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 Bindu
D. Menon, The Hindu Businessline
Mumbai,
10 December 2015
Brands riding on Bollywood heartthrob Salman Khan are heaving
a sigh of relief with the Bombay High Court overturning his conviction
for a 2002 hit-and-run case. Brand watchers point out that the
verdict will only increase his standing among brand owners.
In May, a lower court had convicted Khan of culpable homicide
and sentenced him to five years in jail for driving over and killing
a man sleeping on a pavement. But the appeals judge ruled there
was not enough evidence.
Khan tweeted that he accepted the ruling with ‘humility’.
But the biggest relief is undeniably for the brands he is associated
with. According to celebrity management firms and brand consultants,
the mass hero has as much as ?200 crore riding on him.
Khan endorses over 10-12 brands including Thums Up, Being Human,
Revital, Wheel, reality show Big Boss, men’s innerwear Dixcy
Scott and PNG Jeweller.
Film analyst Komal Nahata points that currently there is about
Rs. 100 crore riding on his films.
“Salman Khan’s stand is vindicated. His upcoming film
Sultan is slated for release in 2016 and has about ?100 crore
riding on it. Brands which were previously considering exiting
him as a brand ambassador will reconsider their decision.”
According to Shailendra Singh, Jt. MD of Percept India, “Salman's
brand was already flying high. Now it will skyrocket. The emotional
connection of the fans, the box office and the brand was hugely
backing Salman’s freedom and now they have got it. It is
also interesting that it has come at a time when the three Khans
(Salman, Shah Rukh and Aamir) are finally getting along.”
Echoing the sentiments, Jagdeep Kapoor, brand guru and founder
of Samsika Marketing, noted: “Brand consultants will see
how they can cash in only Salman Khan’s appeal to take their
brand’s credo forward.”
As per industry sources, brands pay anywhere from Rs. 5 lakh
and Rs. 5 crore per endorsement to Salman.
Picky MNC brands
Asked how MNC brands which are picky about their celebrity
choices will react to the verdict, Devanghshu Dutta, CEO, Third
Eyesight, said: “The arena we are playing in is largely driven
by emotions and brands would also reconsider their decision. Indian
companies are flexible in their approach but it is MNCs which
are picky. Cases will not make a significant improvement in brand
ambassador’s selection”.
(Published in The
Hindu Businessline.)
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