 "Rohit Sharma")
Rohit Sharma's stellar knock in the recent tournament against Sri Lanka is a testimony to his talent but it also highlights a vacuum for the advertising world. In recent years, as older cricketing ambassadors have given way to newer players, both on-field and on-screen, the choice of cricketers for advertisers to pick from has decreased drastically. The newer crop of cricketers are yet to perform consistently enough for brands to bank on. So, brands can either pay big bucks for MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli or go with Bollywood's newer stars when looking for male endorsers. And, it is unlikely to change overnight.
For example, Sharma's 264 runs against Sri Lanka at Eden Gardens recently may have propelled him back into the limelight but his brand equity may not see a sizeable jump yet.
| HOW THE OTHER WANNABES STACK UP |
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SHIKHAR DHAWAN Canara Bank, Rodeo Drive (luxury brand), Fashion Big Bazar, RK Global (financial broking firm) and brands that are part of Team India and IPL team campaigns
* Average annual fee – Rs 75 lakh to Rs 1 crore SURESH RAINA No individual brand endorsements apart from those with Team India or IPL teams RAVINDER JADEJA No individual brand endorsements apart from those with Team India or IPL teams |
With a double ton in each of the three forms of the game, Sharma has fortified his place in the squad for the 2015 World Cup, but the volume of endorsement offers won't swell anytime soon, according to industry experts.
Sharma's manager, Cornerstone's Bunty Sajdeh, says, 'With cricket, consistency is the key. While Rohit (Sharma) has played some wonderful innings, he has been found lacking in consistency. Over the past year, he has been working on this, not only on the field, but through other aspects like his fitness and lifestyle. While there has been an increase in queries, I don't think we'll suddenly see Rohit endorse 10-15 brands.'
From an estimated fee of Rs 75 lakh-1 crore, he could now be seen as commanding anywhere between Rs 1 crore and 1.5 crore a year. Currently, team India captain MS Dhoni leads the pack. Industry estimates peg his endorsement fee at Rs 8-10 crore a year. A recent study on celebrity brand endorsement by American Appraisal put his total brand value in 2013-14 at $741.9 million (Rs 442 crore). Following close on his heels is his deputy, Virat Kohli, the vice-captain, with a brand value of $56.4 million (Rs 338 crore), according to the report. Sources say that Kohli's fee is Rs 7-8 crore a year.
However, the next rung is sorely missing a strong player for brands to capitalise on, ahead of the World Cup. 'We must not forget Sharma's 264 runs came while playing in India. Brands value consistency and the upcoming Australia tour and the World Cup following it will decide whether he will leave his peers behind in brand endorsement deals or not,' says Indranil Das Blah, COO of talent management firm, CAA KWAN that handles actor Ranbir Kapoor, and manages his football team in the ongoing Hero Indian Super League. Sharma endorses four brands - Adidas, Restless (energy drink), Rajhans (realtor) and Royal Stag (alcoholic beverage). Sajdeh reveals that the cricketer is in advanced level talks with a couple of others.
'After the retirement of Tendulkar and Yuvraj's loss of form, the range of cricketer endorsers has definitely narrowed. It will take a while before new talent can establish themselves and be in demand not only by big brands, but even the smaller ones,' says Sajdeh.
After Kohli, brands now turn to Sharma or Shikhar Dhawan. While there have been intermittent success stories for Suresh Raina and Ravinder Jadeja, neither has been able to consolidate with endorsements.
It is not just the exit of Tendulkar but also those of senior players such as Sourav Ganguly, Rahul Dravid and Virender Sehwag which have made the wait a little longer for brands looking to bank on cricket. The World Cup due to start on 14 February, 2015, is expected to bring some hope.
'The World Cup will play a crucial part in throwing up more options. Depending on team India and the players' performances, one will see how the endorsement deals shape up,' says Blah. Sajdeh adds, 'One thing is sure, the vacuum will be filled with the likes of Rohit and Shikhar (Dhawan) climbing up the ladder and the newer players taking their place.'
Bollywood rivals
Cricketers don't just face competition from their peers but also from the next generation of Bollywood actors. 'Bollywood stars have a longer shelf life than cricketers. With Indian cricketers playing more cricket these days, it puts their form under the scanner more often. Bollywood stars have four releases a year at the most and this gives them more scope to maintain consistent visibility in the audiences' mind without the fallout of a match loss,' says Sajdeh.
The availability of a cricketer for the purpose of endorsements is also a problem. With a packed annual calendar, players rarely get time off, as opposed to film actors, where shoots can be worked around their other commitments.
'Even in the case of Sharma, brands may be wary of signing him on instantly since he is not going to be around in India lately. After the Sri Lanka series, the team leaves for Australia in a couple of weeks and will be there for at least four to five months. A brand may sign him and use him tactically, but strategic use of any new Indian cricketer endorser during the World Cup looks tough due to the time constraints,' says Blah.
It seems that a lot rides on the 2015 World Cup, which will be held in New Zealand and Australia. As the current trophy-bearer of the World Cup, the nation would want Team India to retain the title; the players may also be at an inflection point in their endorsement careers, with brands keenly watching, observing and analysing who all will be able to get on the next brigade of star endorsers from the cricket field.
