Celebrity brand endorsement: Does it still pack a punch? – Part 1
Quick quiz: Which are the brands that feature Big B? Or does SRK speak for HP or Canon? With celebrities, be it actors or cricketers, endorsing a myriad of brands today, their exclusive associative value has somewhat got eroded. Do consumers really fall for celebrity brand endorsements or it is mega-rupees gone to waste? exchange4media seeks some answers.

Quick quiz: Which are the brands that feature Big B? Or does SRK speak for HP or Canon? With celebrities, be it actors or cricketers, endorsing a myriad of brands today, their exclusive associative value has somewhat got eroded. Do consumers really fall for celebrity brand endorsements or it is mega-rupees gone to waste? exchange4media seeks some answers.
Commenting on the right brand fit of celebrities, Rohit Ohri, Managing Partner, JWT, said, “The question is how well the persona of the brand and that of the celebrity match. For instance, Shah Rukh and Pepsi, Aishwarya and DeBeers diamonds, Rani and Munch, Juhi and Kurkure are some examples where the celebrity fits very well with the brands. Further, what makes the use of these celebrities memorable is how the brand uses them. Pepsi, for instance, always peels off the marketed image of the celebrity and shows consumers a new facet of their persona. This, I believe, is how brands can effectively leverage celebrities in the minds of today’s celebrity drugged consumers.”
Looking at it from a different angle, Sandeep Madan, Executive Vice President, Rediffusion DYR, said, “The audience today is looking for a reason to believe that the celebrity in question actually uses or believes in the product or service he is endorsing. The audience expects to be told why they should use the brand. The age of audiences thinking ‘celebrity uses brand, therefore, I should use brand’ are over. With the proliferation of celebrity-led endorsements, it is essential to give the audience a credible reason for brand adoption over and above the mere presence of a celebrity.”
Madan further said, “There can be many negative aspects of celebrity endorsements – lack of fit between celebrity image and brand image could be a huge one. Overexposure of the celebrity, which leads to an erosion in credibility is another. A lack of celebrity expertise in the category he is endorsing is another one (for example, what may Rahul Dravid know about motor oil?). There is also the danger of the celebrity overshadowing the brand, of the consumer walking away remembering ‘the ad with X celebrity in it’, but not recalling the brand. Finally a lack of control over the celebrity’s public life could have an adverse impact on the brand’s image (think Salman Khan, Fardeen Khan, Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, etc).”
“At best, the celebrity gives the brand a voice and a face in a highly cluttered category. In some lucky instances, the celebrity’s image fits with that of the brand perfectly (a good example is Yamaha and John Abraham, whose love for bikes is public knowledge; Sachin being a sportsman and Adidas), in which case a celebrity’s presence really makes a difference. For many brands, the presence of a celebrity can also add to brand salience, lend style credentials and also make a statement about the brand as being a ‘big time player’. Celebrities can also help repair public image for brands after controversies (good examples are Amitabh Bachchan for Cadbury’s after the worm controversy and Aamir Khan for Coca-Cola after the pesticide controversy),” Madan added.
Ashish Chakravarty, Creative Chief, McCann Erickson Delhi, said, “I am in favour of brand endorsement by celebrities, provided the idea is big. I believe the celebrity is the messenger. If the idea is good, then celebrities ride it well. For example, Abhishek in Moto ROKR and Kajol in Alpenleibe. Aamir Khan has been really well used in Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola and has shown maximum brand recall according to me.”
Further supporting the idea, Abhijit Awasthi, Executive Creative Director O&M, said, “If a celebrity is used well enough, then it helps bring alive the idea. Then I don’t think anything could go wrong. Example, Aamir Khan has been used intelligently for Titan.”
Ranjan Bargotra, President, Crayons Advertising, said, “There are some cases where the celebrity is made for the brand, for example, people remember Sharmila Tagore for Kohinoor Rice and Vinod Khanna for Baba Chewing Tobacco. Whereas in some cases, like the Maruti Versa ad featuring Amitabh and Abhishek, both were not a good brand fit for that ad according to me.”
There are others in the industry who have a different view on this topic.
To be continued…
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E4M Our strategy is to target younger audiences through Sports: Rajiv Dubey, Dabur
The Head of Media at Dabur India spoke exclusively to exchange4media on the World Cup, associating with Indian Idol, the company’s digital spending and much more
With quirky campaigns, memes and moment marketing, timed with the ongoing World Cup and particularly the India-Pakistan matches, Dabur India has got considerable consumer attention for its popular brands – Red Paste, Cool King Hair Oil, Chyawanprash, Dabur Vita and the recently launched Bae Fresh Gel toothpaste.
The 140-year-old company is going big on key sporting events, World Television Premiere (WTP) movies and reality shows. It is now gearing up to become the title sponsor of popular talent show ‘Indian Idol’ on Sony TV for the first time, shared Rajiv Dubey, who leads the media strategy at Dabur.
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Swapan Seth's new book 'COOL' is out
The book is a reflection of the author's 'eclectic taste across categories'
Advertising professional and art collector Swapan Seth has announced the launch of his new book COOL. The book is described as "a ready reckoner to the hip and the happening, of the known and the very unknown."
The book is a reflection of the author's "eclectic taste across categories: from boltholes to exotic hideaways."
COOL has been published by Simon & Schuster India and is available on Amazon.
Seth is an ad veteran with a long and illustrious career in the industry. He became the youngest-ever Creative Director at Clarion at age 24. He was VP at 26 at Trikaya Grey. Two years later, he started his agency Equus.
He writes for publications such as The Economic Times, Hindustan Times and India Today. This is his second book and he has previously published THIS IS ALL I HAVE TO SAY.
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Disney Star signs 9 sponsors for Asia Cup PAK
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up come on board
e4m Staff Disney Star has signed nine broadcast and digital streaming sponsors for the upcoming Asia Cup.
Charged by Thums Up, Nerolac Paint+, Amazon Pay, Jindal Panther, My11Circle, MRF, Samsung Galaxy Z Flip5, Wild Stone and Thums Up have come on board for the upcoming tournament.
As reported earlier by exchange4media, Disney Star has sought Rs 26 crore for the co-presenting sponsorship on TV and Rs 30 crore for Disney+ Hotstar.
According to industry sources, the associate sponsorship on Star Sports has been priced at Rs 19.66 crore, whereas for the ‘powered by’ sponsorship on Disney+ Hotstar, the broadcaster is seeking Rs 18 crore.
As per the information available with exchange4media, Disney+ Hotstar has three sponsorship tiers-- co-presenting (Rs 30 crore), powered by (Rs 18 crore) and associate sponsorship (Rs 12 crore). The broadcaster is offering an estimated reach of 120-140 million for co-presenting sponsors, 90-100 million for powered by and 60-70 million for associate sponsorship.
A spot buy for 10 seconds has been priced at Rs 25 lakh for the India vs Pakistan matches, while for the non-India matches, the ad rate for 10 second is Rs 2.3 lakh. The India matches plus the final for ODIs has been priced at Rs 17 lakh per 10 seconds.
Asia Cup is scheduled to be held from 30 August, 2023, to September 17, 2023.
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Sorted 360 wins creative & social media mandate of Reliance Mall
The agency will manage offline and online campaigns for Reliance Mall
Sorted 360, an integrated creative and social media agency, has won the mandate to providing brand solutions for Reliance Malls across India.
“Sorted 360 is set to enhance Reliance Malls' market presence with their unparalleled creative prowess and strategic thinking,” read a press release.
“Sorted 360's commitment to pushing the boundaries of creative communication aligns perfectly with Reliance Malls' ethos. With a pan-India presence spanning across 19 cities and growing, Reliance Malls has consistently captivated customers by offering an array of Reliance brands and third-party fashion & lifestyle brands. The mall has established an unparalleled connection with its patrons through superior quality, a remarkable value proposition, and an unmatched shopping experience,” it read further.
"We are thrilled to welcome Sorted 360 as our trusted partner in advancing our brand presence across the nation," said the Head of Marketing at Relaice Malls. "Their proven expertise in retail, shopping center management, and innovative creative strategies make them the perfect fit for our vision."
"Partnering with Reliance Malls is a testament to our commitment to shaping extraordinary brand experiences," remarked Prerana Anatharam, Co-founder of Sorted 360. "We are excited to leverage our strategic and creative acumen to further elevate Reliance Malls as the epitome of convenience, choice, and excellence."
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KlugKlug onboards Hemang Mehta as Country Manager for Indias
Mehta was most recently Head of Agency Relationships at Network 18 Media & Investments
KlugKlug has appointed Hemang Mehta as its Country Manager for India.
Mehta will play a pivotal role in driving KlugKlug's growth and expansion within the Indian market and be responsible for Sales & GTM Strategy
Prior to that, he has also represented organisations like Exponential (now VDX.tv), India Today Digital and Rediff.com. His expertise spans various domains including digital media sales, mobile marketing, media planning, and buying, social media marketing, and more.
Hemang Mehta expressed his enthusiasm about joining KlugKlug, saying, "I am thrilled to be a part of KlugKlug, a forward-thinking platform that is reshaping the influencer marketing landscape. As much as I look forward to collaborating with the exuberant team at KlugKlug, I am super excited to interact with the brands to deliver powerful data-backed Influencer solutions that will guarantee business outcomes."
Commenting on the appointment, Kalyan Kumar, Co-Founder and CEO of KlugKlug, stated, "We are excited to welcome Hemang Mehta to our team as the Country Manager for India. His extensive experience in digital media sales and marketing will be instrumental in driving our efforts to provide influencer marketing solutions to our clients. We believe Hemang's leadership will be key in scaling our operations and expanding our reach within the Indian market."
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