A brand makeover

Indian Cricket Captain and one of the country’s highest-paid celebrities Virat Kohli surprised everyone when he decided to give up his brand ambassador duties for Pepsi – a name he has been associated with for over six years now. His primary concern is that carbonated soft drinks don’t go along with his desire to champion fitness. While celebrities like Madhuri Dixit and Amitabh Bachchan have drawn flak due to their association with certain brands, Virat’s move comes as an important one, especially since the brand has in the past seen staunch supporters in the Indian cricket team.  But will consumers take his sudden change of heart at face value?

“Virat has always been an inspiring, fit sportsman who has endorsed fizzy drinks for many years now. All of a sudden, he decides to go ahead with this decision, saying it goes against his fitness values. These days celebrities are seen peddling everything from Hawaii chappals to high-end watches — in fact, you might find the same celebrity endorsing both. The consumers  are intelligent enough to understand that the values of a celebrity do not necessarily mirror the values that the brand hopes to espouse. It’s just a money game without any credibility,” says Abhijit Avasthi, the co-founder of Sideways consulting.

The society decides the parameters of good and bad, whereas the celebrities and brands just follow those trends. Sugary carbonated drinks have come under fire, and Virat took a wise decision, explains brand strategy specialist Harish Bijoor. “The fact is celebrities are in sync with the views of society. Therefore, it is natural for them to act on their conscience and decide not to endorse particular brands. The laws today hold a celebrity liable for being associated with products that are ostracised by society, and thus they have to be careful,” he asserts.
Virat is a brand by himself, and he can afford to pick and choose products, “The fact that celebrities like Virat are rethinking their choices, would directly raise their brand value. They now have to develop an understanding and consciousness about what do they stand for as a brand and what are the values they are willing to endorse,” says Amer Jaleel, chairman and chief creative officer at Mullen Lintas.  “When a celebrity like Virat Kohli makes a statement about a whole category of products, it will get people thinking. He will be available for brands that align better with his brand value, and this only sharpens his image,” he concludes.

Virat isn’t the first one to break away from the brand reminds ad man Prahlad Kakkar, “The first person to refuse to endorse Pepsi was Amitabh Bachchan – he declined to be the face saying he wouldn’t recommend it to his kids. It was somewhat brave decision on his part. Virat agreed to be an endorser six years ago because he needed the brand. Now that he is on the top, he can choose what he wants to endorse,” he explains. The million-dollar question however is, will Virat stand his ground and say that he won’t sport the Pepsi logo at all, even it is the primary sponsor of the Indian team? “This is where things will start getting blurry,” concludes Abhijit.