is surrogate marketing ethical??

Sheetal I agree with you. Very well said. Surrogate advertisement is unethical any day.

Advertisement of products like tobacco have been banned because advertisement intends increase the revenue mostly by recruiting youngsters. The popular counter argument is "Then why shouldn't the government ban the product itself?" If the product is widely used (widely used does not mean safe), it is impractical to ban production as it leads to illicit production and substitute products (like marijuana). Similar to bringing a car going at a speed of 100 kmph to a stop by shifting gear and slowing it down, ban on advertisement is taking the props out before the main attack.

Thanks for the referral Ms.Sheetal.

I support this side.

Agree Sheetal,

It is akin to Que jumping if not beyond.

if the marketing is for banned products, then it is unethical.

It is like the old wine in a new bottle... Little blended with technology...

The concept of surrogate advertising, typically for industries who are banned to advertise, can best be defined in layman's terms as a 'loophole'. I strongly disagree with those who claim that it doesn't matter what way the product is represented in because the consumers of those products know about it already. The idea of marketing/branding/advertising is broadly two fold -

1) To create product/brand awareness

2) To retain existing consumers

In this backdrop, any form of surrogate marketing is also creating brand awareness which in turn leads to product awareness, specially in this information age. And the very idea of banning certain products from being advertised is to ensure that product awareness is checked!

Yesssssss!

Sheetal,the surrogate marketing brings up spurt in false brand.The consumers are now a days very concious of brand and hence any duplicity will not last longer.

If it were ethical then that ad wouldn't have any reason to be surrogate in the first place!! S/A does aid brand recall when the regulation is to prevent it - and that is subversion...

Surrogate marketing had been become tool for presenting illegal things in legal way. If law is made not to ad such product in mass media then it should be taken as social responsibility for company , ad company & media. 

yes I support all of u surrogate markng is non ethical on the one hand we are concerned abt it and on another hand we promote it by advertising . its very worse is happening

Surrogate is never ethical in this case Marketing. Unfortunately in our Country till date the Boss orders it to be done and it is done.

To some extent I tend to agree with those who do surrogate marketing since Government is taking a huge amount as excise or tax say in liquer or tobacco.

I agree with Sheetal that surrogate marketing is never ethical.

Surrogate marketing is not ethical. Using a brand extension to ensure recall of another item is a loophole that is being exploited.....

I support people who has real values in any field, who are real and on merit

Yes I am agree with all of you.

what is happening in India with respect to the ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising. Companies in banned industries are introducing brand extensions with products that are legal to advertise with the same brand name as the banned product. One liquor company introduced apple juice with the same brand name as the liquor. The idea is the companies can advertise freely the extension - thus keeping their banned-from-the-media products in the minds of the customers. So the apple juice, for instance, is the surrogate for the liquor in the ads. The companies also don't care much about the sales of the surrogate products - for instance, I read that the apple juice isn't even readily available to buy throughout the company.

This loophole that the tobacco and liquor companies are exploiting is upsetting the legislature because every apple juice ad that reminds the consumers of the liquor is a slap in the lawmakers' faces. But, they also don't quite know what to do about it!

In general, surrogate marketing is when you promote one product or service in the hopes of selling another. Why you would want to do that varies. The best reason is that you aren't able to legally. But other reasons might be because the two products sell better together.

earlier brands had used this medium to Increase visibility of their brands, in a subtle disguised manner.

Few examples:
- Charms cigarette and Smirnoff Vodka as audio cassettes and CDs
- Haywards 5000 as darting kits,
- Royal Challenge Whiskey as Golf Accessories
- Kingfisher beer as Water

Unfortunately, there is a mention in the Law that prohibits any direct or indirect promotion of such items in the public domain (Rule 7 of the Cable Television Rules,1999).

Yes I am agree to you all.

What is happening in India with respect to the ban on tobacco and alcohol advertising. Companies in banned industries are introducing brand extensions with products that are legal to advertise with the same brand name as the banned product. One liquor company introduced apple juice with the same brand name as the liquor. The idea is the companies can advertise freely the extension - thus keeping their banned-from-the-media products in the minds of the customers. So the apple juice, for instance, is the surrogate for the liquor in the ads. The companies also don't care much about the sales of the surrogate products - for instance, I read that the apple juice isn't even readily available to buy throughout the company.

This loophole that the tobacco and liquor companies are exploiting is upsetting the legislature because every apple juice ad that reminds the consumers of the liquor is a slap in the lawmakers' faces. But, they also don't quite know what to do about it!

In general, surrogate marketing is when you promote one product or service in the hopes of selling another. Why you would want to do that varies. The best reason is that you aren't able to legally. But other reasons might be because the two products sell better together.

As earlier brands had used this medium to Increase visibility of their brands, in a subtle disguised manner.

Few examples:
- Charms cigarette and Smirnoff Vodka as audio cassettes and CDs
- Haywards 5000 as darting kits,
- Royal Challenge Whiskey as Golf Accessories
- Kingfisher beer as Water

Unfortunately, there is a mention in the Law that prohibits any direct or indirect promotion of such items in the public domain (Rule 7 of the Cable Television Rules,1999).

You are right Sheetal.

Surrogate marketing should not be allowed.

We should banned these adds as well as the ad agency who made the ad.