Abstract: The factors affecting audience memory of product placement have a kind of multi-concurrent characteristics. However, the traditional researches have paid less attention to the multiple factors and their combination effect, leading to a weaker reliability of the research conclusions. The factors influencing audience memory of product placement can be categorized into placement elements, placement scenario, and audience characteristics. The two methods of the ordered multi-classification regression and the qualitative comparative analysis are employed by this paper. The results show that the degree of audience emotional arousal by the plot connection, brand familiarity and placement scenario of the product placement are significant requirements for high level of audience memory, and there are multiple and collateral affecting paths of the variables mix of the three categories of factors on high level of audience memory. This conclusion can modify the deviations of the previous researches, and provide some new interpretation for the affecting factors of product placement on audience memory.

Key words: product placement; brand placed; audience memory; affecting factors