Nothing sells like cricket in the Indian subcontinent as it's a heady combo of action, glam and entertainment. The action is big on the small screen. The ad revenues are mind-blowing and has shown a consistent rise in the last few years. This year, immediately after the World Cup (WC), the fourth edition of the Indian Premier League (IPL) will be back. Sample this: while cricket is expected to earn an ad revenue of Rs 1,800 crore from its television telecast this year (up from Rs 1,500 crore in 2010, as it showcases the World Cup and the Indian Premier League in back-to-back events). How big cricket ad revenue is can be gauged from the fact that the ad revenue of 2011 is expected to touch Rs 700-800 crore as compared to the Rs 300 crore of the inaugural edition of IPL.
Cashing in on the cricket fever are Bollywood hotties. In the midst of chasing targets, flying sixes, you can see B-Town beauties endorsing brands. According to various industry sources, the ladies leading the race are Kareena Kapoor (approximately Rs 2.5-3 crore per endorsement), Priyanka Chopra and Katrina Kaif (about Rs 2-2.5 crore per endorsement), Deepika Padukone (about Rs 1.5-2 crore per endorsement) and Genelia (about Rs 1.5 crore per endorsement).
Evergreen celeb fact: When it comes to endorsements nothing sells more than a celeb peddling the fare. Even media analysts agree on this. According to a recent study, the top recalled ads during the Annual Academy Awards 2011 had four ads endorsed by celebrities. Cut to WC 2011 where the target consumer gets to see more of Kareena Kapoor, Katrina Kaif, Genelia et al.
According to ad whiz Santosh Desai, "Celebrities ensure attention. Certain amount of visibility and attention will benefit any brand. During a WC match telecast, the same people who watch the matches watch ads too. So, there is a correspondence between the two."
Rajneesh Krishna, senior professor of a leading communications management institute feels, "The presence of a Bollywood actor breaks the clutter and if the personality of the actor is in consonance with the brand, then it clicks."
'Brand fit' is the name of the game. Chandan Nath, president of a leading ad agency feels "Priyanka could be the next big thing among celeb endorsers", while ad man Prathap Suthan hedges his bets on Deepika, who he says is the right mix of the "modern and traditional, sporty and the demure." Brand consultant Anand Halve, says, "Until last year, it was a tie between Priyanka and Kareena. But today Katrina is seen as someone who with a lot of potential as she retains a sense of authenticity in the ads."
As the battle of the B-Town bombshells gets spicier by the day, the BO success rate too will significantly tilt the scales in their favour, in the coming months. Until then, the headturners will continue to grab eyeballs and rake in the big bucks.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni
Shah Rukh Khan: 13%
Kareena Kapoor : 9%
Hrithik Roshan: 9%
Sachin Tendulkar: 5%
Virender Sehwag: 5%
Ranbir Kapoor: 5%
Saif Ali Khan: 3%
Katrina Kaif: 3%
Salman Khan: 3%
