Effectiveness of Language Adapted Celebrity Endorser Advertisements: A Conceptual Framework

1. Effectiveness of Language Adapted Celebrity Endorser Advertisements: A Conceptual Framework

2. 2 Setting the Stage Advertising is a mass, paid communication creating awareness, imparting information, developing attitudes, inducing action, etc. The key - Interpretations Interpretations are based on �What� is said (Creative Strategy) �How� it is said (Creative Execution). Interpretations are also contingent on the audience characteristics (gender, culture, etc.) Interpretations become more critical in a multi-cultural advertising context (why ?)

3. 3 Standardization vs. Localization of Advertising in a Multi-Cultural context

4. 4 Studies in Multi-Cultural Context Depending on the Country Advertisers have been found to handle creative execution differently (Miracle, Chang and Taylor 1992; Alden, Hoyer and Lee 1993; Zandpour, et.al. 1994; Zhang and Gelb 1996; Wei and Jiang 2005). In India - Language adaptation (audiovisual translation or Dubbing) National language ad - dubbed into the respective regional languages Opportunity: Language adaptation in advertising context - nascent Language adaptation only = partial adaptation (under Glocal Strategy) Language may interact with the other elements of the ad . . . .

5. 5 Congruity between Language and Executional elements - Essential Language and other executional elements of an ad - Cultural cues. Example: Endorser (Ethnicity - cue) Partial adaptation � language and executional elements are incongruous

6. 6 Ad Execution Executional Elements � building blocks of the ad Executional elements typology McEwen and Leavitt (1976) Stewart and Furse (1985) Some elements like Endorser, Music and Humor have attracted more attention (discussed later) Often used executional elements

7. 7 Ad execution contd�Work done in cross-cultural studies Cross-cultural studies at two levels

8. 8 Endorser literature

9. 9 So, What can Partial Adaptation do to an Ad?

10. 10 Role of Involvement

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12. 12 Questions/Comments?

13. 13 Methodology

14. 14 Two Studies

15. 15 Key decisions Choice of regional language � Tamil Starkly different (linguistically & culturally) Cultural and linguistic differences are not just restricted to Hindi-Tamil, but applicable to any two languages across the world, ex: French-English Thus this study is applicable to Language adaptation in any other language context as well Choice of population frame � Tamil-Hindi Bilinguals People who are conversant in both Tamil and Hindi Do not have a idiosyncratic leanings toward any specific language/culture Involvement Manipulation � Using Scenario Outcome Measures Evaluation of the Executional element Comprehension Aad Ab

16. 16 Contribution Contribution to Literature: This is a first-of-its-kind attempt at empirically investigating the effectiveness of Language Adaptation (Dubbing) in the Advertising context with regard to the interaction between the Language and the Executional elements As an extension of the existing scope of Incongruency Hypothesis (ad-schema incongruity), this research looks at Incongruity between cultural cues. Study of the interaction of Involvement with Incongruity extends the extant understanding of the factors that evoke Ethnic self awareness and Social categorization. Contribution to Practice: Dubbing - Industry trend - makes economic sense � study explores if it is detrimental to the overall effectiveness of the ad. Study of Product/Involvement category in the context of Incongruity and ad efficacy leads to situation specific recommendations for carrying out language adaptation.

17. 17 Acknowledgements Mr. Niteen Bhagwat � Executive Director, Cogito Consulting, Mumbai Mr. Prakash Dharmarajan � President, O&M, Chennai Mr. Nachiket Save � Strategic Planner, Interface Communications Mr. Arkoday Ghosh � Films Executive , DRAFTFCB ULKA Mr. Ganesh Iyer - Films Executive , DRAFTFCB ULKA Ms. Urvi Parekh � Strategic Planning, DRAFTFCB ULKA Mr. Ritesh Shrivastava � Client Servicing, Interface Communications Mr. Rajesh Krishnan � Ad Film Director, Soda Films, Mumbai

18. 18 Standardization vs. Localization in a Multi-Cultural context

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20. 20 Scope of Study #1 Celebrity Endorser ads - some remade using regional celebrities (Example) Music remade version can be done without changing the ad significantly But this cannot be done for Humor ads � Humor intent requires significant changes to the script Typical endorser by their nature are culture neutral and so the Study #2 does not add any value

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23. 23 Audiovisual Translation (Dubbing) �Sentences� (and their form) are crucial for cognitive processing of the message - Chafe (1979) Syntax is very important for the information flow - Schmid (1999) In audiovisual translation syntax may be compromised to maintain synchonicity (lip sync) Potentially distort the comprehension (meaning transfer) of the message Thus Language adaptation of an ad could compromise the overall ad efficacy

24. 24 Typology by McEwen and Leavitt (1976) Empathetic Product Integration, Integrated Announcer, Demonstration by People, Pleasant Liveliness, Confusion, New Product Introduction, Structured Product Story, Problem Solution, Animation, Unpleasant Stimulation, Persuasive Stimulation, and Opening Suspense

25. 25 Typology by Stewart and Furse (1985) Information content, Brand/Product identification, Setting, Visual and auditory devices, Promises/appeals/propositions, Tone/atmosphere, Comparisons, Music and dancing, Structure and Format, Characters, Timing and Counting measures (length, number of times the brand name is shown, mentioned, etc.)

26. 26 Choice of Regional Language Criteria: Starkly different from Hindi � ensures larger effect sizes Linguistically Culturally North-South Divide: Dravidians are very ancient people who were spread across the country Aryan Invasion � 1500 BC (Bhargava 2001) May be not proven scientifically, but yet believed by Dravidians (further promoted by British) North vs. South Indian language (Ganesan 1975) North � Indo-Aryan Family; Inflected South � Dravidian Family; Agglutinative Cultural difference (Beteille 2001) North has seen many invasions in their Medieval period � more foreign influence (Chaurasia 2002) South � Strong hold of Hindu Kings � less foreign influence

27. 27 Population Frame

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30. 30 Involvement Manipulation

31. 31 Involvement Manipulation

32. 32 Similarity Attitudinal W.r.t beliefs, feelings, etc. Membership Ethnicity, religion, gender, caste, etc. Aspirational Identify with the endorser

33. 33 Endorser Celebrity �is a genre of representation and a discursive effect; it is a commodity traded by the promotions, publicity, and media industries that produce these representations and their effects; and it is a cultural formation that has a social function� (Turner 2004: 9)

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36. 36 Positioning the Study Dimofte et.al. work: Source of Incongruity: Hispanic ad placement in an English program � the incongruity was due to the language of the ad and the language of the program The Hispanic Endorser was found to be favorably evaluated due to �in-group� categorization Looked at only evaluation of Endorser The present work: Source of Incongruity: We are looking at incongruity that is embedded in the ad itself � between the language of the ad and the executional elements We are hypothesizing the unfavorable evaluation of executional elements due to �out-group� categorization Apart from Endorser, we also extend the study to Music and Humor