Consumer Response to Brand Placements in Films: Role of Brand Congruity and Modality of Presentation in Bringing Attitudinal Change Among Consumers with Special Reference to Brand Placements in Hindi Films

Advertisers are looking for newer methods and media to reach the consumers for various reasons. The objective of brand communication has been to expose the audience to a brand, whereby the effect can be maximized in terms of increased awareness and higher recall, so that the customer will buy the brand which has the highest recall; and to satisfy the customer to the optimum level. Brand 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. This research paper looks at the rationality of the brand placement, the possible congruity that can be built in the story line and the image of the brand in creating a positive impact in the usage through the characterization in the story, as indicators of success of effective brand placement in films and if so, as variables in bringing the desired change in consumers attitude. This paper highlights the basic reasons for placing products and brands in Hindi films and the effectiveness of these placements as a tool for enhancing the recall value of the brands in the long-run brands in the films. This paper also suggests the strategy of creating brand congruity and plot connections in bringing a change in the behavior of the audience. The researcher selected four Indian movies from their box office success and then analyzed the effectiveness of the variety of placement in bringing the desired post-exposure opinion. The films selected for the study include -Taal, Phir Bhi Dil Hai Hindustani, Yadein and Dilwale Dulhaniya Le Jayenge. This research paper bears implications for academicians, brand managers, advertising agency professionals, film scriptwriters and producers, for developing strategies to increase the usage of brand placement in Hindi films. INTRODUCTION Brand 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 breakups, they rather form 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). Brand placements are frequently used in Hollywood films (Fuller, 1997; Wasco, 1994) and have subtly, of late entered into Indian films. Brand placements are different than the celebrity endorsement advertisements in many ways. The celebrities endorse products and brands with commercial reasons, which normally come in the breaks in television programs or in cinema halls. The phenomenon of zipping and change in the television usage behavior due to surfing during commercial breaks has reduced the effectiveness of the television commercials. Similarly, the commercials in cinema halls are found to be of low involvement as the audience takes them as blocks between the reasons of visiting the cinema hall and the time available to them for entertainment. So the brand communication and the entertainment products are viewed differently by the audience in both the media. Brand placement provides an opportunity where the involved audience gets exposure to the brands and products during the natural process of narration of the movie or television commercial. THE OPPORTUNITY FOR BRAND PLACEMENT, CONSUMER INFORMATION PROCESSINGAND ISSUE OF BRAND CONGRUITY The traditional media has failed in catching the attention of the customer for reasons known globally. …