Embedding Brands Within Media Content: The Impact of Message, Media, and Consumer Characteristics on Placement Efficacy

The need to rise above the cacophony of marketing messages aimed constantly toward the consuming public has fueled interest in nontraditionalways for companies to get these communications across. The confluence of commercial persuasion and entertainment media, which frequently falls under the category of blurred communications (Solomon & Englis, 1996), is one such solution. Brand sponsors pay for messages that are embedded within featured entertainment, but the sponsors’ identity is kept hidden. Tremendous growth in popularity and industry organization over the past 2 decadesmakes it critical formarketing researchers to gain deeper insights into the phenomenon of embedded brands. This chapter provides a broad commentary on issues we believe warrant further exploration, given the current state of knowledge in the area. The impact of various message, media, and consumer characteristics on the effectiveness of blurred communications is specifically examined.