FINAL RESEARCH PROJECT

ON
Topic: COVERT ADVERTISING: A STUDY OF CONSUMER RESPONSE TO PRODUCT
PLACEMENT IN BOLLYWOOD

SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT FOR THE AWARD OF THE DEGREE OF POST

GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN ADVERTISING AND MARKETING COMMUNICATION
UNDER THE GUIDANCE OF
Ms. PUSHPA NAIR

SUBMITTED BY:
VIDUSHI THAPLIYAL
Roll No.: A18129
ADMC
(Advertising and Marketing Communication)

APEEJAY INSTITUTE OF MASS COMMUNICATION

Institutional Area, Sector-9, Dwarka, New Delhi-110075

pg. 1
 CERTIFICATE

I hereby declare that the work contained in the said research project is my original
contribution, and has not been published anywhere. I further declare that the project
work entitled “ COVERT ADVERTISING: A STUDY OF CONSUMER RESPONSE TO
PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN BOLLYWOOD” submitted to APEEJAY INSITUTE OF MASS
COMMUNICATION, Delhi is a record of an original work done by me, Vidushi Thapliyal
under the guidance of Ms. Pushpa Nair, Faculty Member, APEEJAY INSTITUTE OF MASS
COMMUNICATION and this project work has been performed for the award of , POST
GRADUATE DIPLOMA IN ADVERSTISING AND MARKETING COMMUNICATION from
APEEJAY INSTITUTE OF MASS COMMUNCATION, DELHI.

Name: Vidushi Thapliyal

Signature:

pg. 2
TABLE OF CONTENTS

Contents Page No
Acknowledgement 4
Executive Summary 5
Introduction 6-16
Literature Review 17-22
Hypothesis 23
Methodology 24
Data Analysis 25-41
Findings 42
Conclusions 43
Limitations 43
Annexure 44-46

pg. 3
ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

I would like to thank our Director, Prof.Sajal Mukherjee for giving me such a wonderful
opportunity of doing the research on ‘COVERT ADVERTISING: A STUDY OF
CONSUMER RESPONSE TO PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN BOLLYWOOD ’
I would also like to thank my mentors Prof. Mr. Pijush Dutta and Prof. Ms. Pushpa Nair
who selflessly helped me throughout this research. I would also like to thank my other
faculties who helped me with the project.
I take this step to sincerely thank my parents who stood by me through all the tough times
and encouraged and motivated me. This dissertation would not be possible without the
counsel and guidance of my friends.

VIDUSHI THAPLIYAL MS. PUSHPA NAIR

(ADMC) (MENTOR)

pg. 4
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
It has been rightly said by one of the great men of knowledge and wisdom that “Good
advertising does not just circulate information, it penetrates the public mind with desire
and belief”. Advertisement is the most influential and powerful medium in the present
commercial society and acts as a soul of marketing in today’s world of complex and
severe competition. Lately cinema is becoming an innovative medium to reach the
which is why In film advertising is gaining prominence in Bollywood. It is comparatively a
new medium unlike radio, TV, outdoor methods of advertising but has proved useful in
giving multifold returns to the advertisers

Product placement works out as a win-win situation for both the filmmakers as well as
for the brand as the latter gets captive audience along with the opportunity to break
away with the norms of conventional television commercials and the former can meet
his/her production costs and other expenditure. It helps and positioning products in the
minds of target audience and serves as the new and lucrative revenue generating dream
for the advertisers.

To target the audience through the medium of movies it is mandatory for a marketer
not only to understand the customers and their requirements but also to the script for
proper placement of the brands and products so that their positioning doesn’t look
awkward in the movie. Customers today are becoming increasingly aware and highly
responsive to the advertisements they see not only in the form of television commercial
but also to the brands they notice in the movie.

The research project gives a brief introduction of covert advertising and the different
definitions by famous authors. The research done already in this area is reviewed. The
research tries to study the consumer response towards product placement in movies,
the various characteristics of product placement which make it effective and increase
recall value. The study also tries to evaluate the impact of product placements and their
actions after watching a brand in a film.

pg. 5
INTRODUCTION
Movies as a medium are carriers not only of the content or story but they also transmit
various cultures other than our own which we assimilate, absorb and then relate to. As
rightly said in the words of Steven Spellberg , one of the finest filmmakers of the world
‘Cinema is the strongest weapon we have in our world today’. Movies have the potential
to bring forth and reflect upon the hidden realities of this life to the people. They also
exercise a huge amount of influence on the minds of the segment they are targeted to.

Hindi film industry what we called Bollywood in general parlance, too possesses an
enormous amount of power and hold on the audience it caters. It wouldn’t be wrong to
say that today more than the other mediums of advertising we are significantly
influenced by the brands that are positioned in Hindi films when we see our Bollywood
stars and role model making use of those brands.

Today’s concept of marketing has undergone a massive change, it’s no longer a plain
vanilla usage of mass communication tools, no longer just about catching your audience
when they are reading a newspaper, magazine or watching a cricket match on TV or
listening to the radio. It’s about engagement with the customers and being able to make
the brand relatable given a certain apt situation. Movies are a passion for most Indians.
Association with Bollywood movies is an excellent way to position a product in the
Indian culture and take the brand to every home. Marketing has always existed in
movies but never in such a big way as today. With the appearance of the latest
Millennium the marketers as well as advertisers have found the latest form of
publicising their product as well as formulating some more prominent plans for
showcasing their brands. That is motion picture or films which use video, sounds, music
and images to convey its message. This flourishing foe between brands in the Indian
market has led the marketers to find some new and innovative means of reaching the
commercial operation.

Indian film industry is a dynamic, vibrant and one of the largest film industries of the
world producing approximately 800 movies in 16 languages annually. Bollywood is
considered to be at the heart of Indian film industry contributing approximately 20% of
the total production.

Product placement in Bollywood evolved later in the 1990's although a Hollywood style
studio system was evolved in the 1920's. The format of Bollywood films has changed
over the years. Indian audiences have now been exposed to different genres and styles
and content. Filmmakers are also aware of the diversified audience and are diversifying
their product portfolio to have a larger reach to the masses. Bollywood has emerged as
one of the preferred choice for brands to promote their product. This is simply because
pg. 6
of the popularity of Bollywood and the huge number of eyeballs it reaches. Since the
early 2000's covert advertising or product placement has fast emerged as an alternative
to other modes of advertising.

In the most basic sense Covert advertising is a non traditional way of advertising mode
wherein a product or a brand is incorporated in entertainment sections and media
channels like movies, sports, TV shows. In this brands are placed in the movie subtly or
prominently with an intention to heighten the visibility of the brand.

Merits of Product Placement

There are various reasons why product placement has become immensely popular
REALISM EFFECT

When a product is placed in a movie it is seen in a real life scenario, which can call to
attention its several features which a short commercial cannot do otherwise because of
paucity of time. Putting product placements in everyday situations of normal life is done
with an intent to produce real life settings. Product placement, in this way does not
interrupt the natural flow of the plot in fact improves and enriches it with further
elements, and allows us to attribute the implications of reality to the film. When the
product is well integrated in the story, the consumer cannot ignore it.
Example Shahrukh Khan in the movie “My Name is Khan” is on a journey to meet USA
President and carries Samsonite Company’s bag in the entire movie. The bag becomes
an integral part of his character.

ACTIVE AUDIENCE INTEREST

The scene developments in movies and its emotional involvement capture active
audience interest.

HIGH AUDIENCE SEGMENTATION

Product placement allows typological segmentation of the public it reaches. Every film
has an identity which can attract a specific section of people who have their genres
fixed. For example –Chak De India is based on Hockey. The sports-based movie had
product placement of Puma Shoes worn by Indian Women’s Hockey team.

pg. 7
ADVERTISING FRAGMENTATION
With more and more channels coming up, the task has become tough for advertisers to
communicate the message to target audience because there is no information what the
target audience will be watching at prime time. Due to fragmentation, there is little
information available about how many consumers can be reached. Digital video
recording allows viewers to skip ads also. Product placements are low on cost as
compared to television commercials. They also have a longer life as a movie can be
recorded, downloaded and bought.

PERCEIVED ENDORSEMENT

When celebrities use a product in a movie, it gives the product some sort of importance
and status. The viewers who watch their favorite actor/actresses using products get
inspired to use it. This undoubtedly, has a very positive impact on brand awareness in
the public.

pg. 8
CASE STUDY

Chak De! India

(2007)

No of Prints: 550 Budget:15 crore

pg. 9
 Cast: Shahrukh Khan and others Box office status: Super Hit

Director: Shimit Amin Producer: Aditya Chopra

Brands featured in the movie: Ultra tech cement, Puma, Mac Donalds, Bisleri, Aaj Tak,
Times of India, Sports Brands Rakshak and Vijayanti.

‘Chak De! India, an exceptional hit based on the life of former Hockey player starring
Shah Rukh Khan, is valued for its role in reviving Hockey in India. In the beginning of
the film, media is seen fallaciously creating charges against the hockey captain after
India loses to Islamic Republic of Pakistan in a hockey World Cup final match.

While number of media entities are shown throughout these scenes, the foremost seen
news channel in these scenes is Aaj Tak. The Aaj Tak mikes, channel ID and logo was
highlighted in the film and even Aaj Tak announcer was seen on the channel.

The film basically featured Women’s National Hockey team and Hockey being the core
of the film, provided enormous opportunity for brand managers to grab it up and go
endorsing their brands. It provided ample avenues wherein brands could feature in as
official sponsor of the team, sports equipment sponsor, as merchandise sponsor, event
sponsors hoardings and billboards during the matches, and get visibility.

Ultra tech cement used this opportunity and is the most featured brand shown in the
movie. It is also the main sponsor of the Women’s Hockey team and is highlighted
obviously as sponsor logo in the team’s official uniform. It ensured its visibility in nearly
every frame during all the matches played by the team and succeeded in gaining
optimum and crucial airtime.

pg. 10
It is for the first time by any cement brand to be related in in-film branding, and by
doing so Ultra tech cement has scored a idealize ten. Indeed, in spite of the fact
that there's no product pertinence or synergy, the in-film placement has been
conducted in a very extraordinarily subtle manner without a single reference to the
brand in the film.

UltraTech Cement Ltd chief marketing officer O P Puranmalka stated, " Since our brand
is virtually seen in almost every frame when the World Cup matches are played, it has
helped us reinforce the brand attributes such as 'global winner', 'modern & youthful',
'tech-savvy', and yet 'intrinsically Indian' amongst our core target groups across India."

Another leading brand which gathered a considerable attention in the film was sporting
brand Puma. Puma provided merchandise to the team before their final match. Being,
associated with the victory of the team, it had a perfect placement, its logo
was noticeably seen in the team uniform throughout the final match which was the very
soul of the film.

pg. 11
Others brands viz Mc Donald’s, Times
of India and Bisleri were also
highlighted in the film. McDonald’s was
prominently featured in a scene where
the girls beat boys for teasing one of
them. The team players were seen
sipping water from bisleri bottles in
many scenes.

pg. 12
The placement of Aaj Tak and Times of India was really attention-grabbing. It’s
astonishing to think why both the brands agreed to collaborate when the situation does
more bad than good to their brands. Both are seen as media houses who germinate and
support wrong insight about the sportsmanship a player shows when he is on the losing
side. The news channel’s placement on those scenes was indeed a bad judgement. The
channels failed to calculate very well on where they were placed. In comparison to this,
the brand placements of ESPN was much better in comparison to it. ESPN was seen as
the key commentator during the final hockey World Cup matches, and the channel also
promoted ‘Chak De! India’ during the India-England cricket series. Brand placement is
not just about being on the channel –it ought to be in the right place, at the right time.”

These kinds of associations depend on the marketing objective. If it is mere visibility,

then just being there is enough. A passive placement does not contribute much.
Aaj Tak’s placement may not have added to the brand, however it surely didn’t degrade
the brand either.

The brand placements in the film were divided according to the earlier mentioned
criteria. The classification of brand placement in Chak de! India is as provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Type of Product Placement

Implicit Used in Scene Integrated Explicit

Ultra Tech Cement Mc Donalds -
Times of India Aaj Tak
Puma
Bisleri

pg. 13
2.GOAL

Goal failed to impress the audience either by its story or the chemistry between Bipasha
and John Abraham, the lead actors and proved to be a box office dud. Rather than being
a high power football drama it proved to be a boring discussion of racial tension in
Britain.

However, the association of the film with sports brand Reebok was a great achievement.
A master stroke was played by Reebok by being associated with this sports based movie
which indeed provided enormous opportunity for optimum visibility of a sports brand.

pg. 14
In majority of scenes the actors are seen wearing football equipments. Reebok also
delivered the merchandise for the team and was noticeable in almost 70% of the
frames. It was also visible in terms of its stores, Its soccer kit was used by the team in le
the crucial matches played in the movie.

Reebok was also associated with Goal for the promotion of Goal. Nearly all the Reebok
stores, carried Goal inspired products. All the outlets had vast displays of the poster of
Goal highlighting Reebok Logo manifestly in them. Special floor stickers were also used
in malls leading to Reebok stores in the multiplexes where the movie was being shown.

The other brands associated with the film were Gillete, Westeren Union Money
Transfer, ESPN, Star Sports. The Western Union was prominently visible in the film as
the film had an exclusive shot at its outlet and characters in the film were seen
mentioning it as they discuss when they will be capable enough to be able to send funds
to their families.

ESPN Star Sports Channel was used as official broadcaster of the matches in the movie.
The channel also contributed in the promotional activities of the movie and had John
and Bipasha endorsing English Premier League in their channel.

Gillette is used by the lead characters for shaving. In one scene, Bipasha is seen shaving
off John’s beard using a Gillette razor. Gillette’s brand name displayed before the score
cards in all the matches featured in the movie is the most prominent placement of
Gillette and it will be no exaggeration to say that Gillette achieved a perfect Goal! in
visibility in the film.

The Football League of England, English Premiership, a major brand, indirectly got
promoted through this film. The brand did not have any tie up with the movie. The film
revolves around the sporting, specially the soccer season in England which has been
shown in its totality, beginning with the passion for football, the significance, the effort,
pg. 15
the madness and the big money involved in it. John and Bipasha, the lead actor actress
of the film, appeared in ESPN Channel endorsing English Premier League in the channel.
which further strengthened its place in India.

Goal proved to be dud in box office but, surprisingly it did not affect Reebok adversely.
Reebok, provided a style statement to its team and because of its association with an
established style icon like John Abraham, the products sold in Reebok stores attracted
more and more people and Reebok stores have registered increased footfall during the
period they were offering unique “Goal collection”.

The brand placements in the film were divided according to the earlier mentioned
criteria. The classification of brand placement in Goal is as provided in Table 1.

Table 1: Type of Product Placement

Implicit Used in Scene Integrated Explicit

Gillette ESPN Reebok
Western Union Money
Transfer

pg. 16
LITERATURE REVIEW
To analyse the practice of product placement it is essential to discuss the meaning of
the product placement. It is also of crucial importance to understand how advertisers
and film producers have used this practice to their advantage in Bollywood. The review
begins with the definition and meaning of product placement.

Definition and meaning of PRODUCT PLACEMENTS

Balasubramaniam referred to product placement as a hybrid message which is a paid

message aiming to influence movie audiences through a planned entry of a product in a
movie. According to Balasubramaniam brand placement is a paid inclusion of branded
products through audio and visual channels.

Some other popular definitions of brand/ product placement include: -

Inclusion of brand name, product package, signage or other trademark merchandise
within a movie, TV show, music video.
- STEORZ 1987.

The planned entries of products into movies in television shows that may influence
viewers product beliefs and/or behaviors favorably.
- BALASUBRAMANIAM 1994

Commercial insertions within a particular media program intended to heighten the

visibility of the brand.
-La Partima 2001

The purposeful incorporation of a brand into an entertainment vehicle.

-Russell and Belch 2005

TYPES OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT

D’ Austos and Seguin use integration and implicitness to classify product placements.
They categorize it into mainly three forms.
(i) Implicit PPL- In an implicit product placement a brand is placed without being
mentioned formally. The name of the product or brand appears on the screen but does
not describe the product and its benefits.

pg. 17
(ii) Integrated Explicit Product Placement- In this kind of placement the product plays
the active role and is also mentioned. The product is described and its benefits are
demonstrated.

(iii) Non Integrated Explicit Product Placement- In this kind of placements, though the
brand are the product is formally expressed, it is not integrated with the content of the
film.

EVOLUTION OF PRODUCT PLACEMENT IN BOLLYWOOD.

The first instance of product placement can be seen in the movie “Shree 420” (1955)
where a coca cola banner is seen in Raj Kapoor’s entry. Some other examples are
in “ Chalati ka Naam Gaadi”(1958) and Rajdoot Motorcycle in “Bobby” (1975). The
product placements post liberalization sped up as the rising middle class were more
receptive to product placements. “ Dil to pagal Hai” (1997), a popular film of those times
had many brands placed such as Pepsi, Levis and Killer Jeans.“Taal” (1999) movie had
the strongest PPL of that time with main characters shown drinking Coke, mentioning
it in conversations of friendship and love. This apparently fetched the director Subhash
Ghai nearly 40% of the budget in a time where producers were looking for alternate
sources for funds doubled up by increased production costs. From mere Product
placements-implicit, explicit have increasingly been one of the preferred mediums to
reach out to people.

The film medium facilitates a good message reach and message life and a good way to
popularize and immortalize brands.

One of key drivers for Bollywood becoming an effective medium is the decreasing
effectiveness of television to reach out to target audiences. With the advent of cable TV
the audience has become more fragmented and display a higher level of ad avoidance.
In contrast, the films promote a good medium to reach out. Movie Product Placement is
viewed as a cheaper and more effective alternative to traditional marketing
communications. Despite its inflexibility, but the establishment of specialist placement
agencies, combined with increased exposure of brands through other channels, a movie
with international distribution can reach out to 100 million plus consumers from TV to
box office.
Craig Welsh's(2004)

Paper- Tethering the viewer product placement in television and film

The study finds that product placement alone cannot yield significant value to the
advertiser. However, it is a good tool for activating supportive integrated marketing and
pg. 18
can have a positive effect. It is also a preferred method for generating value from
placement. According to the researcher there are typically three actions that help in
achieving placements that are successful

1.Entertain- The content has to be entertaining enough to attract people

2.Activate-The placement should be supported by an active marketing initiative.

3.Motivate-The placement should be such that the viewer is motivated to react.
The study finds that lesser known brands have a greater chance for success than large
brands because of their great potential. It is also found out that the more prominent
placements have a lesser chance to be valuable. There is temptation to have more
money and therefore it will be difficult for studios to underdo placements. The
researcher predicts that with the expansion of broadband internet services, a viewer
would be easily directly linked to the advertiser’s website by simply clicking on a product
in a film he or she is watching. They will also have product information at a single click
and ordering capability in real time.

He further predicts that product placements in films and television will increase, but
there will be higher increase in the product placements in video games and computer
games as younger generations are attracted towards it.

Sukhbinder Barn (2009)

Paper-Product placement in Bollywood Movies

It was conducted in 2009 and the purpose was to illustrate the way in which product
placement function in the Indian Film industry. The mythology he used was of case
study which was based on extensive field work conducted by him in India and included
interviews with many film industry figures.
The findings showed that product placement is pervasive in the Indian film industry, and
there can be tension between the artistic goals of the film director and the commercial
goals of the brand owner. This study represents an important contribution to
understanding the interface between commercial interests and artistic direction.

Sharmishtha Law and Kathryn A.Braun (2000)

Paper- I'll have what she's having: Gauging the Impact of product placements on

pg. 19
viewers
The paper aimed to examine the effectiveness of covert advertising or product
placement taking two different types of measures - explicit measures and implicit
measures. Explicit measures with the use of recognition and recall tap memory directly
while implicit measure measures the effect of exposure on product choice indirectly.
The hypothesis made was that the ability of product placement to enhance memory and
choice may ne mediated by distinct mechanisms. In the results, there was an increased
product recall, choice and recognition because of placement. The products placed subtly
were less recalled than the products which were central to the plot, though this did not
affect their choice measure. Another dissociation occurring was with the modality of the
placement -the seen only products were least recalled but influenced choice. The theory
of memory was confirmed by the data collected predicting that performance on explicit
memory task can be uncorrelated or dissociated with performance on implicit
performance or choice. There are significant implications for this finding as to how
product placements are designed and how efficacy is calculated.

Prof Tapan K Panda(2004)

Paper- Effectiveness of product placements in Indian films and its effects on brand
memory and attitude with special reference to Hindi films.
Product placement is a growing trend in Indian films. Media planners and brand
marketers are looking for channels to reach to their customers with a distinct message
for a good brand recall and awareness. It suggests that modality and relevance to the
plot is important for congruity in the presentation otherwise the product placement
looks out of the context.

The study evaluates the effectiveness of product placement within movies on the basis
of recall recognition and attitudes. Films in Hindi languages were selected on the basis
of popular appeal and variety of placement types. The author viewed these clips and
listed the number of brands place in these movies. Short-term memory immediately
after exposure as well as consumer evaluation of product placements was tested. The
study was carried out on a randomly selected sample of post graduate students of
management at IIM Indore. A recognized student sample was considered adequate for
the purpose of testing the hypothesis and keeping in view the preliminary nature of the
study.
The results showed that viewers were generally positive about placement in movies. In
spite of product placement being a novel concept respondent felt that the creativity of

pg. 20
the medium had not been explored. Content analysis results presented later support
this view. Well-known brands were recalled more than lesser-known brands. Explicit
placements score considerably higher than implicit placements. The study suggested
that brand managers seriously look at product placement in movies as a new vehicle for
reaching to customers. The researcher has not examined the use of competitive product
placements where products are compared and formal communication of superiority of
one brand is communicated.

Amrita Beri(2011)
In her case study on 360 degree marketing she uses the movie Zindagi na milegi dobara
to explain the concept.ZNMD is a movie directed by Zoya Akhtar starring Hritik
Roshan,Abhay Deol,Farhan Akhtar and Katrina Kaif in the lead roles.Its based on a
coming-of –age road trip movie about three friends. The target audience for the film
were all Hindi ,English, Spanish movie goers. it shows the importance of friendship its
for all age groups. The researcher says that the best time for a campaign is right before
and right after the movie releases. This helps if the movie succeeds at the box office.
One of the products ZNMD promoted was Land Rover. Since the movie was based on
road trip with demands to travel on different terrains hence the Land Rover was chosen
as a safe and comfortable car. The vehicle apart from the movie, was promoted with a
road trip planned in Land Rover from Mumbai to Delhi with the star cast. They did a
public concert in Gurgaon and stopped at various cities to promote the movie. ING life
insurance also partnered with ZNMD because the title of the movie resonated with their
core proposition-everyone has one life to live. They also came up with a tv commercial
giving the message-Manao zindagi ki har khushi,ING life insurance ke bharose ke sath
using clip of happy moments from the film.GoJiyo is India’s first ever browser based 3d
virtual world. It brought the virtual event of La Tomatina of Spain allowing youngsters to
play the game with their friends.Gilette announced a contest on Facebook which asked
visitors to share the most exciting moments of their life to get a lucky chance to meet
the starcast.The researcher taking several examples like these observes that marketing
managers have come out with a good strategy to exhibit the relevance of the brand in
the plot.
Gayatri Rangachari Shah in her article in the New York Times titled Bollywood takes
some style cues talks about how in India where national dress still dominates, designer
and fashion companies and specially western brands are using Bollywood as a medium
to establish themselves. The product placement in Bollywood gives the western brands
the opportunity to showcase their designs and creations to the viewers. She takes the
example of an unusual character-Bagwati,an Hermes Kelly Bag in orange ostrich in the
movie Zindagi Na milegi Dobara.Now there are Facebook and twitter pages devoted for
bagwati.

pg. 21
Ms. Meenakshi Verma Ambwani
Paper: Brands chasing stars with co-promotion
Brands using product placements in Bollywood movies are increasingly giving way to co-
promotional activities.

According to EMC Solutions Worldwide, which specializes in associating brands with

movies, corporate spends on film placements are first 1/5th of co-promotional spends.
For brand it’s an opportunity to go beyond traditional advertising of 30 seconds
television commercials and stand out in the ad clutter. Even film producers are
interested in brands to support their marketing efforts as even the brands run their own
campaign which is beneficial for both the brand and the films.
With just in film placement, filmmakers face the challenge of integrating the product in
a movie seamlessly so as to look natural. Brand Managers in in-film placements have a
lesser control as the success of placement is also dependent on its success and its time
of release. Co-promotion campaigns involving star caste and movies together attracts
more eyeballs. Brands tend to associate with movies casting actors who also endorse
their products, in such cases contracts prevent competitor brands to place same
category product in the movie.

Ms. Mahua Mandal

Paper: Brand Placement as media vehicle

The researcher finds that covert advertising in Bollywood is coming out to be a valuable
medium for brands. A good credibility is good and positive associations are established
owing to the power of celebrities combined with undivided attention of audiences. The
researcher finds that brand placement in Bollywood has a positive attitude, a good
recall and brand recognition. But it is at the same time important that the product fits
in the story and is relevant to the film. The researcher feels that in future,
comparative brand placements will be a reality and so brands need to guard against
clutter in scenes.

pg. 22
HYPOTHESIS
The study is designed to understand what according to consumers are the factors that
lead to a successful placement of products. This helps in gaining and understanding an
overall attitude of consumers towards product placement.
RQ 1- Do consumers notice product placements in Bollywood?
Hypothesis 1- Consumers notice product placements in Bollywood

RQ2- Is usage of the product in the film effective for a successful PPL?
Hypothesis 2 – Usage of the product in the film is effective.

RQ 3- Is repetition of the product in film effective for a successful PPL?

Hypothesis 3- Repetition of the product is needed for a successful PPL.

RQ4- Popularity of the actor/actress is effective for a successful PPL?

Hypothesis 4- Popularity of actor/actress is effective for a successful PPL.

RQ5- Fit and relevance to the story is required for a successful PPL?
Hypothesis 5- Fit and relevance to the story is required for a successful PPL.

RQ6- Duration of the brand name visibility is effective for a successful PPL?
Hypothesis 6- Duration of the brand name visibility is not effective for a successful PPL.

RQ7- Do prominently placed PPL have a higher recall than subtle PPL?
Hypothesis 7- Prominently placed PPL have a higher recall than subtly placed PPL.

pg. 23
RQ8-Whats the impact of PPL on consumers?
Hypohesis8- It helps in creating brand awareness.

RQ9-Whats the impact of PPL on consumer?

Hypothesis9- Product placements affect buying decisions.
RQ10-Is PPL a viable alternative to traditional advertising?
Hypothesis 10- PPL is a viable alternative to traditional advertising.

Methodology
A primary research was conducted to understand consumers response and
understanding of product placements via online questionnaire.
The population of interest in this study is specified as movie-going people aged between
16 to 40 years who are citizens of India. Fifty respondents participated in the study, of
whom 35 were females and 15 were males.

Study Procedure
The study consisted of 21 questions and covered areas such as frequency of movie
viewing, familiarity with the practice of brand placement, influence of brand placement
over buying habits and the attitude of viewers towards brand placement. All questions
had either multiple choice or rating scale answers. Some questions allowed respondents
to check more than one answer, whereas other questions restricted the choice to one
answer. In addition, respondents also were provided the freedom to skip questions or
leave out parts of the questionnaire.

pg. 24
RESULTS

DEMOGRAPHICS

1. Gender

Majority of the respondents were females (70%) while 30% were males.

2. Age

Majority of the respondents were in the age group of 17-22 followed by age bracket 23-
30 years (40 %).

3. Occupation

Majority of the population is student that is 87.8 % while 12.2 % people are in service.

pg. 25
How many Bollywood movies do you watch in a
month?

8%

22%
(2-3)
(4-5)
7 above

70%

• A majority of the respondents (70%) watched not more than 2-3 Bollywood films
in a month.
• 22% saw in between 4-5 films while only 8% were big Bollywood fans and saw
more than 7 movies in a month.

pg. 26
Where do you watch movies usually?

Laptop/Pc TV Netflix phone Halls

30%

58%
6%

4%
2%

• The best medium to watch movies is observed to be laptop/Pc with 58%

weightage.
• 30% still prefer to watch a movie in a movie theatre.
• 6% usually watch movies on phone while 4% watch it on TV.

pg. 27
Do you notice product placements in Bollywood films?

yes no

14%

86%

• A majority of 86% notice product placements in Bollywood films.

pg. 28
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

Upon asking the respondents whether usage of a product in film makes the placement
effective the respondents had different views. They were asked to rate it on a scale of 1-
5 where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest.
37.5% gave usage of the product in films in PPL as of mid-importance (3/5) followed by
25% giving it (4/5)
40 respondents out of 48 gave usage of the product above rate 3.

pg. 29
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

A majority of the respondents 33% did not think that the idea of repetition of a product
in the same movie is effective. Repetition of a product often annoys and becomes a
distraction for the viewers.
The least 4.2 % think that repetition of a product in the film makes the brand recall
more effective as it gains more attention. 4.2% of people rated repetition at the highest
rate for an effective product placement.

pg. 30
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

36.2% people believe that pre-awareness of the product is somewhat effective for a
brand placement. They rated it 3/5.
Only 12 people rated awareness above 3. Majority are the other side and believe that
pre-awareness of the product is not that important if a new brand for them is integrated
in the story in a good manner it can be effective.

pg. 31
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

The majority 36.2% rated popularity of the actor or actress as good for placement. The
second highest 23.4% rated popularity a perfect 5. When a popular celebrity uses a
product in a movie, it adds credibility and value.

pg. 32
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

A majority of the respondents 29.8% have given fit and relevance to the story the
highest rate followed by 27.7% giving it 4/5. The product placement should be in the
context of the movie and integrated in the movie so that it becomes a part of the story.
Irrelevant placements often annoy people as it distracts them from the storyline and
goes the negative side.

pg. 33
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

A highest 31.9% people rated success of the movie as a factor of successful placement
as 3/5 followed by 29.8% giving it 4/5.
When a movie is successful, it itself has a good recall and many people are willing to
watch it thereby reaching out to a larger audience for the brand.

pg. 34
Rate the effectiveness of the following in product
placement

The highest 30.4% rated duration of brand name visibility as 2/5 which is on the lower
side. The next highest was 26.1% rating it at 3/5. Only 9 people thought that brand
name visibility is effective and rated it above 3/5.

pg. 35
How many product placements can you recall from the
following movies?

Veere di wedding was a film about 4 girls having their own individual problems and their
journeys ahead. Veere di wedding was trolled excessively and called as a 3-hour ad
campaign for several brands. The placements of Bikaji, Uber and Air India were
comparatively more prominent than HSBC placements and therefore HSBC has a
comparatively low recall than others.

pg. 36
How many product placements can you recall from the
following movies?

In the comedy movie by Rohit Shetty, Rolex wrist watch is integrated with the comic
plot in a very natural manner that people still remember it and it has a good recall.
Therefore, recall for Rolex wrist watch is the highest among respondents.

pg. 37
How many product placements can you recall from the
following movies?

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara was a classic film by director Zoya Akhtar revolving around a
road trip in Spain.The three hour long film had maximum shooting of Spain where
Spain’s culture and tradition was also shown through Tomatina festival and bull race.
Hence Spain became a part of the story. Therefore, Spain became an ideal tourist
destination after ZNMD.It is also seen that recall for Spain is the highest.

pg. 38
How many product placements can you recall from the
following movies?

The above-mentioned placements are there in the hit item songs of these movies
starring Kareena Kapoor and Malaika Arora. The songs main line had the branding of
fevicol which starred Salman Khan and Kareena Kapoor. Songs are also heard time and
again unlike films. Songs also have a longer life. Therefore, its seen that both the
product placements here have a good recall.

pg. 39
How many product placements can you recall from the
following movies?

In 3 Idiots which was a hit film there were a lot of product placements. The highest
recall is for Fortis Hospital. There are quite a lot of scenes of the hospital with its banner
shown. The movie starred Kareena kapoor as a doctor and hence the brand managers
integrated Fortis Hospital in the story and made it look relevant.
The second highest recall is of Kareena Kapoors scooty which was again shown and
repeated a lot of times and became a part of the plot. Both of these products were
explicitly integrated placements and have a good recall.

pg. 40
What is the impact of product placements in films for
you?

Its good for brand awareness Like to research on the brand Affects my buying decision No Effect

3, 6%

5, 10%

12, 24%
30, 60%

The majority of the respondents 60% believed that product placements are good only
for brand awareness and it does not affect them in their buying decisions.
24% after seeing a brand in the film like to research on the brand and its features.
Only a meagre 10% of the population said that it affects their buying decision as they
have another brand in the mind. Only 6% of the population said that product
placements do not affect them at all.

Is product placement a viable alternative to traditional

advertising?
Majority 90% of the respondents said that covert advertising a viable alternative to
traditional advertising. However, having said that they further said that only if the
placement is not overdone and does not take away the story.

pg. 41
FINDINGS
Hypothesis 1- Consumers notice product placements in Bollywood
Yes, consumers notice product product placements in films.
Hypothesis 2 – Usage of the product in the film is effective.
Yes, usage of the product in films is effective.
Hypothesis 3- Repetition of the product is effective for a successful PPL.
Repetition of the product in the same film in not needed for an effective placement.
Hence hypothesis 3 rejected.

Hypothesis 4- Popularity of actor/actress is effective for a successful PPL.

Yes, popularity of actor and actress is effective for a successful PPL.
Hypothesis 5- Fit and relevance to the story is effective for a successful PPL.
Yes, fit and relevance to the story is effective for a successful placement.

Hypothesis 6- Duration of the brand name visibility is effective for a successful PPL.
Duration of brand name visibility is not effective for a successful PPL.
Hence Hypothesis 6 rejected.
Hypothesis 7- Prominently placed PPL have a higher recall than subtly placed PPL.
Yes, prominently placed PPL have a higher recall than subtly placed products. Integrated
with the story placements have a good recall value.
Hypothesis 8- Product placements help in building brand awareness.
Yes product placements help in building brand awareness of products.
Hypothesis 9-Product placements affect buying decisions.
Product placements do not affect buying decisions.
Hence, Hypothesis 9 rejected.
Hypothesis 10- PPL is a viable alternative to traditional advertising
Product placements are a viable alternative to traditional advertising given that the
placement is not overdone.

pg. 42
CONCLUSION

Advertising and marketing strategy of marketers has evolved with the changing media
environment. Marketers are in search of creative and innovative techniques to reach
out to the consumers through. Covert advertising is emerging as an effective platform to
showcase brand and its benefits. It also benefits the marketer in terms if reach and low
cost per viewer. Product placement is a vast field within with there is much to discover.
Usage of the product, success of the movie, fit and relevance to the story is effective for
product placement. Repetition of a product several times in a movie makes it a little
annoying for viewers.
The study also reveals that active placements are recalled better than passive
placements. However, some issues need to be kept in mind. Indian audiences are
becoming fragmented into class specific segments, which makes it a tough job for
marketers to communicate their brand messages. Therefore, placements have to be
well thought and planned for an effective communication.

LIMITATIONS OF THE STUDY

The present study is limited to only Delhi NCR. An examination might be led to oblige
the impression of buyers living in different parts of India to have a complete view.

The responses have been measured through questionnaires. One on one interviews and
focus group discussions would yield better results.

The sample size was 50. Higher sample size would yield better directionality of results.

pg. 43
ANNEXURE

QUESTIONNAIRE

Email _______________

Gender M[ ] F[ ] Other[ ]

Age Below 16 [ ]
17-22 [ ]
23-30 [ ]
31-40 [ ]

Occupation Professional [ ]
Unemployed [ ]
Student [ ]
Retired [ ]
Other [ ]

Q How many bollywood movies do you watch in a month?

2-3 [ ]
4-5 [ ]
6-7 [ ]
7 above [ ]

Q Where do you watch movies usually?

Movie halls [ ]
Laptop/PC [ ]
TV [ ]
Other [ ]

pg. 44
Q Do you notice product placements in films?
Yes [ ] No[ ]

Q Rate the effectiveness of the following in product placement.

Where 1 is the lowest and 5 is the highest.

Usage of the product

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Repetiton of the product

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Awareness of the product

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Popularity of the actor/actress

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Fit and relevance to the story

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Success of the movie

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Duration of the brand name visibility

1[ ] 2[ ] 3[ ] 4[ ] 5[ ]

Q How many product placements can you recall in these movies?

Zindagi Na Milegi Dobara

Spanish Tourism [ ]
Mountain Dew [ ]
Land Rover Discover 4 Car[ ]

pg. 45
Veere Di Wedding
Air India [ ]
HSBC [ ]
Uber [ ]
Bikaji [ ]

All the best

LCD TV [ ]
Kingfisher airlines[ ]
Rolex wrist watch[ ]

Dabangg
Fevicol [ ]
Zandu Balm[ ]

3 Idiots
Fortis Hospital [ ]
Airtel [ ]
Mahindra Flyte two wheeler [ ]
Red coloured SUV,Volvo [ ]

Q What is the impact of product placement in films on you?

It affects my buying decision [ ]
I like to research on the brand after seeing a placement [ ]
Its good for brand awareness [ ]
Other_____________________

Q Do you think product placement is a good alternative to traditional advertising?

______________________________

pg. 46