MEDIA: Movies provide a cheaper, alternative platform for greater visibility and brand promotion.

On the back of a slowing economy, brands have been looking for cheaper, alternative media for greater visibility and returns for promotions. In-film promotions, one such option, is picking up with movies sporting multiple brands.

Tushar Goculdas, director (marketing and sales), adidas India, says: "Apart from traditional media, brands prefer to leverage alternative tools to raise brand awareness and develop favourable associations with their products. During the slowdown, spending on alternative media including branded entertainment and user-generated web content has definitely increased. Alternative media reaches out to a focused audience and is hence, cost-effective."

Navin Shah, CEO, Percept Picture Company, says: "Brands are associating with movies as it’s three to four times cheaper as compared to the traditional medium promotions." In-film placement can cost anywhere between Rs 5 lakh and Rs 50 lakh, depending upon the level and length of integration of the brand in the movie, production banner and actor endorsement. Yet it is considerably cheaper compared to traditional media promotions.

After the movie is released, brands take out the footage in which the brand is integrated in the movie and make a new commercial out of it (Goodyear commercial extracted from Ta Ra Rum Pum). These co-branded (brand-movie promotion) commercials are run around the time of release on behalf of the production house. Advertising spots bought by production houses are of entertainment nature and the entertainment rates are three to five times cheaper than commercial rates. A pure brand commercial (made and run independently by the brand) would have cost four times more than this.

Bum Bum Bole also showcases Horlicks — Horlicks wanted to strengthen the association with Darsheel since he is the brand ambassador. Percept's another forthcoming movie 8x10, an Akshay Kumar starrer, has a brand association with an electronic surveillance company, including five more brand associations. Manish Mathur, COO, P9 Integrated (a division of Percept Ltd, which is handling marketing for Bum Bum Bole), adds: "It gives brands a good return on investment (ROI). Moreover, the brand gets celebrity endorsement at zero cost."

It's a symbiotic association as it adds to the revenue kitty of the producers as well in terms of association fee. And the other in terms of co-ordinated (joint) promotions, as Pritie Jadhav, head (branding), P9 Integrated, says: "Both the brands will co-ordinate the movie promotions. adidas will integrate movie promotions in its merchandise throughout its retail outlets. And there will be promotions through TV as well."

Goculdas adds: "Our partnership with the film will be promoted with a 360-degree marketing plan. Amongst other things, we plan to organise 'Impossible is Nothing' events and a TVC." adidas will be launching some new products during the release (Van Heusen launched a new collection during the release of Ghajini). It will have a special 'Impossible is Nothing' range for kids. The range will be showcased in the movie, and a pre-release activity creating a huge buzz on the association will be created.

Siddharth Roy Kapur, CEO, UTV Motion Pictures, informs that Dev D has five to six brands. UTV's upcoming film Delhi-6 has an association with Motorola. Shikha Kapur, VP (marketing), UTV Motion Pictures, says: "In-film placement gets brands a better recall value, provided the communication is aligned well with the theme."

Goculdas of adidas agrees: "It is very important for a brand to associate with a movie that matches its core brand values so that placement is not forced. Bum Bum Bole is a film about hope, dreams, and the belief that 'Impossible is Nothing'. The film is a reflection of our brand values and offers the perfect platform to promote our kids’ range."

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