ABSTRACT
Introduction This study explores the profile of contemporary advertising in India in the wider context of trends in international advertising, recent changes in the Indian economy and society and issues concerning the cultural impact of foreign advertising in India. Findings are complemented with a case study of outdoor advertising collected in three visits to India in 2000, 2001 and 2005. In the 1990s India witnessed a massive expansion of advertising, which was stimulated by the opening of the economy and the growth of the media. Though print is still the dominant media, during the 1990s there was a rapid expansion of television accompanied by television advertising. The advertising industry was quickly overtaken by foreign advertisers and agencies that were affiliated with foreign advertising agencies. Advertising for repeat purchase consumables dominated advertising in India but consumer durable advertising expanded at this time as the disposable income levels of the middle classes rose. There was a change in advertising strategies and increased focus on local cultural references. Another recent trend driven by multinational companies has been the intensification of marketing to the rural sector. Foreign companies were slow to appreciate the market potential of India but in recent years there has been a massive expansion of advertising by foreign companies which plays an important cultural role as the Indian economy increasingly becomes part of the globalised marketplace. The study uses a sociocultural framework to explore the implications of globalisation on cultural change. Advertising is the key focus because it plays a pivotal role at the junction where the economy and culture interact. Advertising plays an important cultural role which is largely ignored by critical social scientists and economists, while those working in the field of advertising are primarily interested in developing new ideas for attention-getting campaigns, and associated research tends to focus on facilitating better advertising and targeting markets more effectively.
