College‐aged young consumers' interpretations of product placement in social games

Purpose The purpose of the study is to explore how college‐aged consumers perceive and interpret product placement in the context of social games. Design/methodology/approach The theoretical perspective guiding the study is phenomenology, and the essay assignment and in‐depth interviews were used to collect data. Findings The themes emerged from the current data regarding the participants' interpretations of product placement in social games are: freedom of choice; subtleness and unobtrusiveness; and connection to real world consumption. Originality/value No study to date has been designed to explore the product placement in social network sites (SNSs), especially in the context of social gaming. The study fills the research gap by exploring college‐aged consumers' interpretation of product placement in the context of social games.