December 2019 | Final Portfolio | Jun Park [Volume 1, Issue 1]

Hip-Hop Songs
Can Help Your
Brand
Placement
A study found that brand placement using
Scholars say…
song have positive impact to memory.
A study by Ferguson and Burkhalter (2015) has revealed that brand placement using
“In sum, prominence may
hip-hop songs can positively impact people’s memory about the brand. influence both recall and
Ferguson and Burkhalter conducted a study that examined causal relationship between attitude, while congruence
features of brand placement using songs and customer’s response to the brand
placement. The features of brand placement tested were prominence (is the brand may impact recall. For
placement in the chorus (prominent condition) or not?) and congruence (Does the song prominence to influence
match with the brand or not).
attitude, it must interact with
The participants in the experiment listened to several songs that were manipulated in
the two features above (prominence and congruence). And the results showed that congruence between placed
brands that were placed in a prominent condition (in a chorus) was significantly
brand and the musical genre”
recalled to people and incongruent brands to a song was significantly recalled as well.
Also, it was found that a brand placement in both prominent and incongruent condition (Ferguson and Burkhalter,
also had an impact not just on brand recall, but also brand attitude, how people think
2015).
about a brand. Therefore, the study concluded that brand placement in a song can
have the most impact when the song is incongruent with the brand and the brand
placement is located at the chorus (prominent condition).

The Impact of the Study

Ferguson and Burkhalter writes that this data is a valuable data for brand managers,
artists, producers, and record executives. The researchers expect that this study would
help the brand managers designing their advertisement and artists, producers, and
record executives to find a new way to use their songs.
 2

For Advertisement
This data is especially valuable to those
brand managers who are looking to use
music for their brand commercial,
specifically those who are looking to use
hip-hop music. This study can give the
brand managers what features to look
for when they are designing their brand
placement.
brand at the prominent condition
(chorus) or look for incongruent song
with their brand image. If he or she is
looking for both brand recall and
positive brand attitude, they would
design to acquire both prominence and
congruence.

For example, brand manager looking to

get significant brand recall would look
for songs where they can place the

“Overall, the findings presented in this study help provide insight into how music may be sued to create affective
and cognitive responses to known brands. Such findings will be valuable to a variety of constituents including
brand managers, recording artists, and record executives.”

Scholars say… For Musicians

“The results of this study
provide valuable data and
managerial implications not
only for brand managers but
also for artists, producers,
and record executives,
because placing a brand in a
new song performed by an
unknown artist may impact
both brand recall and brand
Ferguson and Burkhalter mentions that this study would benefit not just the brand
managers, but also artists, producers, and record executives. The authors mentioned
that the effect found by the study works regardless of how famous the song is. Which
means that brand managers could have a similar impact to their audiences with using
less famous artists and songs.
The song, once have been used in a brand placement, can also be used in other
marketing tactics aside from brand placement as well, such as becoming the theme
song of the brand.
The songs used in brand placement can bring high recall of the brand and it can also
bring the high recall of songs as well. Unknown artists can use the brand placement as
their opportunity to promote their songs with the brand placement. This study is also
suggesting another way of using their songs, as brand managers could “forgo the
expense of popular performers and instead select lesser-known artists to impart their
messages.”

attitude.” (Ferguson and As this study could be implied both ways, to brand and music, and create a win-win
situation, people from those two disciplines could actively use the data from the study
Burkhalter, 2015). to design a brand placement that may benefit both ways.