Selling solutions : brand and product placements within teen magazines : an honors thesis (HONRS 499/SOC 490)

Abstract

Previous research has indicated that brand and product placements are becoming more prevalent in television and film. Little research has been done on brand and product placement within text media. This study was conducted to determine how prevalent brand and product placements are within magazines geared towards teenage girls. The study looks at two popular teen lifestyle magazines, Seventeen and Cosmo Girl. Continuing research indicates that the number of brand and product placements far outweigh the number of behavioral suggestions, with a heavy emphasis on appearance. Solutions to problems are addressed more with product suggestions rather than behavioral modifications. The influence of the media on teenagers is omnipresent and brand and product placements can aid in cultivating a more materialistic teenage population in which the first solution to a problem is usually to buy something.