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Tag: Mahendra Singh Dhoni

  • Focused on experiential superiority, the new TVCs feature Lava’s brand ambassador – Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    Lava extends ‘Never Lets You Down’ brand campaign with two new TVCs

    By A Correspondent

     

    After the successful launch of ‘Never Lets You Down’ brand campaign with Mahendra Singh Dhoni in April 2016, Lava International has launched two new TVCs to drive the brand’s reliability story further.

     

    The new TVCs reinforce the experiential superiority of Lava mobile handsets over other mobile handset brands. As one of the fastest growing Indian multi-national companies in the mobile handset industry today, Lava is building its brand identity as the most trusted and reliable mobile handset brand amongst its consumers and other stakeholders.

     

    Said Solomon Wheeler, Vice President & Head-Marketing & Communications, Lava International Limited: “In a highly commoditised and feature-driven mobile handset category, Lava’s promise of reliability is emerging as a distinctive and compelling differentiator. Our research has shown that customers expect reliability not only in terms of the hardware but also in terms of experience. The second phase of our campaign takes forward the brand narrative basis these insights and attempts to create interesting stories with a focus on experience. The results of the first phase of our brand campaign this year has been overwhelming for us, and we have made an attempt to extend the platform of reliability further with these new commercials.  We hope the consumers like these and will extend their love and support as they always do towards brand Lava. ”

     

    The two TV commercials, each 35 seconds in duration, were shot in different settings – in a gentleman’s club and a handbag showroom.  The TVCs highlight the enhanced experiential aspects of Lava mobile phones which include the quality of the camera and the processor superiority leading to hang-free operations.

     

    Commenting on the campaign, Dip Sengupta, Senior Vice President & Head of Advertising at Soho Square said, “The story of Lava is the story of reliability. We initiated this narrative last quarter, and wanted to move up the value chain by shifting the reliability aspect from hardware durability to experiential superiority of Lava mobile phones. We chose to continue with the endearing banter between MS Dhoni and the Lava representative Prateik Babbar, who now has become much closer to MS Dhoni, but never misses out to impress upon him Lava’s reliability and product superiority. The situations are extremely relatable and the banter is entertaining. We are hopeful that this leg of the campaign will equally receive an overwhelming response.”

     

  • Dhoni is the perfect brand ambassador for Exide life Insurance as he embodies the values of Exide life Insurance

    MS Dhoni appointed brand ambassador for Exide Life Insurance

    By A Correspondent

     

    Exide Life Insurance has announced Mahendra Singh Dhoni as its brand ambassador. Dhoni, who represents the aspirations of millions, has a strong mass appeal and followership compared to any other sporting icon in India. Dhoni is the perfect brand ambassador for Exide life Insurance as he embodies the values of Exide life Insurance.

     

    “Dhoni represents a unique blend of skill, commitment and stability which are all personality traits that are relevant to the life insurance category” stated, Mohit Goel, Director-Marketing, Exide Life Insurance. “As a life insurance company, we believe that long term relationships build trust, and Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a perfect embodiment of that belief. Dhoni has appeal that cuts across geography, gender and age groups. He is one of India’s most celebrated cricketers, and the most successful captain of the Indian team and we are extremely excited to be associated with him.”

     

    Speaking about his partnership with Exide Life Insurance, Mahendra Singh Dhoni said, “This is my first endorsement deal in the insurance category. I am pleased to be associated with Exide Life Insurance, a company that helps Indians prepare financially for their long and happy life. Long term relationships build trust and I have always planned for the long term in all aspects of my life. Exide Life Insurance is a brand that resonates well with me and I look forward to working with them very closely.”

     

    Adding to this, Arun Pandey, Chairman, Rhiti Sports Management (the company which manages all endorsement deals of MS Dhoni) said, “Life Insurance is one category which is more than just a monetary safety net for those left behind. It is one of the most important long term investments that an individual makes. Hence, brands in this category have to be extremely conscious when it comes to associating with celebrities. In the case of Exide Life Insurance, the brand’s clear vision and promise is well-aligned with the brand attributes of MS Dhoni which makes this association very strong. I am glad we took our time to find the right brand partner for Dhoni in the life insurance category; and am sure this will go a long way.”

     

  • Dhoni resoundingly captures and brings alive the brand idea by pulling out a day in his life to a person who’s ascribing his success to luck

    MSD endorses benefits of Revital H in latest campaign

    By A Correspondent

     

    As part of Revital’s future growth plans, it has unveiled a new campaign featuring youth heartthrob and captain of the Indian cricket team Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

     

    For Revital H’s next leap, it was imperative to further enhance its relevance and be seen as a partner in good health offering not just physical energy but also mental agility. The need was for a persuasive and well differentiated messaging delivered through a brand endorser who strongly personifies both physical fitness and mental alertness. With that intention, the most successful Indian cricket captain MS Dhoni was roped in as Revital H’s brand ambassador.

     

    The integrated campaign, created by Lowe Lintas Delhi rests on the powerful and intrinsically Indian insight that often success is attributed to luck thereby diluting all the effort that goes behind the achievement. The campaign vividly attempts to correct this misnomer and pave way for the brand as a partner of success while embodying hard work and mental alertness. Dhoni resoundingly captures and brings alive this brand idea by pulling out a day in his life to a person who’s ascribing his success to luck.

     

    Naveen Gaur

    Commenting on the new campaign, Naveen Gaur, President, Lowe Lintas Delhi said, “The challenge for the agency was to take a really popular leader brand like Revital H to the next level of growth by creating a highly persuasive campaign. In its attempt to become a fast-evolving, achiever society there is a huge stress that’s laid on professional and personal success among individuals. The campaign attempts to position Revital H as a partner of success.”

     

    Arun Iyer

    Sharing his thoughts on the campaign approach, Arun Iyer, Chief Creative Officer, Lowe Lintas said, “The campaign stems from the interesting insight that many times the success achieved by others is ascribed to their luck and all the effort that goes behind gets diluted. We took a leap on this insight and created communication that most Indians would resonate with.”

     

     

    Subodh Marwah

    Adding his insight on the new campaign, Subodh Marwah, VP & Head, Sun Pharma Consumer Health Care said, “The goal now is to expand our reach and induce higher trials and we plan to do it in a way that will be well received by the consumers. In Mahendra Singh Dhoni, we have found a perfect ambassador who is not only a physically fit athlete but also boasts of extreme mental agility – attributes that define Revital H at its core.”

     

    Revital H is positioned as daily health supplement for overall health and wellbeing, with H connoting ‘Health’. It is a complete and balanced daily health supplement that contains vitamins, minerals and ginseng. Revital H is the flagship brand of Sun Pharma Global Consumer Healthcare.

     

    The campaign will go on air during the T20 Cricket World Cup and would span the offline and online mediums for maximum reach.

     

  • He is by far the most expensive cricketer in India, charging Rs 12-14 crore per brand endorsement

    Brand Mahendra Singh Dhoni likely to remain strong, say sports marketers

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    Despite India’s loss in the World Cup semi-final, brand MS Dhoni is likely to remain strong, said sports marketers and media planners.

     

    Dhoni was the top scorer in India’s match against Australia and his brand image as a fighter will remain intact, said Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer of sports management firm Kwan.

     

    The Indian captain announced his retirement from Test cricket a few months back, after which many speculated that his endorsements would dwindle. That has not happened. He is by far the most expensive cricketer in India, charging Rs 12-14 crore per brand endorsement.

     

    Also, speculation that he might announce his retirement from one-day internationals after the World Cup was put to rest by Dhoni, 33, in a post-match chat after India’s loss at Sydney. He would think about playing in the 2019 World Cup after next year’s T20 World Cup, he said.

     

    Dhoni is still the captain of the Indian one-day and T20 teams as well as the Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League team and his brand value will remain strong while his brand endorsement rate will not soften, said Melroy D’Souza, chief operating officer of Professional Management Group.

     

    “I would say the Indian team has exceeded (expectations) in their performance. Most experts had predicted that India would get knocked out before the quarter finals,” he said. “The team had seven consecutive wins. And I would believe that after this Dhoni has emerged as a better leader.”

     

    Dhoni endorses more than a dozen brands, including PepsiCo (cola and snacks), footwear firm Reebok, telecom services provider Aircel, fan maker Orient, two-wheeler manufacturer TVS, nutritional drink Boost, lubricants maker Gulf Oil and suitings firm Siyaram.

     

    Star Group’s Fox Star Studios and Inspired Entertainment, promoted by Dhoni’s management agency Rhiti Sports, is producing a biopic on him. The co-producers are likely to make as much as Rs 30 crore as brands endorsed by the cricketer are expected to be part of the movie.

     

    “One semifinal loss does not change anything,” said Anita Nayyar, chief executive officer for India and South Asia at media buying group Havas Media. “You can’t take it away from him–he resonates as a brand with audiences.”

     

    Team India’s exit will make no dent in Dhoni’s brand value as long as he continues to perform, said Ashish Bhasin, chairman and chief executive officer, South Asia, at Dentsu Aegis Network.

     

    Nayyar, however, pointed out that if India had won the cup, Dhoni’s rates would certainly have gone up further. Blah of Kwan said if Dhoni does retire from one-day internationals, it will take a while before his brand value takes a hit. “His brand value will sustain till another crop of superstars come along. Right now there is only (Virat) Kohli,” he said.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

    All Rights Reserved, Licensed to republish

    Headline: Brand Mahendra Singh Dhoni likely to remain strong, say sports marketers

    Summary: He is by far the most expensive cricketer in India, charging Rs 12-14 crore per brand endorsement.

    Story:

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    Despite India’s loss in the World Cup semi-final, brand MS Dhoni is likely to remain strong, said sports marketers and media planners.

    Dhoni was the top scorer in India’s match against Australia and his brand image as a fighter will remain intact, said Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer of sports management firm Kwan.

    The Indian captain announced his retirement from Test cricket a few months back, after which many speculated that his endorsements would dwindle. That has not happened. He is by far the most expensive cricketer in India, charging Rs 12-14 crore per brand endorsement.

    Also, speculation that he might announce his retirement from one-day internationals after the World Cup was put to rest by Dhoni, 33, in a post-match chat after India’s loss at Sydney. He would think about playing in the 2019 World Cup after next year’s T20 World Cup, he said.

    Dhoni is still the captain of the Indian one-day and T20 teams as well as the Chennai Super Kings Indian Premier League team and his brand value will remain strong while his brand endorsement rate will not soften, said Melroy D’Souza, chief operating officer of Professional Management Group.

    “I would say the Indian team has exceeded (expectations) in their performance. Most experts had predicted that India would get knocked out before the quarter finals,” he said. “The team had seven consecutive wins. And I would believe that after this Dhoni has emerged as a better leader.”

    Dhoni endorses more than a dozen brands, including PepsiCo (cola and snacks), footwear firm Reebok, telecom services provider Aircel, fan maker Orient, two-wheeler manufacturer TVS, nutritional drink Boost, lubricants maker Gulf Oil and suitings firm Siyaram.

    Star Group’s Fox Star Studios and Inspired Entertainment, promoted by Dhoni’s management agency Rhiti Sports, is producing a biopic on him. The co-producers are likely to make as much as Rs 30 crore as brands endorsed by the cricketer are expected to be part of the movie.

    “One semifinal loss does not change anything,” said Anita Nayyar, chief executive officer for India and South Asia at media buying group Havas Media. “You can’t take it away from him–he resonates as a brand with audiences.”

    Team India’s exit will make no dent in Dhoni’s brand value as long as he continues to perform, said Ashish Bhasin, chairman and chief executive officer, South Asia, at Dentsu Aegis Network.

    Nayyar, however, pointed out that if India had won the cup, Dhoni’s rates would certainly have gone up further. Blah of Kwan said if Dhoni does retire from one-day internationals, it will take a while before his brand value takes a hit. “His brand value will sustain till another crop of superstars come along. Right now there is only (Virat) Kohli,” he said.

     

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2015, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd.

    All Rights Reserved, Licensed to republish

  • Dhoni has been one of the top brands in India over the past few years, endorsing close to 20 brands such as Pepsi, Reebok, Aircel, Gulf Oil, Star Sports, Reebok Amrapali Developers and many more

    Retirement not to affect popularity, Brand Mahendra Singh Dhoni is not over, say experts

    By Pritha Mitra Dasgupta, Ratna Bhushan & Ravi Teja Sharma

     

    Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday announced his retirement from Test cricket bang in the middle of the Australia tour, catching many by surprise and fuelling speculation whether this is the beginning of the end of brand Dhoni.

     

    “It’s clearly a succession plan in the making, so it will definitely impact the brand value of Dhoni in the short term,” says Indranil Das Blah, chief operating officer of sports management company, Kwan.

     

    But he was quick to attach a caveat. “If India wins the World Cup next year, Dhoni will be bigger than ever. If not, we will begin to see the end of brand Dhoni, as we are certain that others like Kohli will rise.”

     

    Santosh Desai, CEO of Future Brands, termed the Indian captain’s decision as the “evening of his career and his brand endorsements”, but certainly not the end. “Is this step one of his game plans?” asks Madhukar Kamath, group CEO and MD of Mudra. “It was becoming evident that Dhoni will pull out of Tests and from other formats after the World Cup. Hence brand Dhoni will not get affected till after the WC.”

     

    Nandini Dias, chief executive officer of Lodestar Media, says that Dhoni has been the most successful captain for India and is currently the costliest sports endorser. “But sports icons quickly lose sheen when they stop playing. Since Dhoni will continue to play in the other two forms of cricket, which are more popular than Test cricket, it will not affect his endorsement or popularity yet.”

     

    Dhoni has been one of the top brands in India over the past few years, endorsing close to 20 brands such as Pepsi, Reebok, Aircel, Gulf Oil, Star Sports, Reebok Amrapali Developers and many more. He reportedly charges between Rs 10 and Rs 12 crore for a brand, which is way more than the next best Virat Kohli who charges around Rs 6-7 crore for a brand. Dhoni is also known to have done a few revenue share deals.

     

    Anupam Vasudev, chief marketing officer at Aircel, says their brand endorsement deal with Dhoni ended in October-November 2014 and they are still talking to him on renewing it. A PepsiCo India spokesperson said the company will continue its association with Dhoni. “We wish him all the best for his continuing leadership in the T20 and one-day formats.”

     

    Dhoni’s decision to focus on the shorter versions of the game will extend the longevity of his brand, says Abraham Koshy, professor of marketing at IIM-A. The dilemma for advertisers in India is that there are only two big names left in cricket at the moment – Dhoni and Kohli. There was a time – and not too long ago – when marketers were spoilt for choice with Sachin Tendulkar, Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid, Anil Kumble, Virender Sehwag, and even Harbhajan Singh, Gautam Gambhir and Yuvraj Singh to pick from.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2014, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • The sports channel ropes in Mahendra Singh Dhoni as brand ambassador to endorse football

    Star Sports gets Dhoni to endorse football

    By Ratna Bhushan

     

    Guess who is the biggest star signing in this season’s Barclays Premier League? Mahendra Singh Dhoni! Broadcaster Star Sports has roped in the Indian cricket captain as brand ambassador to endorse the English club football championship, the world’s biggest sports league, in India in the 2013-14 season.

     

    “The aim to associate with M S Dhoni is to introduce, invite and excite sports fans who consume a lot of cricket to sample soccer properties like Barclays Premier League and expanding their fan base,” Vijay Rajput, COO at ESPN Software India, said. Star Sports will kick off its campaign featuring Dhoni on August 11, one week before the start of 2013-14 season, in a bid to boost the appeal of soccer in a cricket-crazy country.

     

    “We believe there is a huge potential for growth in soccer viewership in India,” Mr Rajput said, adding that the premier league is one of the most watched sports events worldwide. He did not share the commercial terms of the deal.

     

    M S Dhoni, who endorses about 15 brands including beverage and snacks maker PepsiCo, sportswear firm Reebok and telecom services provider Aircel, charges close to Rs 10 crore per deal annually, industry insiders told ET.

     

    The campaign will show Dhoni glued to the TV set watching premier league matches every weekend while his family and friends look for him.

     

    The Indian captain is a known football enthusiast and a Manchester United follower who dreamed of becoming a renowned soccer goalkeeper in his schooldays at Jawahar Vidya Mandir in Ranchi where he was a goalkeeper.

     

    Arun Pandey, promoter of Rhiti Sports, the sports management firm that represents Dhoni, said, “Dhoni’s association with soccer can influence the sport in a big way in the country.”

     

    Besides getting Dhoni to urge viewers to watch soccer, Star Sports will also offer the option of Hindi commentary for more than a hundred select premier league matches to woo Indian viewers. “We believe that if you want people to consume lot of content, you should offer it to them in their language of comfort,” Mr Rajput said.

     

    ESPN Software hopes the move will help expand the sport’s viewership, which will help it increase advertising rates.

     

    While ad revenues from soccer continue to be far lower than cricket, experts say the beautiful game’s viewership is on the rise in India.

     

    “Though ratings of soccer are small on an all-India basis, in SEC-A and B markets and among the youth, soccer is consistently gaining in popularity,” Shashi Sinha, CEO of media buying firm IPG Media Brands, said.

     

    Besides the Barclays Premier League, ESPN-Star Sports network holds broadcast rights for multiple soccer tournaments including Spanish La Liga, Italian Serie A, the English FA Cup and England’s international matches.

     

    ESPN officials say advertiser interest has already picked up on the league, with 85% of the available inventory sold. “Tata Motors, Pernod Ricard, Adidas, Gujarat Co-operation Milk Marketing Federation (Amul) and Nokia India have come on board as associate sponsors on air for live telecast of the Barclays Premier League,” Mr Rajput said.

     

    Contested by 20 clubs, the Premier League season runs from August to May.

     

    In June last year, broadcast giant major Star Group’s 16-year-old equal joint venture with sports broadcaster ESPN was dissolved, with Star buying out ESPN’s stake in the JV. Post acquisition, Rupert Murdoch-owned Star became the owner of ESPN’s business.

     

    Source:The Economic Times

    Copyright © 2013, Bennett, Coleman & Co. Ltd. All Rights Reserved

    Licensed to republish

     

  • Kolkata Knight Riders dethroned Chennai Super Kings led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni

    IPL’s new champions- Kolkata Knight Riders

    By Sudarshan S

     

    April 18, 2008 to May 27, 2012 is a long wait, but as the owner and the mercurial Shahrukh Khan said: “This is something youngsters should believe in – resilience, patience, perseverance.  If you believe, you can win.”  Manoj Tiwary swings a delivery of Dwayne Bravo to the boundary on the 19.4 over, and the fireworks lit up the sky to usher in a new champion. Kolkata Knight Riders dethroned Chennai Super Kings led by Mahendra Singh Dhoni with a record of having qualified for semi-final of all the editions, and the fourth final.

     

    The match was not over, at 19.4th over, as the next KKR player walked in without helmets, pads, and no guards and took off from where Brendon Mcullum had left off on April 18, 2008 – the first game of IPL versus Royal Challengers Bangalore, where he scored 155, while KKR, then favourites even before the tournament started, posted 258 – the highest total in all IPLs.  Shahrukh Khan, the next player, walked in and seized the moment like a true showman.

     

    Every opportunity provided by the media was like a free hit that Shahrukh Khan lapped up, and displayed his candor by playing to the gallery. He wore his mask of modesty in the celebrations, and was humble enough in first congratulating his team, captain, coach and support staff, and in the same breath, he also thanked the hosts, their captain, crowds for the wonderful hospitality.  He hugged each and every player to now openly display his glee over the patient wait of the prophetic words on April 18, 2008 that had come true after ‘Four years One month and Nine Days’.  Jiving to ‘Will You be My Chhammak Chhallo’ along with the close knit family of cheer girls, and asking Navjot Singh Sidhu to comment something about the performance.

     

    This was KKR’s 75th game in IPL – a major milestone for a movie if it ran that many weeks, but Shahrukh would have spent 40 weeks over five years with the team by just his presence to achieve a brand valuation of about 50 odd million dollars (say about Rs250 crores), behind Chennai Super Kings ($75 million) and Mumbai Indians ($60 odd million).

     

    Just trying to imagine the glamour quotient of other teams, be it Shilpa Shetty for Rajasthan Royals, Preity Zinta, for Kings XI Punjab, Deepika Padukone for Royal Challengers Bangalore, and Akshay Kumar for Delhi Dare Devils.

    KKR was the only team to have a dream combination with John Buchanan as the coach, Sourav Ganguly as the captain, and a cheer BOY in Shahrukh Khan.  What changed were the coach and the captain, and this was akin to a brain and heart transplant, but the soul remained intact, and resurrected the team.  Fourth in the fourth edition, sixth in the first and third edition, eighth in the second edition – that also witnessed the Fake IPL player controversy.

     

    Now who remembers all that – for this was all a PR stunt – not Public Relations, but Performance and Response.  “This is something youngsters should believe in – resilience, patience, perseverance.  If you believe, you can win.”  You did.  Congratulations, Kolkata Knight Riders, Congrats Shahrukh — the Showman!

     

    Sudarshan S teaches public relations at various business and media schools. He also head the Mumbai-based Prognosys Marcom Services

  • Some names are enough to get brands instant recognition. Listed are 5 players whose's brand equity brands can benefit from

    The Anchor: 5 IPL players brands can ride on this season

    By Tuhina Anand

     

    1. Sachin Tendulkar:

    Good ole Sachin is the God of cricket even if the man himself has been telling everyone around that he is just Sachin. With his 100th 100, brand Sachin is in news. His handing over the baton of Mumbai Indians to Harbhajan Singh to concentrate on the game once again shows that for Sachin the game always remains his utmost priority. He is dependable, trustworthy and what we call ‘lambi race ka ghoda’ which he has proved time and again.

     

    2. Mahendra Singh Dhoni:

    Captain Cool has a lot riding on his shoulders. Having led CSK to re-create the IPL magic and win IPL 4, all eyes are him once again. MSD is picture of poise under duress and that’s a great attribute that brands can cash on.

     

    3. Chris Gayle:

    Return of the prodigal, that’s how Gayle’s IPL 4 stint can be aptly summed. He entered RCB last year as a replacement in the middle of the series and then created ripples by leading his team to the finals. This year Mumbai Indians were keen on having him on their side though RCB managed to retain him. Being among one of most recognized and popular players of IPL, his brand equity is currently high, which brands can benefit from.

     

    4. Virat Kohli:

    The 23-year old is already hot choice for brand endorsements. Being touted as dream player for ODIs, Kohli is being projected as a youth icon. He is endorsing around 10 brands including PepsiCo, Fair & Lovely, Titan Fastrack, TVS Sports Motorcycle among others. He still is behind Sachin and MSD in terms of number of endorsements so brands get on the Kohli brandwagon.

     

    5. Lasith Malinga:

    The Sri Lankan playing for Mumbai Indians has created quite a stir with his unruly locks and fierce bowling style. He is amongst the most popular faces of IPL and his quirks and style only adds to his appeal. Malinga, the name is enough for brands to get instant recognition.