Following the lecture discussing product placement, I was intrigued to explore these concepts in my own life by taking notice of product placement around me. Does placement really matter? Will the Placement of a product effect whether one buys it or not?

I decided to focus on a single product-the Cadbury DairyMilk chocolate collection. I went around to various supermarkets and convenience stores, and took pictures of where this product was placed. I then went on to analyze my findings.

The pictures below were taken at the small convenience store located in UBC’s Student Union Building.

This was a rather small store, and the DairyMilk chocolates were located both at the front of the store as well at the side of the store (on the right). The reason for the placement at the front was ‘impulse purchase,’ which is an unplanned decision to buy a product right before a purchase-a ‘whim’ purchase. The store attempted to create a ‘candy aisle,’ which was in the centre of the store; this is clever, as it allows those who know they want chocolate an easy access.

The next thing I noticed were the products located around the chocolate.The key is to consider what audience will most likely buy chocolate. A vital target segment for chocolate would be children, and therefore they may have placed the candy aisle next to the toy aisle, if the store happened to sell toys.
If the company was targeting women, they could have placed the chocolate next to sanitary napkins, make-up, or even gossip magazines.

When looking at the first and third picture, we notice deodorant, ziplock bags, chips, toothbrushes, toothpaste, etc, located around the product. I challenge this centre-right placement, as chocolate should not be placed next to oral hygiene products (toothbrushes/toothpaste) because it reminds the audience of cavities and may deter them from purchasing the product. Even the DairyMilk ‘impulse purchase’ placement could be improved for the company, as it is currently at the bottom of the front shelf, and should be at the top; people are more likely to pick from the top than the bottom as it is more convenient, and they are more likely to see it.

The pictures below were taken at the Staples stationary store in the UBC Village.

The pictures below were taken at a relatively small Safeway on Granville Street in Marpole, Vancouver.

I have learnt through my exploration that it is key to have the product: in a convenient location, located next to the right products, located in easily seen areas. Overall, my qualitative research has illustrated that placement is vital, and definitely influences buying decisions. If I am ever trying to sell a product I will remember that PLACEMENT IS KEY!