Impact of product placement on purchase intention in the context of product-harm crisis

This study investigated whether and how product placement influences purchase intention in the context of product-harm crisis. We collected data from 373 Chinese adults who completed an online survey, and conducted a between-subjects experiment (with/without product placement). Structural equation modeling results show that product placement had a significant positive impact on purchase intention, with perceived risk and brand trust acting as mediators. The association between perceived risk and purchase intention was nonsignificant. The study also revealed that product placement had a negative impact on brand trust, which then suppressed purchase intention. This finding emphasizes the importance of brand trust in the relationship between product placement and purchase intention, and shows that influencing consumers’ opinion is more difficult than changing their behaviors through product placement.