When processing feels smooth: brand placement mode and contextual influences on purchase intentions

Purpose This study aims to use processing fluency as an integrative lens to examine why placement prominence does not yield a stable persuasive advantage and how contextual influences shape explicit and implicit placement effectiveness in narrative media. Design/methodology/approach Four between-subjects experiments (2 × 2 factorial designs) were conducted using authentic Korean drama clips. Each study examined one potential disruption source: product category, brand familiarity, endorser image valence or parasocial interaction, comparing explicit and implicit placement with purchase intention as the dependent variable (n = 616). Findings Results were consistent with a processing-fluency explanation. Product category and parasocial interaction (PSI) each interacted with placement mode (ps < 0.001): explicit placement favored search goods and low-PSI characters, whereas implicit placement favored experience goods and high-PSI characters. Brand familiarity moderated effects (p = 0.039), with a larger implicit-placement advantage for unfamiliar brands. The endorser-valence study showed main effects only. Practical implications Managers should tailor placement modes to contextual conditions rather than maximize visibility, reducing potential disruption to viewing experiences and enhancing purchase intentions. Originality/value This research uses contextual processing demands to interpret crossover, asymmetric and additive placement effects beyond specific forms of fit and congruence. The framework complements persuasion-knowledge accounts by considering narrative disruption alongside resistance to persuasive intent. This integrative explanation of prominence’s variable persuasive value requires direct tests of the underlying processes.