Product Placement and Integrated Marketing Communications Effects on an Informational TV Program

Advertisers are increasing their spending on product placements in TV programs, often with other integrated marketing communications (IMC) elements. This study uses 12 versions of an informational TV program to investigate whether too much product placement in the presence of IMC elements has a negative effect on TV program evaluation. The research reveals that combining placement and IMC presence has interactive, not additive, effects on brand recognition and recall, persuasion knowledge, and program evaluations. IMC elements, particularly a billboard seen before a product placement, have a “hedonic contamination” effect, worsening evaluation of an informational TV program featuring blatant product placement.