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Journal of Consumer Behaviour, J. Consumer Behav. 12: 102–111 (2013)
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/cb.1423
Message exposure with friends: The role of social context on attitudes toward prominently placed brands
KESHA K. COKER1*, SUZANNE A. ALTOBELLO2 and SIVA K. BALASUBRAMANIAN3
1
School of Business, Eastern Illinois University, 4012 Lumpkin Hall, Charleston, IL 61920, USA
2
College of Business, Southern Illinois University, 229A Rehn Hall, 1025 Lincoln Drive, Mail Code 4629, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
3
Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology, 565 West Adams Street (Fourth Floor), Chicago, IL 60661, USA
ABSTRACT
Consumers usually experience product placements in the presence of others, such as watching a movie or television show together. In this study, the role of social context on attitudes toward prominently placed brands is explored. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from 382 participants who watched a sitcom episode in dyads, with a friend or with someone they did not know. Additionally, dyads were allowed to interact during the viewing or required to remain passive. Attitudes toward product placements were more favorable when coviewing with friends than with strangers, but only toward a high intensity plot placement. No attitude differences emerged between interactive and passive viewing, suggesting that talking while viewing does not distract viewers to the extent that it impacts attitudes. No significant differences in attitudes emerged between the friend-interactive experimental condition and the other conditions. However, a significant difference in brand attitudes between friends and strangers emerged within the passive viewing context for a high intensity plot placement. Implications are such that chatting with a friend while watching product placements was no different from chatting with a stranger, but when watching silently, the presence of a friend
Published online in Wiley Online Library (wileyonlinelibrary.com) DOI: 10.1002/cb.1423
Message exposure with friends: The role of social context on attitudes toward prominently placed brands
KESHA K. COKER1*, SUZANNE A. ALTOBELLO2 and SIVA K. BALASUBRAMANIAN3
1
School of Business, Eastern Illinois University, 4012 Lumpkin Hall, Charleston, IL 61920, USA
2
College of Business, Southern Illinois University, 229A Rehn Hall, 1025 Lincoln Drive, Mail Code 4629, Carbondale, IL 62901, USA
3
Stuart School of Business, Illinois Institute of Technology, 565 West Adams Street (Fourth Floor), Chicago, IL 60661, USA
ABSTRACT
Consumers usually experience product placements in the presence of others, such as watching a movie or television show together. In this study, the role of social context on attitudes toward prominently placed brands is explored. Multilevel modeling was used to analyze data from 382 participants who watched a sitcom episode in dyads, with a friend or with someone they did not know. Additionally, dyads were allowed to interact during the viewing or required to remain passive. Attitudes toward product placements were more favorable when coviewing with friends than with strangers, but only toward a high intensity plot placement. No attitude differences emerged between interactive and passive viewing, suggesting that talking while viewing does not distract viewers to the extent that it impacts attitudes. No significant differences in attitudes emerged between the friend-interactive experimental condition and the other conditions. However, a significant difference in brand attitudes between friends and strangers emerged within the passive viewing context for a high intensity plot placement. Implications are such that chatting with a friend while watching product placements was no different from chatting with a stranger, but when watching silently, the presence of a friend
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