Branding Unity: Impact of Advertisements on Patriotism, Unity and Communal Harmony

JYOTI RAGHAVAN
Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, India

Abstract
Patriotism and national unity have become favorite brand positioning propositions for advertisers in India. The paper explores the reasons behind the popularity of these patriotic themes that also embrace notions of nationhood, communal harmony and national unity in commercials and public service advertisements. While these patriotic themes used to be the exclusive domain of the government media in the country, they are being taken up in a big way by private business houses in their public communication endeavors. The research study has examined six frequently telecast advertisements on Indian television networks centered upon the theme of national pride, communal harmony and national unity. While tracing the historical context of these advertisements, the paper also attempts to study their impact upon the public. The primary research for the study comprised interviews with respondents to explore the impact of these advertisements upon the public. The findings of the study show that positioning brands on the themes of national pride, unity and patriotism succeed in establishing a strong emotional connect in public minds leading to brand recall.

Keywords: Public service advertisements, corporate social responsibility, positioning, branding,

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Jyoti Raghavan is an assistant professor in the Department of Journalism at Kamala Nehru College, University of Delhi, India. Her research interests include development communication, sociology of journalism, integrated marketing communication, political communication and news analysis.