Being on the Button - Celebrity Endorsements

First published on Facebook on 15th January 2021

Companies have to tune into the present and keep responding to changes as they happen. 

First, it was Kinley's advertisement where Saurav Ganguly's daughter is advising her father to drink more water (albeit mineral water), to get over his illness. 

Not to be outdone Walkmate is airing its advertisement with Ravichandran Ashwin. Ashwin is injured and he needs to get well and what better to wear, than a comfy Walkmate! Wow.

Comments: 

L.K.Sandeep:  Sir, Huggies has some advice for Virat too...😀

Anil Ramesh: Good

Rohini Pisupati: Gosh, yes sir...it crossed my mind when I saw that Walkmate ad today. Also, does the general public still believe that the likes of Ashwin wear Walkmate?

Anil Ramesh: The celebrities don't and that is how the advertising pie crumbles, do you think that filmstars really use Lux soap or that calorie-conscious Salman Khan drinks Thums Up. They don't but make us believe that they do use the products they endorse, power of Persuasion, Rohini Pisupati. BTW, does it sound like a lecture at CBIT!

 Rohini Pisupati: Been a while on that side of the classroom, so I don't mind.

Perils of Celebrity Endorsements.

 First published in Facebook on 5th January 2021

Perils of having a celebrity endorsing the company and its products! First, it was Tiger Woods and now it is Saurav Ganguly. 

Many marketing gurus think that celebrity endorsements bring in quick eyeballs, instant recognition, and a chance to bask in the celebrity's goodwill and charisma. 

But they forget that the reverse could be true too. The negatives and the bad publicity can stick to the brand and to the products. 

Products and services having Tiger Woods as a celebrity endorser realized the same to their horror when he was embroiled in a huge controversy and they all had to beat a hasty retreat. 

Similarly, Products endorsed by Aamir Khan also were on a sticky wicket when he too got involved in issuing controversial statements. 

The latest victim of the celebrity endorsement saga is Fortune oil, touting to be safe for the heart. The celebrity endorser, none other than dada Sourav Ganguly the darling of the cricket masses with or without his shirt. 

Saurav Ganguly suffering a mild heart attack was like a punch in the solar plexus and the company was forced to withdraw the campaign featuring Dada! Such are the perils of Celebrity endorsements. "To do or not to do".

Comments:

Gopi Reddy: Classic example of brand ambassador destroying brand snap deal which was lost in the air after endorsing Aamir Khan and controversial comments made by him which affected snap deal

Anil Ramesh: True already mentioned in my post Gopi Reddy

Soumya Mohapatra: The other thing I found amusing was...the choice of celebrity for an Ad. I can understand Virat endorsing "Boost" as he is an elite Athlete himself. I don't understand how Sharukh Khan promoting BYJUs or Hrithik promoting White Hat Jr. Is relevant? I am not sure if these guys completed their education properly. Why would a parent get inspired by that and enroll their child into that program?

 Anil Ramesh: Very true Soumya Mohapatra it leads to a crisis of credibility. The believability of the expertise of the so-called expert who happens to be a celebrity.

 Srinivas Darbha: It is boring to see the same faces so much. Some ads have new faces which make it interesting to watch the ads. I never buy anything just because X or Y endorsed it. I make my choice based on brand and reviews