Bollywood star Sidharth Malhotra’s brand value is growing with endorsements ranging from Movado luxury watches to Oppo phones but his marriage with fellow actor Kiara Advani will be a turning point, said brand experts.
"Kiara has done well for herself in terms of movies and her presence is much stronger in the brand world, so Sidharth could be a big beneficiary. It's like an inflexion point for him," said Aviral Jain, Managing Director, Valuation Advisory Services, Kroll.
Kiara Advani is the new entrant in Kroll's most valuable celebrity list with a brand value of $38.3 million. As for Sidharth Malhotra, his brand value stands at $10 million currently.
With a portfolio of nine brands in 2022, Malhotra has signed a couple more this year especially due to the wedding buzz, Jain said.
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"His brand value has grown over the years as he has done reasonably well at the box office. Also, his endorsement fee has gone up, almost doubled in the last 3 years," Jain said.
The actor is estimated to charge an endorsement fee of Rs 2 to 3 crore per brand.
Power couple
Jain said with brands like Happilo and Reliance Trends signing Malhotra and Advani together more advertisers will see them as a power couple, which will help brand Sidharth Malhotra grow further.
"The marriage has done good in terms of how people see him in the market. A lot of categories get added when you are a couple, a lot of stability-seeking categories get added," said Manish Porwal, Managing Director, Alchemist, Marketing & Talent Solutions.
The newlyweds make a dynamic pair and they certainly have the potential to boost Malhotra's brand value, said Sahil Gupta, Lead - Influencer Marketing, Interactive Avenues.
"Sidharth and Kiara have the potential to become the next 'happening couple' in the endorsement world as they are more accessible and affordable for a larger number of brands. Already, brands like Happilo and Reliance Trends have signed them up, and many more are likely to follow in the near future. The power of Sidharth and Kiara as a 'couple brand' lies in the ripple effect they can create among their followers and fans, which can translate into significant sales and brand loyalty for the brands they endorse," he said.
Jain said both the stars have done well on social media with Malhotra's followers increasing from 30 million to 45 million and Advani having a 45 million following. "Both are at par so as a power couple that is important."
Couple endorsements have always been a thing and now as we see Kiara and Sidharth sign brand deals together, it's bound to work well, said Ramya Ramachandran, Founder & CEO – Whoppl, an influencer marketing agency. "It would bridge the gap between reel and real life. The mindset of the audience would also be to view them in synergy as a unit now and it would open more avenues for both. Their relevance with family-oriented brands in lifestyle or home decor space will stimulate.”
Endorsement journey
Malhotra’s movie successes like Shershah and Mission Majnu will also contribute to his brand portfolio, experts said. The actor will be next seen in Yodha, a Dharma Productions film.
"He has to grow his endorsement portfolio from single digit to 15-20 brands to become a strong contender to enter the top 25 list of most valued celebrities. If he continues to walk down the current path, then in 2024 we can expect him to be in the top 25. Right now, he is in the list of top 40 most valued celebrities," Jain said.
He added in 2019 the Student of the Year star had 8 brands which came down during Covid years. "There has been a churn in his brand portfolio as all the brands are new sign-ups in 2022. We don't see 2021 brands carried over to 2022."
Malhotra endorsed a total of five brands in the years 2019, 2020 and 2021. The actor achieved his highest ranking in 2019, when he was placed at position 80 based on the volume of ad endorsements, according to data by TAM Media Research.
Audi, Truly Madly, Vivo and Josh are some of his current endorsements.
What makes him appealing to brands is his personality which is a subtle blend of aspirational yet approachable, said Rachna Chandiramani, Founder, Thriverse Advisory, a consulting firm.
"He has leveraged his positioning in a way that he can fit into Tier-II and III markets while being able to seamlessly get into luxury roles. Malhotra has 24 million followers on Instagram with a near even-split of 60:40 in the male-female demographics. He’s just as home at Ralph Lauren fragrances and Movado watches as he is with endorsing Reliance Trends and Induslnd Bank. His recent association with Tecno Phantom phones is also a call for young, savvy brands to associate with him, startups in particular," she said.
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