Click to play videoMumbai: It’s a face that will sell a thousand brands. Well, maybe not a thousand, but definitely more than the 12 he currently endorses.
Twenty20 team captain Mahindra Singh Dhoni is now every advertiser's poster boy seeing his earnings from endorsements alone jump by around 40-50 per cent.
Other players Yuvraj Singh and Irfan Pathan are also riding the same gravy train.
While Singh’s earnings per year from endorsements is expected to be Rs 10-12 crores, Pathan’s is Rs 3 crores which is up from 25-30 lakhs.
"They are the ones who have the potential to grow as brand ambassadors as they are passionate about the sport. They deliver and therefore add value to the sponsors on the ground,” says Manish Porwal from Starcom.
Given that their relatively unknown names are now on the lips of every cricket fan, youngsters like Gautam Ghambir, Robin Utthappa, Rohit Sharma, Shree Santh and Dinesh Karthik are also likely to be approached by advertisers and agencies.
While Gautam Gambhir is expected to earn around Rs 25 lakhs per deal/brand, Robin Utthappa could make around Rs 30 lakhs, Dinesh Karthik Rs 25 lakhs, Shree Santh Rs 40 lakhs and Rohit Sharma Rs 25lakhs.
“These players will be a good cutting and slicing option when brands wants variety. If a brand is looking for energy and aggression, Shree Santh is a good option. If they are looking for demenour and status symbol, then Dravid would be the right choice,” says CEO, South Asia, World Sport Group, Venu Nair.
But these figures, as former skipper Saurav Ganguly knows are contingent on these players also proving themselves as more than lucky flukes.
Ganguly who was dropped by brands after India's World Cup debacle re-entered the endorsement roster with his return to form.
Today his annual earnings are in the range of Rs 6-8 crore. Similarly, Rahul Dravid who currently earns around Rs18 crores annually may find his abdication from captaincy hurting him.
The only player whose brand value does not fluctuate with performance is Sachin Tendulkar, who, no matter what his form, earns close to Rs 25 crores per year.
So don't be surprised if you see new faces endorsing your favorite brands in addition to familiar ones. The heroes of the masses are always the heroes of the advertising world.
(For updates you can share with your friends, follow IBNLive on Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and Pinterest)
More on IBNLive Right Now
MOST SHARED
PHOTOGALLERY
