CONSUMER PERSUASION IN DISGUISE: THE ROLE OF CELEBRITY INFLUENCE IN SURROGATE ADVERTISING

Abstract

In this changing world, we came from the era where there is no TV, social media, digital, newspapers are not available. People sell their product on the basis of their quality, goodwill, or price. Now the era has been changed, we have stepped into generation alpha where everything is available on your mobile. We can search in just on click, if a company want to sell something they just have to do right advertising at right time. In today’s world advertising play an important role for the companies as much as food in the life of human, advertising is basically done through newspapers, TV, radios, Pamphlets, social media, YouTube ads, celebrity influencing etc. There are many types of advertising done by the company to sell their products and make profit out of them. One of them is “Surrogate advertising ” which refers to the ads which replace some specific product with a general product under the same Brand name, packaging. Hence, advertising for some products which are prohibited by GOI (which are Tobacco, alcohols, liquor) but the company is advertising that product by using the same name, taglines, packaging, that recalls the banned product again in the mind of customers. Consumer perception is in disguise because the advertising is done by masking products which are banned to advertise by GOI. Celebrity influence also plays an important role in advertising the prohibited product. Wherever, they promote water, soda, kesar pan masala, red & white etc. that indirectly hint towards a product which is restricted. And customers who see their favorite influencer consuming that product buy those products which they were hinting at in those ads because those ads are not clear about specific products.