Ethnicwear brand Melange by Lifestyle has signed on Deepika Padukone as its brand ambassador.
Said Rishi Vasudev, Executive Director, Lifestyle International: “Melange by Lifestyle has always celebrated the style sensibilities of modern Indian women who are strong and self-made. Our brand ambassador Deepika Padukone captures this bold and individualistic style that Melange represents. Being one of the most recognized brands in India across marketplaces, Melange continues to push boundaries by ‘rethinking’ ethnicwear and all that it has to offer. I look forward to our customers being delighted by the new collection that brings forth some remarkable pieces, perfect for every occasion.”
Consulting major Duff & Phelps has released findings of the fifth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Study 2019: ‘New is Gold’.
The study provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.
Key findings from the report include:
• Virat Kohli retains the top position for the third consecutive year. His brand value rose by 39% to USD 237.5 million (mn) in 2019.
• Akshay Kumar jumps to second position with brand value of USD 104.5 mn (a jump of 55.3%).
• Power couple Ranveer and Deepika claim the third spot with a brand value of USD 93.5 mn each. Deepika retains her most valuable female celebrity status for the second consecutive year whereas Ranveer moves up a spot, to now occupy the same position as Deepika Padukone.
• Total value of the top 20 celebrity brands stands at USD 1.1 billion, with the top 10 contributing about 75% of the total value.
Said Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Duff & Phelps: “This year we saw the new generation celebrities make it to the top 20. Apart from the celebrities who were featured in last year’s study, this year, we have Ayushmann Khurrana (Rank 10), Tiger Shroff (Rank 17) and Rohit Sharma (Rank 20) with a cumulative brand value of USD 87.5 mn. The industry saw a wave of new faces and concepts with the effective usage of digital media to capitalise on millennials and Gen Z. Even though brands changed their approach of sticking to established actors by roping in new faces, overall the industry managed to stay on course with the perfect blend of traditional and new. The new pedigree of stars also ventured into investments by emerging as ‘starvestors’ (star investors), thus infusing capital in brands that resonated with their values.”
Commenting on the changing nature of the endorsement market in India, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Services, Duff & Phelps added: “This is the dawn of a new era for the media and entertainment sector. The industry has seen experimentation, be it celebrities moving from traditional mainstream endorsements towards investments in brands, the rise of digital format advertising campaigns, or the onset of over-the-top (OTT) stars who are breaking new ground in endorsements. Brands and celebrities have parallelly adopted the path of conscious advertising and filmmaking by choosing uplifting topics and making the narrative less window dressed, an important facet for today’s Gen Y and Gen Z.” Further, the study focuses on the rising trend of OTT since the upgrade of the India’s digital demography. Regional industries created ripples nationally and globally with OTT proving regional content is no longer a desired state, but a prerequisite for today’s consumer. The study also highlights the new tribe of celebrity endorsers who have become digital stars; they actively involve themselves in social causes and promote brands inclined towards fitness, health and wellness.
We are now truly in the post-truth era of marketing, and as Ralph Keyes aptly puts it, an era of dishonesty and deception. Post-truth marketing might have to follow post-truth politics.
The Wikipedia defines post-truth politics as ‘.. a political culture in which debate is framed largely by appeals to emotion disconnected from the details of policy, and by the repeated assertion of talking points to which factual rebuttals are ignored.’
Brands earlier had to stay neutral to political ideologies in their nations for fear of alienating their consumers. Will this change in the new decade? With increased polarisation of political views the world over, when celebrities voice their political opinion or show support for a particular ideology, does it mean the brands they endorse indirectly also belong to the same ideology?
This could be disturbing again for the managers of the brands. Especially if their own ideology is different.
When Deepika Padukone visited the JNU campus recently in support of the students, one can’t help thinking that this might impact the brands that she endorses. It also affects her fans. If indeed Deepika stands with the JNU students, it could also mean she stands for a particular ideology in which case her fans are likely to be influenced by Deepika’s own attitudes. So, there is dual effect here: 1. Deepika’s effect on her fans which affect their political ideology, and 2. which affect their choice of the brands that Deepika endorses.
As usual social media was quick to react. Her support for JNU was seen as enough reason to boycott her movies. It is difficult to gauge if there is any effect visible or invisible on the brands Deepika endorses.
Source: Twitter.com
Deepika had already shot a commercial for the Skill India ministry but after her JNU visit the video has been put on hold because of the clash of ideology with the government.
Last week, things got worse for poor Deepika when the Union Minister for Women and Child Development, Smriti Irani, criticised Bollywood icon Deepika Padukone for visiting the Jawaharlal Nehru University to express solidarity with the protesting students. Said Irani: “It was not unexpected to us that she was going to stand with people who want the destruction of India. She sided with people who hit girls on their private parts with lathis. I can’t deny her that right. She made her political affiliation known in 2011 that she supports the Congress Party. If people are surprised by this, it is because they didn’t know. There were a lot of admirers of hers who have just discovered her position.”
Implications for brands
The usual parameters to determine the choice of a celebrity for a brand has always been earnings, fame and social media reach. Are we at the beginning of a decade where we may have to consider the political ideology of the celebrity? It may well be, as we move to a more polarised world, and as populations divide roughly into halves, rather than a majority or minority for a particular belief. I am referring of course to the most historic votes of the last decade. Brexit was 52:48 for exiting the European Union. The NDA won 45% of the country’s votes. And Donald Trump won 46.1% of the vote.
The political ideology of the celebrity is something that marketers never bothered about. But now it may be something that needs to be factored, in the new decade.
Marketing then might be forced to take sides in the future.
Online travel company Goibibo has launched a new campaign ‘GoBefikar’ to encourage young India to book their travel without any hassles and worries.
Said Sunil Suresh, Chief Marketing Officer, Goibibo: “With more and more Indians wanting to spend their leisure time traveling and exploring new places, we want to give them a hassle free way of fulfilling their travel aspirations. With our new campaign, we want to assure travellers that when they book on Goibibo they can rest assured that they will get the best accommodation experience that they have come to trust on GoStays.”
Added Hemant Misra, Managing Director, MagicCircle Communications: “This campaign for Goibibo heralds an invite for carefree travel. The television commercial captures the surprise that comes with the promise of being carefree. First in a series of TVCs that will invoke the young Indian to cast aside their worries to Goibibo and travel carefree to delightful destinations”.
In all likelihood, over the next few days, you will buy some item on the ‘Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale’ or the ‘Flipkart Billion Days Sale’. And at the end of the sale period, one of them will claim some astronomical figure of realised sales.
Through the years, Amazon and Flipkart have successfully redefined ‘the biggest sale’ in Indian festival calendar. It is now nearer to Dassera than Diwali, an attempt to sweep the market before the traditional sale period.
Sales in India on a single day are nowhere close to the eye-popping record $30.8 Billion ‘Single’s day’ sale of Alibaba, which was more than the ‘Black Friday’ and ‘Cyber Monday’ sales combined. But we are getting there with growing e-commerce, better logistics, infrastructure and some help the banks and payment gateways.
STRAIGHT FIGHT BETWEEN AMAZON AND FLIPKART.
Ladies and Gentleman, the man/woman with a high-end mobile and slow connection and the laptop babu with a fast connection. The fight is opening soon. Guaranteed you will benefit in this ‘diwalia hone ko tayyar‘ (Ready to get bankrupt) sentiment associated with such sales.
In the red corner of this ring of festival annual sale fight is the Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale with its very cultural centric motif that is scheduled for September 29 to October 4. Amazon Prime members can try it out from September 28 itself.
In the blue corner is Flipkart, which has mastered the art of sale throughout the year. Its Big Billion Days Sale will start on September and 29 and end on October 4.
This is a straight fight no consumer worth his or her last spending INR wants to miss.
The banks are joining the fun with further cash backs and easy EMIs. Somewhere there is a hint of cashback within 72 hours of sale! Additionally, to keep the excitement, there is a promise of new additions on hourly sale, which is expected to boost repeat logins. And the exchange offers are not missing from the sale. Don’t have money, well, there is some 1,00,000 credit possibility with Flipkart.
Both Amazon and Flipkart want you to keep your wishlist ready. No doubt this is the best sale one can aim at. But as per the earlier pattern, one can see additional Dassera sale, Electronic sales, Diwali sale online and offline. Maybe the only issue is too much option for the consumer that may delay decision-making.
CONNECTING WITH THE CONSUMER.
Now both the e-commerce sites have upgraded their systems and made arrangement to smoothen the consumer experience. But the campaigns by Flipkart seem heavy and lacking conviction. There has been a Billion Day Sale for production and media. It is overloaded.
Deviating from ‘children acting like adults (adult kid)’ theme that predominates Flipkart as a brand, it seems to have gone back to the safety of celebrity advertising. Flipkart has cornered and employed every possible top celebrity interested in selling the idea of getting ready for the sale. Virat as a Cop and Deepika as a Lawyer, Amitabh as a Godown owner and Alia as a newsreader. Regional skew and for every region worth as a priority market, they have a regional star selling the Big Billion Day sale. Don’t know if the celebrities came in some sale.
Meanwhile, Flipkart continued with the strongly associated Adult Kid format borrowing the characters of Circuit and Munnabhai for its Rewards Programme.
Amazon is playing on the brand pull and the past experience of the family as the purchasing unit. And whoever I have spoken with, seems to have a strong perception that the discounts- delivery- experience at Amazon is far better than at Flipkart.
This, in fact, will be a more significant factor in deciding which way the match swings. Because, people know in India that sale and discount is one thing, delivery, service and protection is something totally different.
THE COMMUNICATIONS.
AMAZON GREAT INDIAN FESTIVAL SALE
FLIPKART BIG BILLION DAY SALE.
In the past, Flipkart has used their strong Adult Kid format for the Big Billion Day Sale.. But for some reason, most likely it not giving then enough ROI, they have opted for the celebrity safety net.
As a part of the national campaign for ‘Royale Health Shield’, Asian Paints has launched its second TVC that encourages consumers to choose an anti-bacterial paint that cares for your health. Conceptualised by Contract India, the ad is directed by Vivek Kakkad and stars Deepika Padukone and Ranbir Kapoor.
Speaking about the new ad campaign, Amit Syngle, COO, Asian Paints Limited said: “Safety and hygiene has become a pressing matter today. People believe that the health of one’s home reflects one’s personal health and this is what makes Asian Paints “Royale Health Shield” a healthy choice for a concerned consumer. With Silver Ion Technology, as recommended by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), Asian Paint’s Royale Health Shield not only ensures that walls are bacteria-free, but offers the finest looking walls ever. Our second TVC with our brand ambassadors brings to light this very message but in a friendly and casual way.”
Deepika Padukone’s latest venture has herself featuring in Epigamia Greek Yogurt commercial as an extension of her strategic investment in Drum Foods International Pvt. Ltd, the maker of flavoured yogurt brand Epigamia, as part of a partnership that will also see her endorse the brand. The investment has been made through KA Enterprises Llp, Padukone’s strategic initiative arm.
Notes a communique: “With the partnership, the brand is looking to expand its distribution to smaller sectors. On the basis of their association with Padukone, they are now looking forward to elevating the brand to the next dimension. Over the next two years, the company plans to ramp up distribution to 50,000 outlets across more than 25 cities. Padukone’s involvement will accelerate the pace and the new video is already garnering all the views from the audience from all across.”
Tanishq has unveiled a new campaign starring Deepika Padukone reminiscing her various milestones, while going through her keepsake box.
Said Deepika Tewari, Associate Vice President – Marketing, Jewellery Division at Titan: “A woman should always set forth to celebrate herself at every stage in her life and this time Tanishq brings in Swayahm collection which resonates with every woman who takes pride in herself. She deserves to celebrate her smallest of achievements and failures too because it is these small moments that make all the difference and make her who she truly is. In the film as well, we have brought in the aspect of reminiscing the past memories which have been a part of her integral growth and thus appreciating her very being.”
Added Sagar Kapoor Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas: “Like the name itself, Swayahm carries an insightful message. Of celebrating oneself at every juncture of life. Women are so busy appreciating and caring for their loved ones that they seldom remember to love themselves. The jewellery is one such gift she gifts herself.”
With an aim to connect with today’s millennials, Lloyd has roped in actors Ranveer Singh and Deepika Padukone as brand ambassadors. As part of the association, the couple will endorse Lloyd range of consumer durables.
Speaking on this association, Shashi Arora, CEO, Lloyd said: “Both Ranveer and Deepika are an inspiration to Indian millennials and portrays a blend of talent, class and popularity that complements with Lloyd’s legacy and brand ethos. We are confident that this association will enable us explore new avenues for our continued growth and success and further strengthen our positioning in the consumer durable segment. We welcome both Ranveer & Deepika to the Lloyd’s family.”
Asian Paints has launched a campaign to promote its new offering, Royale Health Shield. Conceptualised by Contract India, the ad is directed by Vivek Kakkad. The film stars Ranbir Kapoor and Deepika Padukone.
Speaking about the new ad campaign, Amit Syngle, COO, Asian Paints Limited said: “Today’s consumer is more aware and believes in making healthy choices that are safe and hygienic, especially when it comes to their homes. Asian Paints “Royale Health Shield†is one such healthy choice for a consumer to make to ensure their walls are bacteria-free. This revolutionary paint contains Silver Ion Technology, as recommended by the Indian Medical Association (IMA), making it the first such paint brand to receive this distinction.†Speaking on the two most sought after personalities in the new TVC Syngle added: “We are beyond excited to launch this new film with Deepika Padukone & Ranbir Kapoor. It is for the very first time that they are coming together to launch our brand campaign to advocate the best of what our brand has to offerâ€.
Said Sagar Mahabaleshwarkar, Chief Creative Officer, Contract: “The idea was to tell a story of a paint that cares for you through two friends who care for each other. While the intention was emotional, the tonality was playful. Achieving this fine balance wouldn’t have been easy otherwise, but we had two powerhouse actors in Deepika and Ranbir. And the result is evident in their performances.â€
Colgate has launched a new TVC featuring cricketer MS Dhoni and his wife Sakshi, as part of Colgate Strong Teeth’s ‘Andar Se Strong’ campaign. While sharing screen space with his wife, Dhoni talks about his inner strength that helped him in both his personal and professional journey.
Said Issam Bachaalani, Managing Director, Colgate-Palmolive (India) Limited: “The ‘Colgate Andar Se Strong’ campaign reinforces our commitment to providing the most advanced oral care solutions to meet the everyday needs of Indian consumers. MS Dhoni is an exemplary personality and we are proud of his association with Colgate. We launched the ‘Colgate Andar Se Strong’ campaign on our flagship brand Colgate Strong Teeth, with Deepika Padukone and MS Dhoni as the ambassadors, who speak of how their smile reflects their inner strength… and how it helps them go forth in challenging times.â€
Added Sanjay Sipahimalani, Creative Director, RedFuse Communication: “Our ‘Andar Se Strong’ campaign highlights the role that your inner strength plays in helping you face tough situations with a smile. In this spot, Dhoni speaks from his heart to show how inner strength enabled him to choose responsibility over personal happiness during the 2015 World Cup.â€
Global advisory firm Duff & Phelps announced findings from the fourth edition of its Celebrity Brand Valuation Report 2018: ‘The Bold, the Beautiful and the Brilliant.’ The report, released on Thursday, provides a ranking of India’s most powerful celebrity brands based on brand values derived from their endorsement contracts.
Key findings from the report include:
:: Virat Kohli retains the top position for the second consecutive year. His brand value rose by 18% to US$170.9 million in 2018.
:: Deepika Padukone rises to the second position, whereas Shah Rukh Khan falls to the fifth position.
:: Total value of the top 20 celebrity brands stands at US$877 million, with the top 10 contributing more than 75% of the total value.
Celebrity – Top 10
2018
2017
Brand Rank
Brand Value
Brand Rank
Virat Kohli
1
170.9
1
Deepika Padukone
2
102.5
3
Akshay Kumar
3
67.3
4
Ranveer Singh
4
63.0
5
Shah Rukh Khan
5
60.7
2
Salman Khan
6
55.8
6
Amitabh Bachchan
7
41.2
8
Alia Bhatt
8
36.5
9
Varun Dhawan
9
31.6
10
Hrithik Roshan
10
31.0
7
Commenting on the rise of the endorsement market in India, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Services, Duff & Phelps said: “The celebrity endorsement market in India has matured from vanilla endorsement deals to full-fledged partnerships through innovative routes such as equity deals and strategic partnerships. On the other hand, rising internet penetration, varied formats of content consumption and a burgeoning middle class with increasing disposable incomes is boosting media spends for traditional and digital advertisements through celebrities. Millennial celebrities continue to be the first choice for brand endorsements as companies want to have a greater focus on the youth segment fuelled by demand in sectors such as e-commerce, retail, FMCG and smartphones, among others.â€
As per data from GroupM ESP Properties, over the past decade celebrity-led endorsements increased in number from 650 in 2007 to 1,660 in 2017, representing a steady CAGR of 10%. Further, TV ad spends with celebrity endorsers rose from INR15.5 billion in 2007 to INR66.6 billion in 2017 at a CAGR of 16.1%. TV ads with celebrity endorsers represented close to 24% of the total TV ad spends in 2017, which represents a 5% uptick from 2007.
Added Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Duff & Phelps: “While Bollywood celebrities dominate the rankings of the top 20 celebrities, sportspersons provide tough competition. Virat Kohli, Sachin Tendulkar, M. S. Dhoni and P.V. Sindhu collectively contributed almost US$241 million, which is over 27% of the cumulative brand value of the top 20 celebrities pegged at US$877 million.â€
“Brands are also increasingly going regional in their endorsement strategy to cater to the heterogenous peculiarities of Indian states. They are leveraging the equity that local celebrities enjoy. Product brands are also looking for better returns on their investment through a step up on regional markets and have started coming up with region-specific commercials featuring regional celebrities like Mahesh Babu and Tamannaah,†Jain added.
Further, the report focuses on the rising trend of power couples. By tapping into a power couple’s reach and impact, brands can target each partner’s unique following and voice. The coming together of a power couple creates a larger platform that brands want to leverage to target the youth. This year, power couple Virat Kohli and Anushka Sharma have endorsed around 40 brands together such as Head and Shoulders, Manyavar, Pepsi, Celkon, Boost, Audi, Fastrack, Goinee, Wrogn and Polaroid.
Celebrities are also increasingly being leveraged to create social media buzz. A celebrity’s hold on social media is now a major determinant of the influence that he or she can have over a brand campaign. Duff & Phelps sourced data from Meltwater, the vertical leader in online media intelligence solutions, on the top celebrities and their social media presence, engagement and influence index.
Commenting on the power of a celebrity’s social media influence, Christo van Wyk, Area Director – India and Middle East, Meltwater said: “ Like marketers, celebrities are continuously building their brand, and those that are aware of current trends and of the difficulties in breaking through the clutter, recognize that social media is a unique opportunity to stand out above the crowd. Celebrities with well-crafted social media strategies are able to maintain relevance, build more intimate relationships with fans and garner real-time feedback on their work. Much like a corporate brand’s, a thriving social media presence can serve as a reflection of a celebrity’s public desirability.”
We are now truly in the post-truth era of marketing, and as Ralph Keyes aptly puts it, an era of dishonesty and deception. Post-truth marketing might have to follow post-truth politics.
In all likelihood, over the next few days, you will buy some item on the ‘Amazon Great Indian Festival Sale’ or the ‘Flipkart Billion Days Sale’. And at the end of the sale period, one of them will claim some astronomical figure of realised sales.
Deepika Padukone’s latest venture has herself featuring in Epigamia Greek Yogurt commercial as an extension of her strategic investment in Drum Foods International Pvt. Ltd, the maker of flavoured yogurt brand Epigamia, as part of a partnership that will also see her endorse the brand. The investment has been made through KA Enterprises Llp, Padukone’s strategic initiative arm.