Post on 01-Jan-2016
By: Carly Zagaroli
Research QuestionsBased on product placement in the show
Gossip Girl (2007), what are the underlying themes and messages being promoted to young female viewers?
What kinds of products are Gossip Girl (2007) characters promoting to viewers?
How are Gossip Girl (2007) characters promoting products to audience members?
Thesis
The product placement in Gossip Girl (2007) promotes the values of the dominant culture to young females; the main value promoted is the consumption of high culture and upper-class goods.
Literature ReviewAdvertising and Product Placement
Smythe (1954) Audiences act upon program content
Miller (1988) TV as an effective corporate tool to push
consumptionAndersen (1995)
Advertisers lead viewers to a specific productStern and Russell (2004)
Studied individuals with high marketing knowledge
Literature ReviewYouth and Consumption
Maccoby (1951) Investigated effects of television on children
Hartley (1970) Television is passively learned by children
Braun (2000) Greater recall of products if placed within a show
Quart (2004) Media exposes teen females to a life a luxury
Literature ReviewAttitudes About Consumption
Alper and Leidy (1970) Television as a tool to shape viewers’ attitudes
Weigel and Jessor (1973) Children’s behaviors and attitudes in relation to the
conventional norms and values of the timeShrum and O’Guinn (1997)
Viewers’ perceptions of reality in relation to time watching television
Heckler, Russel, and Norman (2004) Viewer/character relationships on the show Friends
(1994)
Consumption TheoryVeblen (1899) and Bourdieu (1979)
Veblen’s “Conspicuous Consumption”
Lavish spending on goods and services
Purpose of displaying socio-economic status
Appear in higher classes-filters down to lower classes
Consumption TheoryBourdieu’s “Taste as a Sense of Distinction”
Social class is revealed by one’s preferences and tastes Economic Capital Cultural Capital
Embodied Capital Objectified Capital Institutionalized Capital
MethodologyQuantitative Content Analysis
Random sample of episodes20 Episodes coded-2 seasons (10 per season)
Name of episode, season, and episode number Product count
Name of product Type of product Location of product Character(s) in scene with product Age of character(s), gender, and attitude toward product Any phrases from the characters that are relevant to
research
Strengths/WeaknessesStrengths
Coding can be easily replicatedInexpensive research methodLarge number of episodes coded
WeaknessesLimited to one showNot able to generalize to menUnable to identify the effect of product
placement on the viewer at home
Findings241 total products placed in 20 episodes
coded 97 products in first season, 144 in second
seasonMales-55 productsFemales-139 ProductsNo character-33 Products
Positive attitude towards 30 products Neutral attitude towards 200 products Negative attitude towards 11 products
Season 1 vs. Season 2 Product Types
Adults vs. Teens Product Types
Teen Males vs. Teen Females in Percentages
Findings
DiscussionTeen females promote majority of products
Largely female audienceTechnology, clothing
Most products promoted with neutral attitudeVeblen’s argument on who constructs “High Culture”
Young Females viewing the consumption of high culture goods as a sense of normalcy on the show
Thank you!
Questions?