So now that SachinTendulkar is a "former India cricketer", how does that affect his
brand valuation? The question is particularly relevant because for a major part
of his 24-year long career, mega sponsorship deals have chased the maestro. A
path-breaker on the field, he has also been a pioneer off it in the way he
brought money into the game.
It has helped that Sachin's success story coincided with the rise of the great Indian middle class and helped him gain unimaginable wealth for an Indian sportsman. But all that is history. As the diminutive genius said in his tribute to guru Ramakant Achrekar "there are no more matches, sir, in my life".
As the master walks into the sunset, will Brand Sachin, which sold many a dream and still continues to do so, also diminish?
It appears that here, too, Sachin is set to break some records.
In the collective Indian mindspace, Sachin's impact can only be measured as a combination perhaps of a Michael Schumacher, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan put together, and some more. No other sportsperson anywhere in the world has played at the highest level for two-and-a-half decade. His longevity and sustained brilliance have placed Sachin in an orbit where whether or not he plays the sport, becomes irrelevant.
"Sachin is no longer a brand," says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, who has shot numerous commercials with the maestro. "He's an icon. The brands will no doubt be after him, perhaps even more than before. But they will be bound by their limitations, not Sachin's. Frankly, no company can afford Sachin any more, the heights he has now reached. They still may offer him some, and he may condescend to favour a few but in terms of brand valuation, Sachin is in a league of his own," says Kakkar.
Brands, as any marketing whiz will tell you, typically target the 15-30 age bracket when looking for celebrity movie stars or athletes. The endorser can be seen using it and it resonates with the consumers whom they are targeting.
Given that Sachin has retired at the "ripe old age of 40" there seems little logic in brands trying to pursue him for endorsements. And this is where the maestro is different from
the rest.
"Sachin evokes trust and high performance," says Amitava Mitra, COO, Percept Communications. "Not only will banks, insurance companies and those selling financial products pursue him more than ever but even youth brands will chase him because he is seen as a youth motivator. They would like Sachin to mentor their group", he explains.
"Simply put, Sachin is beyond the normal cycle of a sportperson," he added.
A heart-tugging farewell speech has added yet another dimension to Sachin's persona. Hitherto known as a reticent genius, the maestro delivered perhaps one of the most moving, emotional and eloquent oration ever, and an extempore one at that.
"His farewell speech showed how humble he is, how rooted he is despite all that success. That is what Indian parents want their children to be," says Indranil Das, COO and partner of CAA Kwan, a global celebrity and sports management joint-venture company.
"It will surely endear him to many more who are less interested perhaps in his sport but more in his personality. Unless he leads an intensely private life, totally shunning public attention which seems unlikely, brands will look to be associated with him any which way. That playing for 24 years he still has a squeaky clean image has only added to his aura", says Das, adding: "He has done what no other Indian sportsperson did before him. He has transcended his sport."
It has helped that Sachin's success story coincided with the rise of the great Indian middle class and helped him gain unimaginable wealth for an Indian sportsman. But all that is history. As the diminutive genius said in his tribute to guru Ramakant Achrekar "there are no more matches, sir, in my life".
As the master walks into the sunset, will Brand Sachin, which sold many a dream and still continues to do so, also diminish?
It appears that here, too, Sachin is set to break some records.
In the collective Indian mindspace, Sachin's impact can only be measured as a combination perhaps of a Michael Schumacher, Muhammad Ali and Michael Jordan put together, and some more. No other sportsperson anywhere in the world has played at the highest level for two-and-a-half decade. His longevity and sustained brilliance have placed Sachin in an orbit where whether or not he plays the sport, becomes irrelevant.
"Sachin is no longer a brand," says ad guru Prahlad Kakkar, who has shot numerous commercials with the maestro. "He's an icon. The brands will no doubt be after him, perhaps even more than before. But they will be bound by their limitations, not Sachin's. Frankly, no company can afford Sachin any more, the heights he has now reached. They still may offer him some, and he may condescend to favour a few but in terms of brand valuation, Sachin is in a league of his own," says Kakkar.
Brands, as any marketing whiz will tell you, typically target the 15-30 age bracket when looking for celebrity movie stars or athletes. The endorser can be seen using it and it resonates with the consumers whom they are targeting.
Given that Sachin has retired at the "ripe old age of 40" there seems little logic in brands trying to pursue him for endorsements. And this is where the maestro is different from
the rest.
"Sachin evokes trust and high performance," says Amitava Mitra, COO, Percept Communications. "Not only will banks, insurance companies and those selling financial products pursue him more than ever but even youth brands will chase him because he is seen as a youth motivator. They would like Sachin to mentor their group", he explains.
"Simply put, Sachin is beyond the normal cycle of a sportperson," he added.
A heart-tugging farewell speech has added yet another dimension to Sachin's persona. Hitherto known as a reticent genius, the maestro delivered perhaps one of the most moving, emotional and eloquent oration ever, and an extempore one at that.
"His farewell speech showed how humble he is, how rooted he is despite all that success. That is what Indian parents want their children to be," says Indranil Das, COO and partner of CAA Kwan, a global celebrity and sports management joint-venture company.
"It will surely endear him to many more who are less interested perhaps in his sport but more in his personality. Unless he leads an intensely private life, totally shunning public attention which seems unlikely, brands will look to be associated with him any which way. That playing for 24 years he still has a squeaky clean image has only added to his aura", says Das, adding: "He has done what no other Indian sportsperson did before him. He has transcended his sport."
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