Product placement as leveraged marketing communications: the role of wishful identification, brand trust, and brand buying behaviours

Online streaming and DVRs have spurred the use of products placed within the storyline of a show to be an opportunity for advertisers to offer a message to their consumer about a brand even with the possibility of entirely avoiding commercial pods. This study examines wishful identification as a concept that mediates the relationship between favourite fictional character attributes, and buying behaviours and brand trust of products/brands used by a favourite character in a television show. Results indicate that wishful identification does, in fact, persist beyond the viewing experience. Additionally, the attribute of admiration and a combination of attributes we label the ‘Ideal Character’ is most predictive of wishful identification and our purchase intention dependent variables.