MUMBAI: Indian skipper Virat Kohli has overtaken Bollywood star Shah Rukh Khan as the most valuable celebrity in the country, according to the latest Duff and Phelps brands report.
Kohli’s brand value was $144 million, up 56 per cent from last year, with Shah Rukh Khan coming in second at $106 million.
The increase in Kohli’s brand value is primarily driven by his growing endorsement fees, on-field performances and rise in popularity index, according to the Duff & Phelps report Rise of the Millennials: India’s Most Valuable Celebrity Brands.
Badminton star P V Sindhu debuted in the list at number 15 (brand value $15 million), while former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the other sports person to feature in the top 15 list, taking the 13th position with a brand value of USD 21 million.
“While Bollywood celebrities continue to dominate the top 15, sportspersons are providing tough competition as Kohli, Dhoni and Sindhu, collectively valued at USD 180 million, account for nearly a quarter of the overall celebrity brand value of the top 15,” Duff & Phelps director Aviral Jain told the Economic Times.
“For the first time since we began publishing our rankings, Shah Rukh Khan has slipped from the top ranking and been replaced by Virat Kohli,” said Varun Gupta, managing director and region leader-India, Japan and Southeast Asia of Duff & Phelps. “Kohli is now the first choice of brands to engage and attract consumers, fuelled by his extraordinary on-field performances and off-field charisma.”
Ten of the top-15 celebrity brands were millennials. The brand value of the top 15 celebrities together has been pegged at $712 million. The report also revealed that 50 per cent of campaigns in India featured a celebrity endorser, against 20 per cent in the US. Millennials currently endorsed 64 per cent of the brands endorsed by the top-15 celebrities and constitutes 63 per cent of the brand value. The top sectors using celebrity brand endorsers include personal care, food and beverages, automobiles, smartphones and clothing.
