Product Placement Approaches on YouTube: Impactful Tips from Influential YouTubers amid the Covid-19 Pandemic

Abstract

Amid the Covid-19 pandemic in 2021, Thai audiences tended to develop more bonds with, and thus dependency on, YouTube platform. This paper aims to explore YouTubers’ adoption of the product-placement advertising approach and investigate the impactful tips that work for “product placement” on YouTube amid the Covid-19 pandemic, as shared through in-depth interviews by four influential YouTubers. Important recommended tactics for product placement in YouTubers’ channels are:1) select advertised products/services based on compatibility with their contents, 2) emphasize honesty toward their viewers, 3) aware of all sorts of negativity, 4) beware of producing or presenting contents that could potentially violate existing laws or rules, 5) attend to content details that may affect their viewers, 6) express the care and caveat on environmental issues, and 7) be careful in offering comments or providing feedback that might drive a wedge between contentious interest groups. In sum, Harmonic Communication is a three-step Harmonic approach to improving the credibility of product-placement advertising via YouTube programs and channels. Moreover, a surge in online usage of advertising media following consumer-mobility restrictions during the Covid-19 pandemic has necessitated effective regulatory interventions.