IndustrySpeak: Brand with international movies — is the game still about brand fits?
Movie-brand associations have allowed brands in India to participate in some popularity that international titles enjoy. However, has this converted into a commercial exercise where the moolah matters more, rather than brand fits?

The Indian market has seen various brands encashing on the popularity of international movie titles through associations and promotions that feature the products and some scenes from the international movie. The latest on the block is ‘Spiderman 3’.
Comparing the movie with the home production ‘Ta Ra Rum Pum’, brands associating with ‘Spiderman 3’ did not have the advantage of the movie protagonist lending a voiceover for the associated product, like Saif Ali Khan did for Good Year, or brand ambassadors like both Khan and Rani Mukherjee allowing some in-movie ‘Chevrolet’ placement.
Once in a while, brands in India are seen creating a promotion in alliance with international titles. But largely, media houses have associated with the movie, and are seen doing this. Nonetheless, on a large scale, brands are seen just tagged along with the movie. In the case of ‘Spiderman 3’, some on-lookers may question what was Baskin Robbins, Travelguru.com or HDFC Life Insurance really doing with Spiderman. Travelguru.com does include buying tickets unlike Spiderman who travels without tickets, or, when in his lifesaving endeavours does Spiderman get time to get insured? The only ones who ideally need insurance with a superhero around are the bad guys.
Are we reaching a situation, where this relatively new medium is exploited irrespective of a brand-fit? When quested, almost all the industry players passed on the buck to brand managers by calling them the best people to judge whether their brand is a proper fit or not with the movies they have associated with.
Harsha Gangurde, Manager Marketing, Sony Pictures, remarked, “Brands are always careful on picking the films they associate with, as the brand managers have to think about the long-term standing of their brands rather than short-term gains.”
Speaking on the large number of associations with Spiderman and their brand-fit, Gangurde said, “These associations do not overkill the medium. Moreover, all the associated brands do have a brand-fit with the movie’s TG.” Citing the example of Travelguru.com, he said, “The brand might be trying to say that they offer ease of travel, just like Spiderman who travels easily.”
Navin Shah, CEO, P9 Integrated, pointed out that there are three kinds of associations for branded entertainment. “Firstly, many brands try to ride the euphoria during the release of the movie in spite of not having a direct connect with the movie. Sometimes brands may tie up due to a strategic reason for associating with the brand, and finally, brands may associate for the sheer novelty factor, so as to ride on the hype of the event,” he elaborated.
Explaining how associations add to the overall hype of the movie, Shah noted that the sum total of marketing goes beyond Rs 10 crore, thus helping the cause of the movie as well as the brand. “Each brand has a specific TG and the communication chosen by them will be targetted at that particular group.”
Citing some examples of players who have associated with Spiderman 3, Shah observed that while brands like Yamaha, CEAT and HDFC Life Insurance tied up for the strategic fit, others like Baskin Robbins and Rediff.com associated for tapping their core TG, thus riding the hype of the movie.
Rajeev Berry, GM-Content and Entertainment, Broadmind, observed, “The main reason clients are moving from other media to this medium is due to the clutter in those mediums. I agree that most of the brands are looking at engaging the consumers with these associations. The increasing number of brand associations for a movie doesn’t help the brand’s cause as the consumer doesn’t know how to differentiate.”
Talking about the future of the medium, Berry pointed out, “The increasing need for measurement in the medium will lead to ROI. Nowadays, most brands are using these associations tactically, but they should use it more strategically.”
Darshana Bhalla, CEO, Mates, explained, “As brands are using multiple media to tap their consumers, they have started realising that movies are also one more vehicle of mass medium.” Emphasising that the brands may be trying to draw connect with their TG through these associations, Bhalla elaborated on how brands partnered with movies for co-branded merchandise and accessories.
The discussion on this subject will continue forever. We have to wait and watch to see how the Indian players utilise the medium optimally.
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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