|
Product placement in video games is a popular new way to advertise, but it has little effect on players according to a study by Queensland University of Technology PhD student, Kerri-Ann Kuhn.
"More people are playing these games instead of watching TV, so a lot of advertisers see it as a way to reach people," she said.
"However, my research showed that while product placement in video games may be noticed and brands recalled, it does not influence attitudes towards a product, or the image of the organisation.
"The problem is that there is too much already happening in the game, so the user is concentrated on game play. As a result, there are not enough cognitive resources left to take in any advertising messages."
Ms Kuhn said the premise for the study came to her when she was playing a console game and noticed the amount of billboards in the background.
"I wondered about the effect of the ads and found that very little research had actually been done in the area," she said.
Ms Kuhn looked at car-racing games, which are among the most popular, and conducted a lab experiment, then a field experiment.
She looked at video games in which an advertiser would pay to have their product shown, as well as adver-games, which are brand-centred.
She says that now, there is more research "trickling out" about product placement in video games.
"I intend to look further into the area, and see how game product placement can be used as part of an advertising package - it doesn't work on its own, so the next step is finding its role," she said.
Editor's Note: Original news release can be found here.
|
