Surrogate Advertising

Abstract

The chapter expounds advertising practices from the standpoint of social marketing, wherein government should act responsibly and play a key role in regulating consumption. The governing body of a country has an important responsibility to protect the interests of its citizens. Of particular significance is to discourage the consumption of demerit goods, like tobacco and liquor, which harm direct users, as well as people in vicinity. Governments in numerous countries prohibit advertisements of demerit goods on popular media, to dissuade potential consumers from falling prey to addictive substances. However, companies dealing in barred products look out for surrogate advertising to endorse every permissible product under the same brand name, other than the one that is banned or deemed injurious to health. Thus, there is an underlying subliminal message which is garbed by acceptable promotional strategies. The primary objective of the present chapter is to examine the rationale behind surrogate advertising, various forms of executing them, ethical considerations involved, the government's response, the overall impact, and the way ahead from the Indian perspective.