006). In addition, special consideration should be given to children as an audience group. A study evaluating the understand of advertisement and product placement among children found that children’s understanding of product placement occurs later than that of advertising; also the improvement in understanding of product placement is slower as they age (Uribe et al.

Having established the persuasion effect of product placement, how could we improve consumers’ awareness of it? Some have proposed a complete ban on product placement. Similar to traditional advertisement, product placement provides value in an economic standpoint. Marketing funds in product placements have enabled producers to reduce production costs and provide the audience with entertainment of greater variety and higher quality (Lee et al, 2012). The study quoted the experience of Korea, where product placement is banned, to show that as a result of the prohibition, blurred or modification brand appearances in turn increase attention to the brand.

Though a complete ban on product placement is not encouraged, a review of the current regulation is suggested for broader coverage of the law and additional disclosure requirements, especially when it comes to children’s programming. The current regulation requires broadcasters to disclose any placements made in exchange for money or services. However, the current regulation contains loopholes that result in many product placements unpaid for (Al-Kadi, 2013). This could be one of the reasons that the FCC has decided to review its policy in 2008.

Apart from fixing the loophole in disclosure requirement, supporters for stricter product placement control also request that more obvious and frequent disclosures be made during programming. In fact, product placement warning signs have been employed in certain European countries to be displayed during programming, and it could be useful to look at the effectiveness of the warning symbols. A recent study on the effective of such symbols as employed in Belgium and the United Kingdom found that effective warning is necessary to prompt consumers to resist product placement influence on purchase intention; however the lack of comprehension and awareness of such symbols could significantly undermine the effectiveness of the warning signs (Tessitore & Geuens, 2013). The study further suggests that warning design and education are crucial in the development of audiences’ awareness towards product placement, and hence activate their resistance against its influence on purchase intention.

Another study conducted by the Colorado State University compared the effectiveness of disclosure at different periods of programming – the beginning, the end, and during programming. The results show that product placement disclosures at different time periods produce similar effects and concluded that product placement disclosures need not occur at the time of product placement to be effective (US Fed News Service, 2013). Therefore, instead of merely focusing on when product placement disclosure should be made, the FCC should focus more on how these disclosures are made and additional education efforts to inform the public on product placement awareness.

It is understandable that advertisers would be concerned about the negative impact of increased product placement disclosure on brand image. If advertisers were to stop using product placement, production companies would see a reduced source of funds and this would jeopardize the quality of programming. This chain effect could present a challenge for public policy makers. However, let’s not forget the case of traditional advertisement where the audience is well aware of it commercial intent but still proves to be effective. Product placement could take a similar transformation as well. While increase disclosure might lead to negative reaction in the short run, audience is likely to embrace the concept in the long run and may actually start to appreciate creativity and positive aspects of the product placements, as is in the case of traditional advertisement. This could result in a win-win situation for both advertisers and consumers, where advertisers have an effective channel to market their products, and consumers benefit from a higher quality of entertainment programs funded by advertisers.

In conclusion, current disclosure requirements on product placement could be improved to increase coverage and effectiveness. All paid and unpaid product placements should be disclosed, but instead of concentrating on the timing of such disclosures, policy makers and advocates could consider more about the presentation method and how to better educate the public about product placement awareness. Advertisers are also suggested to view the matter from a long-run perspective and understand that proper disclosure could lead to a positive attitude towards both product placement and the brands employing it.

 

References

Tessitore, T., & Geuens, M. (2013). PP for ‘product placement’ or ‘puzzled public’?. International Journal Of Advertising, 32(3), 419-442. doi:10.2501/IJa-32-3-419-442

Hudson, S., Hudson, D., & Peloza, J. (2008). Meet the parents: A parents’ perspective on product placement in children’s films. Journal of Business Ethics, 80(2), 289-304. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.1007/s10551-007-9421-5

Sutherland, M. (2006). Product placement-regulators gone AWOL. International Journal Of Advertising, 25(1), 107-110. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=trueHYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”db=bthHYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”AN=19754850HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=19754850&site=ehost-live”site=ehost-live

Uribe, R., Fuentes-García, A., & Manzur, E. (2013). Children’s Implicit and Explicit Understanding of Advertising and Product Placement. Society For Marketing Advances Proceedings, 25134-135. Retrieved from: http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=trueHYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”db=bthHYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”AN=93451537HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”&HYPERLINK “http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=bth&AN=93451537&site=ehost-live”site=ehost-live

Lee, M., Kim, K., & King, K. (2012). Audience Responses to Product Placement and Its Regulations: Focusing on Regulatory Conditions in the United States and Korea. Journal Of International Consumer Marketing, 24(4), 275-290. doi:10.1080/08961530.2012.728505

Al-Kadi, T. (2013). Product placement: A booming industry in search of appropriate regulation. Journal of Marketing Research & Case Studies, 2013, 1-13. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1470087498?accountid=11442

STUDY: DISCLOSURE OF PAID PLACEMENTS HELPS CONSUMERS RESIST INFLUENCE OF COVERT MARKETING. (2013, Sep 28). US Fed News Service, Including US State News. Retrieved from http://search.proquest.com/docview/1437327796?accountid=11442

Shiseido “White Lucent” Ad

The advertisement chosen is one sponsored by a Japanese skincare company Shiseido promoting their skincare products – White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum and Power Brightening Mask. This print ad was produced in 2012 and had been published on magazines and billboards across Asia, as well as some of the most popular cosmetic-related forum websites. Shiseido is the fourth-largest cosmetics company in the world by sales and has been one of the most prominent brands in Asia (“Japan’s Shiseido Agrees to Acquire Bare Escentuals”, WSJ.com). The company has been marketing heavily through TV commercials, magazine print ads, billboards, as well as other interactive advertising channels in Asia.

While it is more desirable to have the sun-kissed skin tone in the western countries, Asia women tend to opt for a more fair skin tone. Such preference is a result of the agricultural history in Asia. Back in the days, peasants usually have a darker skin tone due to their prolonged exposure to the sun, whereas the rich would have a more fair skin tone as they do not have to work outdoors. Therefore, fair skin tone has been associated with people from better backgrounds, and this belief is still affecting purchasing behavior in Asia nowadays.

The product featured in this ad is said to “enhance clarity and radiance for flawless, perfectly even-toned skin” (Shiseido, n.d.). The said effect is exemplified in the ad with the halo effect around the model’s face, which looks like her skin is glowing. In addition, the marketers also use employ certain keywords to emphasize the effectiveness of the products, including “ultimate”, “crush” and “eject”.

The special effect on the image, as well as the choice of words, both serve to create a demand and set unrealistic expectations for the said products. First, the tagline “the ultimate pair for the ultimately spotless white skin”. The word “spotless” is usually associated with clean, and therefore transmit the message to the audience that if you have pigments on your skin, you must deal with it immediately as if you have a stain on your couch. In addition, the double “ultimate” in the tagline is used to convince the audience that this product will be able to solve all the problems.

Secondly, the words “crush” and “eject” are also sending a wrong concept to its audience. Dark spots are a natural reaction of the skin to the environment, and they cannot be completely removed except with surgery. Skincare products can only lower the intensity of the pigmentation and allow it to fade and even out with skin around it (MD-Health, n.d.). The manufacturing company and the marketers should be well aware of that fact, and they are merely manipulating the audiences’ belief to treat the dark spot as if it is an enemy, in order to raise the need for the featured products.

In conclusion, the advertisement presented here aim to promote the dark spot removal products by intensifying Asian women’s preference of a fair skin tone to the level of combating an enemy that must be eliminated at once.

  

References:

“Japan’s Shiseido Agrees to Acquire Bare Escentuals” – Retrieved from: http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424052748704363504575003844097292162?mg=reno64-wsj&url=http%3A%2F%2Fonline.wsj.com%2Farticle%2FSB10001424052748704363504575003844097292162.html

Shiseido White Lucent Intensive Spot Targeting Serum – Retrieved from:

http://www.shiseido.com/white-lucent-intensive-spot-targeting-serum/9990000000022,en_US,pd.html&cgid=skincare-whitelucent&

Dark Spots on Face, MD-Health.com – Retrieved from:

http://www.md-health.com/Dark-Spots-On-Face.html

Adidas “Bring It On”

The print advertisement above is part of Adidas’ “Bring It On” marketing campaign launched in 2011. The campaign targeted a customer group between the ages of 14-19 years old in India (“Adidas brings it on for cricketers with its new campaign”, afaqs.com). The brand aimed at inspiring athletes and reminding them of the significance of hard work, focus and self-belief in sports (“Adidas Launches New Brand Campaign ‘Bring It On’”, Best Media Info.com). The campaign, which includes the above print ad, as well as a short TV commercial, was broadcasted across multiple mediums in India.

The advertisement includes several narratives that draw on common stereotypes regarding black people. The first one is the physical appearance of the athlete featured here. The African heritage of the athlete featured here is exemplified by his hair, his muscular body build, as well as the tattoos on his arm. While most athletes maintain short hair, the athlete here is purposed presented with hair long enough to show the natural texture of Africans. The muscular body build of the athlete here is also consistent with the common stereotype of black people being more superior in their physical abilities. In addition, the tattoo on the arm implies the notion of a low-income background, which is also commonly associated with black people.

The second narrative in the advertisement is the action and the background of the advertisement, where the athlete is shown to be pulling a heavy tire. While strength training is a common practice among athletes, the advertiser has chosen to use a simple and inexpensive equipment – tire. In addition, the athlete is shown to be training in a poorly maintained room. Both of these elements imply the tough condition that the athlete is in, and is drawing on the stereotype of black people coming from more difficult background.

The third narrative is the tagline “Bring It On”. This tagline, together with the shown athlete’s facial expression of exerting force to pull the tire, projects an image of overcoming hardship. This element seeks to pay tribute to the unfair history background of Africans and how they had worked their way to overcome the barriers placed on them.

In conclusion, the advertisement utilizes narratives in three different aspects to draw on stereotypes regarding black people, in order to communicate the message of promoting “hard work, focus and self-belief in sport”.

 

References

“Adidas brings it on for cricketers with its new campaign”, afaqs.com – Retrieved from: http://www.afaqs.com/news/story/29884_adidas-brings-it-on-for-cricketers-with-its-new-campaign

“Adidas Launches New Brand Campaign ‘Bring It On’”, Best Media Info.com – Retrieved from: http://www.bestmediainfo.com/2011/03/adidas-launches-new-brand-campaign-bring-it-on/

Ad Critique – “Daddy’$ Money”

The advertisement I have chosen is the controversial TV commercial titled “Daddy’$ Money” promoting a new line of shoes from Sketchers. The commercial was published in July 2013, featuring the tagline: “Get spoiled with Daddy’s money, ultra cool shoes that will put you in the spotlight with a dose of swag and a 2-inch hidden wedge” (daddysmoney, n.d.). The shoes run between $50 and $80 and are geared toward pre-teen and teenage girls. Commercials for the Skechers line have aired on The Hub, a cartoon channel meant for kids, as well as MTV (“Skechers ‘Daddy’s Money’: Teen-Girl Shoes Cause Sexist Stink”, Ward).

The background of the commercial is set at some outskirt areas of a metropolitan city, including a stretch of open area under a bridge and a back alley of an old brick building with graffiti on the wall. The advertisement consists of snapshots of the teen models in the Sketchers’ shoes posing in front of different background, with the text “Daddy’$ Money” in various fonts intertwined between these images.

This advertisement has been heavily criticized by parents for its negative influence of tween girls. First of all, the tagline, the text in the advertisement, as well as editing the snapshots to include the $ sign, all work to emphasize the importance of money. This could instill a mindset in our younger generation that focuses on materialism and consumption. This brings out the wrong message to them that money is the only important thing in life and it should be the sole pursuit in your future. In addition, the name of the line “Daddy’$ Money”, together with the background and the activities featured in the advertisement, suggest to the audience that they should not have to work for the money or the gifts, that these things do not come at a cost. This is the exact opposite of the good virtues of hard work and independence that many parents have been educating their kids.

Secondly, the feature of the shoes – hidden wedges, as well as the models in the advertisement, all project the image that only tall and skinny girls are “cool”.  Not only could this result in a negative impact on the tween girls’ self-esteem, but also limit their development as an all rounded person by shifting their interest to build on their appearances, instead of other characteristics such as intelligence, sport abilities, and kindness.

The third problem with this advertisement is that it is also sexist, the tagline “Daddy’$ Money” assumes the dad to be the provider of the family, but many moms today have a job and contribute much to the family’s finances as well. Even if they are stay-home moms, their contribution and their importance to the family should not be dismissed, and this commercial clearly gave the wrong message that only the dads get to make the call. In addition, this tagline also omits the single-mom families; are they assumed to be less financially well off and therefore not considered a target audience by the company?

In conclusion, this commercial clearly sends the wrong messages to its audience, this is an example of why our society is so concern about advertisement to children and seek government regulation. This type of advertisement should serve to remind parents the importance of educating children on media literacy, and I hope marketers would learn from this bad example and be more conscious about the content and the messages behind their marketing materials.

References:

(1)  “Daddy’$ Money” video – Retrieved from http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6rPcZwZiM1Y

(2)  daddysmoney – Retrieved from http://www.daddysmoney.com

(3)  “Skechers ‘Daddy’s Money’: Teen-Girl Shoes Cause Sexist Stink”, Ward – Retrieved from http://www.newsmax.com/TheWire/skechers-daddys-money-teen-girl-shoes/2013/02/28/id/492553

Mosaic

The advertisement I have chosen is titled “Mosaic”, sponsored by Obama campaign. It was aired in June on television channels as part of the 2012 Presidential election campaign (Obama for America Ad “Mosaic”, n.d.). This was an attack ad aimed at discrediting Obama’s opponent Mitt Romney’s record as the governor of Massachusetts.

The ad started off with a black-and-white clip of Romney claiming, “I’m going to reduce taxes” when he was running for governor of Massachusetts in 2002. Then the advertisement begins to discredit Romney’s claim by presenting a list of fees hikes in a documentary style.

The narrator of the advertisement is a middle-aged male, the voice sounds very similar to the narrating voice we frequently hear on TV and in movies, and with a matter-of-fact tone. This was chosen deliberately by the producers to produce an effect of familiarity and credibility among the viewers.

The visual of the advertisement features pictures of many “real people” put together, including parents, children, minorities, elderly, nurses, and fishermen; but there is one thing in common among these pictures, they all look discontent. This series of visual images, coupled with the narration in the background, implies that the many groups of the society are adversely affected by Romney’s policy. At the end of the advertisement, all these images come together to form a mosaic picture of Romney, with the tagline “Didn’t work then, won’t work now.”

The advertisement utilizes a documentary style to project an image of credibility and authenticity, with enlarged text font showing “raised taxes and fees”, “more than $1.5 billion”, and “over 1000 fee hikes”.

The advertisement focuses on the theme of taxes and welfare, with a target audience of the weak and the poor, including patients, parents, elderly; as well as workers and small business owners, e.g. fishermen, nurses and electricians.

The advertisement was effective in eliciting anger among the middle-class for taking away their hard-earn money by raising taxes, anger among the poor and the weak for depriving them of welfare by increasing fees; and fear among the general public of a worse economy and a more divided society. The goal of the producers was to undermine Romney’s capability to lead, with a focus on his economic policy.

It should be noted that this advertisement both exaggerates and false represents the information contained. According to FactCheck.org, $1.5 billion is not an annual figure, but the four-year total for only corporate tax loophole closures. The fee hikes also did not directly impact the general public as the advertisement would have the viewers believe, for example, Romney did not directly increase the school bus fees, instead only allow municipal school committees to assess students a transportation fee, but this is strictly discretionary on the behalf of the schools (Stretching on Romney’s Fees, n.d.)

If I did not find out about how misleading the information contained in the advertisement was, I would have believed that Romney’s policy would bring about a worse economic situation for many of us. This advertisement was a very clever and effective combination of sound, visual images, and text for the effect of persuasion.

References:

1. “Mosaic” – Retrieved from: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcqJlqkWRvo

2. Obama for America Ad “Mosaic” – Retrieved from: http://www.p2012.org/ads3/obamaad062012m.html

3. Stretching on Romney’s Fees – Retrieved from: http://www.factcheck.org/2012/06/stretching-on-romneys-fees/

Ad Critique 1 – Tiffany “Some Style Is Legendary”

Tiffany “Some Style Is Legendary”

The advertisement presented here is a commercial titled “Some Style Is Legendary” sponsored by Tiffany & Co as part of their 2010 marketing campaign. This video was found on YouTube but not on the Tiffany website or channel as only the ad from their latest season is made available. The company is known for selling high-end jewelries to women of middle/upper-class, this advertisement aimed to reinforce its image of taste and style.

The advertiser was aiming to transmitting several messages through this advertisement. First of all, the video is intertwined with clips in full color and in black-and-white, in order to remind the audience that Tiffany is a company of long history. Secondly, the setting in New York City, and the way the models are dressed, are all planned to enhance the company’s product image of taste and style. Finally, the advertisement features several shots of a loving couple, or father with children, these are to associate the company with their main marketing theme of love and romance. (“The Tiffany Story”, Tiffany.com)

Some of the techniques employed in this advertisement include a warm feeling, association, and celebrities. Most of the video is shot close-up or at eye level with the models, this is to let the audience feel more related, and hence easier to provoke emotional feelings. The images of the loving couple, and of father with children, together with the soft background music, creates a warm feeling to its audience. In addition, these images are also a way that the advertiser uses to lead the audience towards the association with the company’s jewelries with the idea of romance, family and happiness. To further appeal to women of middle/upper-class, the advertiser has chosen Carolyn Murphy as the model in this advertisement. She is an eminent model, known for her classical and elegant appearances, which many women aspire to as an icon. (“The World’s Highest-Paid Models of 2013”, Forbes.com)

This advertisement can be expected to reinforce certain stereotypes towards female in our culture. The main model in the advertisement, Carolyn Murphy, which is featured as a symbol for romance and style, is seen to have wavy hair and always wear dresses, which is consistent with the common idea of femininity in the modern culture. Also, the two little girls in the video, dressed as ballerinas, generalize the “perfect” image of little girls to be those who learn ballet and dress in pink. Furthermore, the facial expression of happiness and confidence on the model, while only featuring her wearing the jewelry and without any further explanation, bring about the image that women are materialistic and are easily satisfied with simply the ownership of luxury goods.

In conclusion, I feel negatively towards this advertisement after detail examination. I found it promoting negative messages after further review. Not only does it generalize the image of happy, confident women as those who appear feminine and is married with kids; but it also promote the myth of “happiness through consumption” and instill a materialistic mindset in women.

References

“The Tiffany Story”, Tiffany.com. Retrieved from: http://www.tiffany.com/WorldOfTiffany/TiffanyStory/Default.aspx

“The World’s Highest-Paid Models of 2013”, Forbes.com. Retrieved from: http://www.forbes.com/pictures/eimi45mdj/no-7-carolyn-murphy/

Self-introduction

Hi my name is Pui and I’m from Hong Kong. After completing my high school education in Hong Kong, I have decided to study abroad and went to IU as an international student. In my junior year, I had to discontinue my studies due to family issues which required me to come back here. I found out about the IU online program two years ago and have been trying to take classes while working full-time. It had been quite difficult as my job requires long working hours and I found myself failing in the time commitment required for the coursework. Recently, I found out I’m going to be a mom and I decided I want to finish my studies before I become too occupied with the new family member. Therefore, I have arranged with my company to switch to a part-time position which would allow me enough time to complete my studies.

I have chosen this course as I have always find many advertisements very entertaining, but at the same time feel negative about the manipulative effects these ads have on my behavior. In addition, I find the explosion in the new channels which advertisements are placed very alarming, e.g. product placement in films and music videos. I would like to equip myself with a more critical mindset towards the advertisements nowadays and be able to identify the effects they have on my behavior, as well as our culture.

I believe this course would be both interesting and demanding for me as I do not have any experience in advertising or communication critique, but I am looking forward to gain knowledge and a analytic point-of-view towards this fascinating industry.