Abstract

The present research explores readers’ and authors’ general attitudes towards brand placement in fiction. An online survey of Flemish readers (n = 500) and Flemish and Dutch authors (n = 97) measured attitudes towards the use of brand names and the practice of paid brand placement in fiction. Readers also reported their attitudes with regard to placement in film and TV programs. The results demonstrate that readers are favorable towards brand use in fiction. They also view the practice of paid placement as acceptable, perceive it as appropriate in most fiction genres, and are largely indifferent to the use of placement disclosures. Albeit perceptions are favorable across media in absolute terms, attitudes towards brands and paid placement in fiction, compared to film/TV programs, are less positive. Demographic characteristics and individual differences in reading motivation also predict readers’ placement attitudes. Further, the results reveal that authors also perceive (paid) placement in fiction as acceptable, yet they appear more reserved about the practice than readers in our sample and see a higher need for disclosure regulation. Findings are discussed with relation to earlier work on general attitudes towards brand placement in other media and their implications for current theory and practice.

摘要

本研究探讨了读者和作者对小说中品牌植入的总体态度。一项针对佛兰德斯读者 (n = 500) 以及佛兰德斯和荷兰作家 (n = 97) 的在线调查测量了人们对使用品牌名称以及在小说中付费品牌植入的态度。读者还表达了他们对影视节目植入的态度。结果表明，读者喜欢小说中的品牌使用。他们还认为付费安置的做法是可以接受的，认为它适合大多数小说类型，并且对安置披露的使用基本上漠不关心。尽管从绝对意义上讲，各媒体的看法是有利的，但与电影/电视节目相比，对品牌和小说付费植入的态度并不那么积极。人口统计特征和阅读动机的个体差异也可以预测读者的放置态度。此外，结果显示，作者也认为小说中的（付费）放置是可以接受的，但他们似乎比我们样本中的读者对这种做法更加保留，并且认为更需要披露监管。讨论的结果与早期关于其他媒体中品牌投放的普遍态度的研究及其对当前理论和实践的影响有关。