The ads of Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan, and Shraddha Kapoor have been observed to be downplayed as public sentiments are against them due to the controversy over drugs.
It is definitely a dark period in the Bollywood world with the Sushant Singh Rajput death case shifting course into a drug nexus angle. In recent days, celebrities like Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Shraddha Kapoor were investigated by the Office of Narcotics Control. What does this mean for the value of the celebrity brand and the advertising offerings of these actors?
We’ve seen brands get nervous on several occasions when B-town celebrities get into controversies. Their response has been to leave them as brand ambassadors in no time. For example, Aamir Khan lost his Snapdeal contract after his controversial “bigotry” comment, while Salman Khan was also removed as a Thumbs Up brand ambassador. Interestingly, this has not happened in the case of Shah Rukh Khan. In the current scenario, the perception of famous brands has changed thanks to social networks and news channels. Brands really don’t want to lose consumers to the celebrities who endorse their brand.
Prahlad Kakkar, a senior advertising filmmaker, claimed that brands will never take a stand and what is happening is political revenge as they are capturing people who have stood up to the regime. “All said and done, brands will wait and see what happens to celebrities. Once they are approved, they will come back, but brands until then may prefer to go with uncontroversial people who are not involved in any kind of controversy. No. he wants to polarize his consumer for or against the brand and, in this case, he is the brand ambassador. “
When it comes to Deepika, Sara, and Shraddha, the actresses together have a large share of the market, but one source noted how publicity is downplayed for the simple reason that public sentiments are against them. There are those who feel that public memory is short and once the stars of the accusations are erased, the perception will change and the brands will once again have the same names. To the question; Will the drug controversy create a dent in your brand equity? A brand consultant confesses: “It is too early to comment. None of the brands have retired, but the renewal will be a challenge.” They also added that brands are sensitive to this and all their contracts are being cautiously reworked towards drugs. According to her, brands will start tapping untapped stars like Ayushmann Khurrana.
The safest bet for any brand is to move towards sports celebrities, they go on and add that brands will lose Bollywood talent wisely, but the endorsements will continue. For example, Aamir recently signed with two brands. Another example is Salman, who was trolled, but several brands have joined his reality shows showing that brands have faith in him. During the IPL match-fixing scandal, MS Dhoni’s brand equity was not affected. Also, the stars in the drug controversy have not been shown to be guilty, so it is too early to draw any conclusions.
“Celebrity endorsement of a brand is not just a marketing activity, it is a long-term investment and a partnership in the product lifecycle. Negative public relations have an impact, but they are temporary. Do we stop buying? Maggie or Cadbury due to safety concerns – temporary impact on product sales. Consumer requires a warranty, an ‘all is well’ and we are finally back to having our favorite noodles and chocolate, “says Deepesh Shah, Senior Marketing Consultant that has marked hit movies like Bajrangi Bhaijaan Y Piku.
ALSO READ: NCB seizes Deepika Padukone, Sara Ali Khan and Rakul Preet Singh’s mobile phones in drug case: Report
Deepesh has a valid point in saying that celebrities should connect with audiences and deliver good performances and stories. To gain ground that may seem lost, it is more a matter of perception. None of the celebrities have been arrested or proven guilty and they are cooperating with the ongoing investigation.
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