Advertising effectiveness of interactivity with real, transfigured, fictional and incongruent brands in narrative video games

Abstract

Purpose - One of the problems advertising has faced has been the rising counter-argumentation in traditional media. The search for new pull marketing strategies in a culture of digital entertainment requires new and more effective forms of product placement. The authors investigate the advertising effectiveness of new types of branding in products of the interactive digital entertainment culture. Design/methodology/approach - The research consisted in placing several types of real and fictional brands in five versions of a narrative video game. Over a two-week period, participants were tested on counter-argumentation, interactivity with the static and dynamic advertising stimuli and advertising effectiveness (N=274). Findings - The results show the cognitive, affective, and conative advertising effectiveness of transfigured brands compared to real and fictional brands. The transfigured brands have the advantage over fictional brands in that, during the enjoyment of the videogame, the consumer makes a semantic transfer to the real brand. This processing has a high advertising effectiveness as it induces processing of real brands without provoking counter-argumentation. Originality - This is the first research that explores and conceptualizes the phenomenon of brand transfiguration, which had not been investigated until now and which opens new applied possibilities for brand placement. Practical implications - Interactivity with transfigured brands contributes to create experience and engagement with the brand. Moreover, as they are well integrated in the content, they avoid counter-argumentation. That is why they open an investment space of interest for the advertiser.