Enkayaar, Bollywood Trade News Network

When the light passes through a single hole, the output on the other side is a focused and précised attention at the source where it lands. However, when the light is passed through multiple holes, it gets diffused and does not have that effect. Is the same phenomenon being experienced in the advertisement world as well, particularly with the multiple endorsements being done by stars? Thinking is gaining ground that multiple endorsements are not able to develop the rapport in the same extent about a brand with an audience as a single campaign.

Take for example; Shah Rukh Khan who did a modeling for a new brand of suiting and shirting, but the brand recognition for the brand does not have the same conversion, as a conversion with Shah Rukh Khan is associated with an Airtel, or a Pepsi. In case of Abhishek Bachchan an Idea is having a second innings while the Flying Machine endorsement is not visible in the same magnitude. Amitabh Bachchan has been associated with so many brands, but recall value of a product is more with a Reid & Taylor and a Cadbury than anything else. A Preity Zinta whenever she appears on a billboard is associated with BSNL.

With difference in the products only in terms of the process tinkering, what ultimately decides about a product being lifted from the shelf is the recall that a customer can associate about the product with his favorite star. This is precisely the reason, why the stars are roped in for multiple endorsements, as the belief is that the star power would be able to provide the leeway and the foothold for the product to register in the market. It would however be an interesting premise to see whether a star has been able to successfully launch a new product. When Maruti Versa was launched it had endorsement about the same by Big B and Junior B, but the product could not survive in the market. Was it the failure of the product, or the failure of the copy to sell the product?

A copy may have a role to play in positioning of the product, however the product if it is not able to come up to the expectations can piggy ride on the back of a copy to position itself in the market.

So star can cement the position of a brand in a market, but it may always be a dicey position for the star to leverage his star power to give a firm footing to a new product in the market.

Association of general image of a star with a product also is a deciding factor; therefore if a star has an image of a carefree person, if his star power is used to convey an image of sophistication then it comes unstuck. Could this be the reason that the new brand of suiting shirting with which Shah Rukh was associated could not make an impact as Shah Rukh Khan is more seen in a public life in a casual attire than in a formal attire, and he has himself gone on record to say that for him the casual clothes rule in his wardrobe.

So usage of a star power for selling a product has to be done keeping in mind the image that the star has cultivated in the public, or else the attempts to sell products through star power but without a connect would continue to come unstuck.


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