Too Much of Bollywood?

Prabhat Choudhary of marketing communications agency Spice attributes this chiefly to the lack of strong and emerging personalities from other fields barring sports. Anand Halve,the head of brand and communications consultancy Chlorophyll,agrees that there is an overdose of Bollywood stars,but he considers them indispensable. “They are the safest option when representing a brand,” he says. Halve explains that until two years ago,the advertising and branding in India was much more creative. “But when the country was hit with scams and economy looked uncertain,advertisers and brands chose to resort to film stars,” says Halve.

However,this emerging trend has triggered celebrity fatigue and Priyanka Chopra may be seen endorsing shampoo,a fairness cream,jewellery brand,electronics and a handful of FMCG products,all at the same time. Consecutively,she may be seen promoting her upcoming films on TV and attending events. In such cases,however,it becomes a challenge to differentiate one product from another.

Atul Kasbekar,CMD of Bling,a brand management company,says that often agencies try to control this phenomenon. “I advise my clients against promoting more than four brands across industries at a time. But many other actors may choose to focus on the monetary benefits it brings if they fear that their stardom and resultant brand value may not last long,” he says. Choudhary adds that for actors who are akin to a brand,it is important to strategise according to their image. Referring to Aamir Khan’s recent appointment as the brand ambassador for UNICEF,he says,“Aamir represents quality and integrity and he chooses the brands he represents well enough to not clash with one another.” When a film is about to release,Choudhary adds,it is tough to draw the line because the aim is to reach out in all possible ways.

Be it for a film promotion or the exposure of a celebrity as a brand,their presence is decidedly excessive these days. But Kasbekar says that accessibility is the new mantra. “Look at Twitter or live events. They make the audience feel that their favourite star is within reach,” he points out. Choudhary also adds that the fatigue may be limited to metro cities. “The target market has changed to tier II and III and they have not yet had enough of their favourite actors. The TV shows and events are mostly aimed at them,” he says. Sony TV’s marketing head Danish Khan explains that nothing matches the excitement of watching their favourite stars in the same frame as their preferred TV characters. “The episode of Bade Achhe Lagte Hain where Vidya Balan and Sakshi Tanwar danced to Ooh La La brought in high TRPs,” says Khan.

Yet,they agree that effective communication is key here. “A well-thought-out campaign,like Deepika Padukone’s coffee brand ad works because it is like a continuing story,” says Halve.