What is Surrogate Advertising?

About Surrogate Advertising:

• It refers to a form of advertisement that duplicates the brand image of one product to promote another product of the same brand.
• The word surrogate means a ‘substitute’. Usually, brands use surrogate advertising to promote products that cannot be advertised directly due to legal or social restrictions.
• Surrogate goods could either resemble a similar commodity or an entirely different product.  Meaning, companies advertise their products and services by disguising them for some other product under the same brand name.
• From liquor to tobacco-related products, several brands have embraced this form of advertising to spread their word and uphold their image in the industry.
• In India, surrogate ads are common and used across several media platforms. For example, liquor brands use their brand names and logos to promote products like music CDs, soda, and more.
• While the target audience knows a particular brand’s niche, surrogate advertising helps you get your message across in a subtle and legal way.
• The motive behind doing so is to ensure that the customers can recall the original product in the disguise of another advertised product. This process is also called “brand extension”.