Commerce, conscience & celebrity endorsements

Big B's recent remark against colas is seen as a belated reaction, which could undermine years of marketing efforts by a brand. It has also raised the crucial point: shouldn't celebrities

e4m by Twishy
Published: Feb 3, 2014 8:08 AM  | 4 min read
Commerce, conscience & celebrity endorsements

Who would have remembered ‘Pappu pass ho gaya’, if mega-star Amitabh Bachchan had not celebrated his results with Cadbury Diary Milk? Very few would have shared the ‘Meri Maggi’ story if Bachchan would not have urged to do so. And the ‘Thanda Matlab Coca-Cola’ falls flat without the desi tadka of Aamir Khan. Celebrity endorsement helps in reaping huge rewards for a brand. It creates awareness and builds greater brand equity. The affinity consumers have with their favourite celebrities can hugely influence their purchases. But what happens when your biggest endorser de-endorses your brand? Should the celebrity return every penny earned through the endorsement?

Recently, The Economic Times reported that Bachchan had told a gathering at IIM-Ahmedabad that he had stopped endorsing Pepsi after he was confronted by a little girl who wondered why he promoted the soft drink that her teacher had branded as poison. He added that he makes a careful judgement before endorsing any product. The actor was also quoted as saying that he doesn’t endorse tobacco or alcohol because he doesn’t consume them. The star doesn’t believe in endorsing products that are harmful for the people.

Is it a sudden dawn of realisation for the actor who knows that cola is harmful for health? The big question is: Wasn’t he aware of the various health problems because of drinking cola?

According to Naresh Gupta, Managing Partner, Bang in the Middle, “Commerce and conscience has to go hand in hand, and as a celebrity, you cannot let one overrule the other. While some categories (like liquor or tobacco) have societal negatives, it is impossible to find a category or a brand that has no negatives. Colas have excess sugar and excess consumption can lead to obesity. Junk foods have no nutritional value, and all these facts are well known. So, why suddenly should an endorser wake up and denounce the brand?”

Nima DT Namchu, Creative Head and ECD, Cheil India remarked, “There is definitely a negative impact on the brand’s image and the consumer’s perception of the brand when its biggest endorser ‘de-endorses’ it. At the same time, there will probably be a sizeable chunk wondering why the celebrity endorsed the brand in the first place.”

Say ‘NO’
The beverage category is over-dependent on the use of celebrities. Right from Pepsi, Coke and Thums Up, almost all beverage brands have used popular stars to drive preferences in the cluttered space. It is considered to be the safest formula to sell a product to the mass market. But, should celebrities stop endorsing products that are harmful to health?

According to Gupta, they should not. “There is no category that is absolutely safe, everything has side effects (including pure water, for instance), what a celebrity has to do is be clear about what should be endorsed and what not. Having done that, stick to it and face the issues that will come with such endorsements. As celebrities they have the power to make the brands appeal more sensitive and responsible,” he added.

However, Namchu said, “Shouldn’t manufacturers stop producing products that are harmful for health? Having said that, perhaps celebrities should do some homework, too, before they sign on the dotted line.”

Undermining the Marketing Efforts
Celebrities have a huge impact on the buying behaviour of people in India. They are aspirational for the consumers and people try to adopt the brands endorsed by their favourite celebrity. After years of spending aggressively on the marketing efforts, if the biggest endorser spreads a negative word, then it certainly affects the brand’s image. So, can such bad PR by a celebrity impact years of marketing efforts?

“I believe brands on which the consumer’s emotional investment has been higher tend to suffer more from such incidents,” added Namchu.

According to Gupta, such bad PR definitely undermines the efforts made in building the brand. It’s not fair on the brand that you worked with commercially. Celebrities have to make informed decisions before endorsing a product. They cannot suddenly wake up and spread a negative word about a brand and adversely affect its image.

 

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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

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:15 PM  | 1 min read
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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'

e4m by e4m Staff
Published: Oct 27, 2023 6:07 PM  | 1 min read
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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 by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 11:48 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 26, 2023 10:54 AM  | 1 min read
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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

e4m by exchange4media Staff
Published: Aug 24, 2023 3:35 PM  | 1 min read
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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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