 "Salman Khan")
The most mercurial Bollywood actor, Salman Khan, reaffirmed his bankability with his latest flick, Kick, last month, with a domestic collection of Rs 233 crore (made for Rs 110 crore). He has proved to be bankable for Viacom 18's most popular reality show, Bigg Boss as well, the eighth edition of which he flagged off on Sunday. Khan has also proved to be one of Bollywood's most popular actors on the internet with regular updates for his large following, both on Twitter and Facebook.
Jagdeep Kapoor, chairman and managing director, Samsika Marketing Consultants, says, that Khan is the only actor who has a sustained visibility throughout the year. "Between his films (one-two a year), his Being Human activities, Bigg Boss and the general interest of the media in the actor's life, Khan is one of the most visible actors. This allows him to be in the public eye longer and brands associating with him benefit from this," says Kapoor. In contrast, most of his counterparts such as Hrithik Roshan and Shah Rukh Khan end up with one release per year, and Aamir Khan once in every two years. Bigg Boss, too, compared to the other stars' TV shows (including Kaun Banega Crorepati hosted by Amitabh Bachchan) has a wider reach and eyeball share.
So, just as Bigg Boss banks on Khan's draw with its wide cross-section of audience, Khan, too, gains from the reach that it affords him. It rubs off on his brand engagements too. Khan is the face of eight brands - Britannia's Tiger Biscuits, Suzuki's Hayate, Relaxo Hawaii, Ranbaxy's Revital, Coca-Cola's Thums Up, HUL's Wheel, underwear brand Dixcy Scott, holiday portal yatra.com and Astral Pipes. Most were won after 2009.
The year 2009 marked his revival as a superstar following a dull phase when his movies bombed. With Wanted, followed by Dabangg in 2010, his career graph headed north. These kicked off the third leg of his career, from a romantic hero in the nineties, to an identity crisis in the 2000s to a vigilante in different avatars now.
The launch of Being Human - The Salman Khan Foundation, a charity, in 2010, could also be seen as a move to alleviate the damage Khan's real-life controversies have done to his 'bad boy with a golden heart' image earlier. The changes brought back one of the biggest brands in his kitty - Coca-Cola - in late-2012. He had endorsed India's leading cola, Thums Up ('Taste the thunder') till 2003, before being dropped. Coca-Cola moved on to Akshay Kumar for nearly a decade after that. But when it brought him back from PepsiCo's stable (he was endorsing Mountain Dew in 2010-11), it was for a sum (Rs 18 crore for two years) that was reportedly higher than what it was paying Sachin Tendulkar for its flagship Coke that year.
It is more than his visibility that Khan has managed to orchestrate to work in his favour. Most of these brands' goal of targeting a mass audience defines Khan's positioning too, with some pointing out that the lack of premium or luxury brands keeps him away from the class of his counterparts' endorsement careers.
But among ambassadors from tinsel town, he ensures he is one of the most bankable. He has one of the lowest overall endorsement fees compared to his peers. According to sources, he charges Rs 10-13 crore a year (for two-three days of events and ad-shoot), lower than the Rs 15-16 crore demanded by the other Khans and Roshan. However, the others spare four-five days a year, more than Khan.
A year shy of 50, Khan has also extended his business savvy, evident from his satellite rights earnings and profit-sharing of his films, to his endorsement career. Estimates say that he got five per cent stake in the online travel portal, yatra.com, over and above the endorsement fee. He also models for his Being Human clothing and accessories.
Khan's volatility earns him negative press and perhaps costs him high-end brands, as a rival celebrity manager says, "Many times, a brand would prefer a clean image. Salman's patchy track-record in the press could deter many, if not all, high-end brands." But some point out that the overhaul of Khan's career over the last few years has increased his relevance. "He gets you the eyeballs by lending spontaneity to the brand. Controversies affect to a point, but when brands see returns, they do not mind overlooking the odds," says another long-time celebrity brand manager, who declined to be named.
Kapoor says, "Salman's strength lies in his 'masstige' appeal. He could easily charge more." A brand consultant who worked closely with some of the brands Khan advertises for, says that Astral Pipes, an Ahmedabad-based pumping system company, has seen increased sales in the last two or three months since the actor began endorsing it. The claim, however, could not be independently verified.
Given his track record, Khan will surely be looking for more ways to make his endorsements work harder for him and his brands, going forward.
