Proximity, Familiarity or Congruency? What Influences Memory of Brand Placement in Videogames

Abstract

Brand placement in videogames consists in integrating various brands that are not intrusive to give a feeling of reality to the context, as such increasing awareness and recognition of the brand in the mind of the consumer. The goal of this study is to ascertain if brand position, familiarity and congruency influence memorization of brands presented in a racing videogame. An experimental design 2 (position: prominent or subtle) × 2 (congruency: yes or no) × 2 (familiar: yes or no) was used in a sample of 117 participants (M = 20.91 years, SD = 1.75 years). Consumers have better recall and recognition of brand placement when it is familiar. Likewise, there is more memorization of placement that is congruent with the videogame’s subject matter. Nevertheless, it appears that position has no influence on memory. Regarding the three-way interaction, it turns out that the best way to remember brands is when they are familiar to the consumers, congruent with the videogame’s genre, and they are positioned in a prominent position. This article is the first to investigate the interaction between the three main variables that affect the memorization of brand placement.