A Critical Realist and Multimethodology Framework for Product Placement Research

This article contributes to the existing literature by examining the appropriate philosophical and methodological foundations for research in marketing communication that has yet to be discussed. In particular, this article argues that the ontological, epistemological, and methodological underpinnings of a critical realist paradigm could be a meaningful alternative to the predominant positivism in product placement research. Under a critical realist framework, several unexplored areas in product placement research are identified and a multimethodology approach is proposed to expand the scope of knowledge in the field. The discussion ends with some ethical concerns and the major contributions to the discipline with regards to Habermas's three worlds: the material, social, and personal worlds.