In Response to Joe's post...

Do you think it's a good idea for marketers to use product placement?

I think product placement in movies is a great way for companies to market their products. Like Joe had mentioned in his post, most people today don’t like to watch commercials and previews, where most product advertisements occur. People like to get right to the movie or TV show they are watching and with the technology today, people can do this. Many people like to watch their TV shows online and sometimes there may be 30 seconds worth of advertisements, if any. Also today we have things like Netflix where people can go right on their TVs or laptops and select a movie and it starts right away with no previews. DVDs also have a feature that lets you skip previews and get right to the main menu where you can start playing a movie and I along with many other people I am sure do this. However, if the product is places right in the movie or TV show there is no way the consumer can avoid seeing it. It’s right there. Also if people see their favorite actors or actresses using a certain product like Coca Cola for example, then those viewers may want to start drinking Coke. 

Can you think of a product you saw in a movie or TV show multiple times and then went and bought the product?

Using Fragrances as a Marketing Tool...

Have you ever walked by a store and smelt a pleasant ambient scent that drew you in? Many stores, retail in particular, are using this marketing technique to influence consumers buying decisions. Multiple experiments have revealed that a pleasant fragrance positively influences consumers’ affective reactions, evaluations, and intentions to revisit the store. The only downfall of this marketing tactic is that scents in the store may not be desirable for all consumer types, especially if a company has a broadened target market. For example, I am attracted to the scent that comes from the Abercrombie store yet my mother is not. When she goes into the store to purchase an item for me as a gift her shopping time in the store is shortened due to the smell. On the other hand, as a younger consumer who is drawn to the scent my shopping time when I am in the store is prolonged because I do enjoy the scent and it doesn’t bother me; the scent motivates me to keep shopping. Strategically manipulating the store environment via ambient scents is an inexpensive yet effective way to positively influence consumer behavior; however, the decision to diffuse a scent should be based on the target audience.

Can you think of a store that has drawn you in because of a pleasant ambient scent? What do you think the target market of that store consists of?