It works, sir

ADVERTISING: In-film brand placement is not a shot in the dark, according to Starcom Entertainment.

Let's face it. In-film brand advertising (or placement, as it's called) has had its share of grumbles from marketers. Is there any way of knowing how much it's worth paying for? Is there any evidence that it does the brand any good at all? Is it just a whimsical decision taken by the star-struck?

Yes, yes, and no.

So says Starcom Entertainment, which has been cutting in-film deals furiously over the past two years.

Marketers who've used it as part of their marketing tool-kit are pleased as punch. For instance, Rebecca Lim, area director, western India, Singapore Tourism Board, cannot stop raving about Singapore's association with Krrish, which has been a bumper success.

"Krrish has been a key project for us this year," she says, "Starcom has taken the association to the next level. The 360-degree plan has given impetus to the success of the campaign. Based on post-campaign research, a large proportion of respondents have registered a positive disposition towards visiting Singapore after viewing the film and the ads."

And here's Gayatri Yadav, marketing director, General Mills, thumping Starcom Entertainment's back in approval: "A superb deal that has resulted in power packed media has helped us achieve new levels... the sales volume on the Krrish promotional packs saw an increase of over 100 per cent since launch." Dip Trix biscuits, with which a Krrish mask was being given free, was sold out within a month.

It's this sort of response that gives Starcom Entertainment, the entertainment division of Starcom MediaVest group, the verve to go out for even more such film tie-in deals.

Its latest strike is for Zydus Cadila's Sugar Free in the forthcoming Dhoom II. "There is a critical turning point in the movie that will feature this brand," says Pranay Anthwal, general manager, entertainment and embedded marketing, Starcom India, "this scene is a very important sequence that has a bearing on the storyline."

There was a time that a mere brand appearance was enough. Nowadays, marketers are keen on the role the brand plays in the film. Worldspace, for example, is an integral part of the latest blockbuster Lage Raho Munnabhai.

To be sure, it's a business that takes a while figuring out. Starcom had a series of misses, back in 2004, before its in-film ideas began to click. It's not easy making a call on which film will succeed. But things are falling into place, and Starcom has a Hollywood connection through its client Sony Pictures too.

"We are responsible for all the media planning and buying as far as their Indian marketing associations are concerned," says Anthwal. Some of the properties that Starcom has handled: Pirates of the Caribbean, Spiderman and Narnia.