SURROGATE ADVERTISING (Syllabus: GS Paper 2 - Social Justice)

Context: The Health Ministry of India has recently taken a proactive stance against the surrogate advertising of tobacco and alcohol products, aiming to tackle this issue effectively.

Surrogate Advertising

• About: The word ‘surrogate’ refers to ‘substitute’ and involves using a brand’s name, logo, and essence to sell a product or service that it is not commonly known for.

oSurrogate advertising involves promoting legally admissible products or services instead of those that are restricted.

• Consumer Impact: Surrogate advertisements promote products in restricted categories, undermining consumer rights and potentially having serious implications.
• Brand Image Duplication: It refers to a form of advertisement that duplicates the brand image of one product to promote another product of the same brand.
• Nature of Surrogate Goods: Surrogate goods could either resemble a similar commodity or an entirely different product, meaning companies disguise their products under another product's branding.
• Examples in Practice: From liquor to tobacco-related products, several brands use surrogate advertising to maintain their industry presence and spread their message.
• Surrogate Ads in India: Surrogate ads are common across media platforms, with liquor brands using their names and logos to promote unrelated products like music CDs and soda.
• Subtle Promotion: While the target audience may recognize the brand’s niche, surrogate advertising allows for subtle and legal messaging.
• Purpose and Brand Extension: The motive is to ensure customers can recall the original product despite its disguise. This process is also known as “brand extension.”