Integrating placement and audience characteristics to assess the recall of product placements in film: findings from a field study

This research incorporates into a single model characteristics of product placements in films and characteristics of the consumers and their viewing environment to assess the memorability of the placements. Eleven movies containing a total of 98 placements of varied characteristics were coded. 3,532 individuals who viewed a DVD rental of one of these movies at home completed a questionnaire on the following day. The questionnaire included audience viewing characteristics as well as a free recall measure of placements. The results reveal important insights into the variables that affect, positively or negatively, the day after recall of products placed in moviesBrand placement, consumer, movie, product placement, spontaneous day after recall

"The pass-along effect: investigating word-of-mouth effects on online survey procedures"

Andrew T. Norman is a professor of marketing in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. He can be contacted at [email protected] petitions to complete online surveys may be forwarded beyond the intended sample. We term this phenomenon the pass-along effect and investigate it as a factor that can influence the nature and size of survey samples in an online context. We establish the pass-along effect as a form of word-of-mouth communication and draw from the literature in this area to present and test a model of factors that influence the occurrence of this effect. The results of two studies provide empirical support for the existence and impact of the pass-along effect. Among the factors that lead to this effect are involvement and relationship with the survey topic, size of a participant’s social network, and tie strength. The appropriateness of employing pass-along respondents as well as other implications for online sampling and survey research are discussed

"The consumption of television programming: development and validation of the connectedness scale"

Andrew T. Norman is a professor of marketing in the College of Business and Public Administration at Drake University. He can be contacted at [email protected] consumption of television programming is of particular interest to consumer researchers because of the potential influence of television characters as referent others. Connectedness characterizes the intensity of the relationship(s) that viewers develop with television programs and their characters. We describe a threephased research program that develops and presents preliminary validation of a measure of connectedness. We differentiate connectedness from the related but distinct constructs of attitude and involvement. The potential of the connectedness scale to further our understanding of the consumption of television programming and its psychological and sociological effects on viewers are articulated and tested in a series of studies

Popular culture and persuasion: An investigation of product placements' effectiveness

This dissertation explores the psychological processes involved with the placement of real brands within television programming. While empirical evidence tells us that television images influence individuals, on the one hand, and that television programs contain references to specific forms of consumption, on the other hand, the psychological effect of specific references to brands has, to date, only been reasoned theoretically (e.g., Levy 1959; McCracken 1988). Because it focuses on individuals' responses to specific brands placed within a popular culture text, the technique of product placement provides an ideal context for studying the relationship between branded products and popular culture elements. Drawing from the psychology literature, I propose that the effectiveness of product placements varies depending on the specifics of the placement. Based on a Tripartite Typology of Product Placement, I make predictions regarding the processing and persuasive impact of each type and combination of placements. This conceptual framework was tested through a newly developed methodology called "the theatre methodology," which used a videotaped original screenplay as the setting for the presentation of stimuli. As predicted, the number of modalities and the degree of plot connection were shown to significantly improve memory. The study further revealed a significant interaction between plot connection and modality, caused by a stronger effect of plot connection on the visual placements than on the auditory placements. In terms of attitude, the results suggest two equally persuasive but dramatically different strategies. Indeed, product placements that were visually placed in the background were as persuasive as placements that relied on both audio and visual modalities and were highly connected to the plot. Contributions to marketing and cognitive and social psychology theory are discussed

The evolution of mental health outcomes across a combat deployment cycle: A longitudinal study of a Guam-based National Guard unit

Sustained overseas military operations over the last two decades have resulted in large numbers of United States and Allied servicemembers being faced with multiple unique occupational and environmental stressors, from serving in a combat zone, to having to be away from family and home for long periods of time. These stressors result in numerous negative health (physical and mental) and behavioral outcomes. Whereas there is a substantial amount of research focused on deployment-related health outcomes within active duty military populations, reserve forces are less understood. This study focuses on a United States Army National Guard combat unit before, during and after a deployment to Afghanistan. This prospective longitudinal study, conducted over the course of an operational deployment cycle (i.e., before, during and after), documents the trajectories of salient mental health outcomes (i.e., post-traumatic stress, depression, general anxiety, and aggression). The findings show that both combat (e.g., killing others) and non-combat (e.g., boredom) stressors negatively affect mental health outcomes, and the severity of these outcomes increases over the course of a deployment cycle. Of special note, the study reveals key gender differences in the evolution of PTSD, depression and anxiety across a deployment cycle: females report increased PTSD, depression and anxiety 6 months post-deployment whereas the levels reported by males stabilize at their mid-deployment levels. The findings offer insights for medical providers and policymakers in developing more targeted health promotion campaigns and interventions, especially during the post-deployment phase

Integrating placement and audience characteristics to assess the recall of product placements in film: findings from a field study

This research incorporates into a single model characteristics of product placements in films and characteristics of the consumers and their viewing environment to assess the memorability of the placements. Eleven movies containing a total of 98 placements of varied characteristics were coded. 3,532 individuals who viewed a DVD rental of one of these movies at home completed a questionnaire on the following day. The questionnaire included audience viewing characteristics as well as a free recall measure of placements. The results reveal important insights into the variables that affect, positively or negatively, the day after recall of products placed in movie