Whether you’re aware of it or not, you are surrounded by influence. Whether it’s advice and products pedaled by professionals, or new restaurants recommended by friends, your behavior never stems 100% from you alone. Commercials have been around since the introduction of television into homes in the 50’s, but the turn of the century saw a rapid incline of TV and movie production, as well as the development of social media algorithms. In recent years, media influence has had an undeniably large impact on consumer behavior.
Faster Capital’s article on movie based consumerism puts the concept very clearly: “The influence of movies on purchasing decisions cannot be underestimated, as they have the ability to shape our preferences, desires, and even our perception of certain products or brands.”
One of the most subtle influences on spending comes from a popular phenomenon in TV shows and movies known as product placement. Various brands are purposely displayed to the audience in a promotional effort. Programs often get paid by the brands to do so, and in turn brands make more money as viewers of the programs buy their products. Placing a product in a production plants that particular brand in the viewers mind, making them more likely to buy that brand subconsciously. Studies from Corporate Communications at Elon University show that about 85% of placements were “visual-only”, with a product simply being shown on-screen, but never mentioned. Interestingly, Elon University’s studies also show that despite the relatively high average number of placements per movie (68), the relevance of the product to the plot remains low, with products having an average of 47% relevancy to the plot. In recent years, the most placed products in film were Adidas, Nike, Audi, BMW, Cadillac, Chevrolet, Ray-Ban, Dodge, Ford, Jeep, Land Rover, Mercedes-Benz, Apple, Dell, Samsung, Sony, and Toyota.
Beyond just plain product placement, the film world has had a huge effect on consumer behavior in recent years. From certain characters’ styles being sought after such as Bella Swan and Phoebe Buffay, to cartoon characters being printed on shirts and sweaters, TV and movies have had a large impact on the fashion industry. Now more than ever characters are becoming known for niche fashion styles, influencing viewers to shop after their looks and “romanticize” their aesthetics. Even websites like https://wornontv.net/ exist for the sole purpose of finding items identical to the ones worn on-screen. Media has become one of the biggest influences in consumerism, as many brands race to make themed merchandise based on new and popular movies. A prime example would be Barbie, a movie that made waves last summer, and had many brands racing to release pink and other doll-themed items. Even now, over a year after the movie’s initial craze, extremely popular companies such as Stanley are releasing Barbie themed wares. A study conducted by BENlabs, an influencer marketing company, revealed that 75% of people searched for a product after seeing it in a movie or TV show. The study additionally shows that 57% of those people actually went on to buy the product they had seen on-screen.
With billboards, commercials, and other more obvious forms of advertisement, many people may not realize the subtlety of movie influence on their spending habits. In fact, products promoted in movies and TV shows may be even more influential than regular advertisements. This is due to the fact that people think they are making their own choices in purchasing things, rather than being convinced by more overt methods of marketing. Trends of marketing via shows and movies will almost certainly continue and increase in the coming years, and the money-brandishing, materialistic crowds of consumers are sure to follow.
