Brand Placement: A Review

Abstract Brand placement—often referred to as “product placement”—is a growing practice in an increasing number of media vehicles. Through placement, a brand is included as part of a mass media program in return for some consideration from the advertiser. This review clarifies the definition of brand placement and outlines an emerging body of research into placement, especially in its potential impact on program audiences. Missing, though, has been a framework that recognizes the strong bond audiences may form with programs and characters—and the unique opportunity brand placement affords advertisers to represent desirable identity characteristics through the brand/character pairing.