Product placements in social settings: The impact of coviewing on the recall of placed brands

Product placements are often consumed in social settings. However, the product placement literature has yet to adequately incorporate social settings into its research agenda. This research adds to the product placement literature by examining the nature of the social setting based on the relationship between coviewers. Results from a multilevel modeling analysis of 254 dyads showed that coviewing settings with friends generated greater recall of placed brands than those with non-friends. This effect was especially strong in social settings that allowed for interaction between coviewers. In interactive coviewing settings, visually placed brands were better recalled among friends than non-friends; there was no significant difference in recall of audio and audio-visual brands between conditions. Additional analyses revealed that interactive coviewing settings with friends also resulted in greater recall of placed brands than solo viewing settings. Theoretical and managerial implications of findings on recall of placed brands in social settings are discussed.