Product placement refers to the practice of including a brand name, product, package, signage or other trademark merchandise within a motion picture, television or other media vehicles for increasing the memorability of the brand and for instant recognition at the point of purchase. Media planners and brand marketers are looking for alternative media vehicles to reach customers with a distinct message to increase the brand name. This is a growing trend in Indian films for various reasons. This paper highlights the basic reasons for placing products and brands in films with special reference to hindi films and the effectiveness of these placements as a tool for enhancing the recall value of the brands in the long run. This paper proposes a category of placements that can be used by brand marketers to put their brands in the films and identifies the caveat for putting the brands in the films.
This paper suggests about the modality and plot connections in bringing congruity in the presentation so that the brand placement does not look out of context. The researcher has conducted an experiment with four films namely Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindusthani, Taal and Yadein. Ten clips from the movies representing various types of placements were shown to the respondents and their opinion was sought on the selected parameters. This research paper has implications for both academicians and practitioners who include the advertising agency people, media planners, brand managers, film scriptwriters and producers for developing strategies to increase the use of product placement as a tool for brand communications. The paper also highlights the future research directions in this area for Indian brand managers and academicians.
Product placement refers to the practice of including a brand name product, package, signage or other trademark merchandise within a motion picture, television or other media vehicles for increasing the memorability of the brand and for instant recognition at the point of purchase. Product placements are commercial insertions within a particular media program intended to heighten the visibility of a brand, type of product or service. These insertions are not meant to be commercial break ups rather an integral part of the medium so that the visibility of the brand increases. Attempts are made for the viewer to read the product or the brand as a quality of the characters using and approving it. Researchers have shown that viewers like product placements (unless there are too many) because they enhance realism, aid in character development, create historical subtext, and provide a sense of familiarity.
For marketers, the availability of a captive audience with greater reach than traditional advertisements, and the advantage of showing brands in their natural environment provide motivation for product placements (Turcotte, 1995)1. Brand placements are frequently used in Hollywood films (Fuller, 1997; Wasco, 1994) and have subtly, of late entered into Indian films. |
