Virat Kohli, Akshay Kumar, Ranveer Singh lead brand value rankings of 2020

Virat Kohli emerged as the biggest celebrity brand in India retaining the top position for the third consecutive year. With 39% increase, Kohli’s brand value raised to $237.5 million in 2019, the most among cricketers. (Image: Reuters)

Cricket and Bollywood are yet again dominating the brand value rankings.

Virat Kohli topped the charts for the fourth time in a row as India's most valued celebrity with a brand value of USD 237.7 million, according to Duff & Phelps new report titled 'Embracing the New Normal'.

Kohli, who has more than 30 brands in his portfolio, continues to remain a favorite with brands across industries. The Indian cricket team captain also tops the social media ranking with a total of 165 million followers across Twitter, Facebook and Instagram.

“The pandemic has reinforced the fact that a strong social media presence is no longer a ‘good to have,’ but rather a ‘must-have’ for celebrity endorsers. With celebrity-brand engagements becoming more digitally oriented, brands and celebrity endorsers are discussing innovative ways of collaboration,” said Aviral Jain, CFA Managing Director, Duff & Phelps.

Bollywood follows cricket in terms of celebrity brand value rankings with Akshay Kumar taking the second position with a brand value of USD 118.9 million, followed by Ranveer Singh with a brand value of USD 102.9 million.

While established celebrities continue to dominate brand value rankings, it is the millennial celebrities who are seeing strong growth in their brand valuation, the report said.

With a strong social media presence, millennial celebrities continue to climb the ladder, said Jain.

"Ayushmann Khurrana, Tiger Shroff, and Rohit Sharma all jumped a few spots to grab the number six, 15, and number 17 spot, respectively. Further, Kartik Aaryan debuts on our list at number 20. These rising millennial celebrities were in greater demand during the pandemic owing to their popularity among the youth,” he added.

According to the report, Aaryan's brand value stands at USD 14.9 million.

Also, amid the millennial celebrities, Khurrana saw the strongest growth in brand value as compared to 2019. The actor who made his debut in the brand value rankings last year with a brand value of USD 40.3 million at rank 10, this year jumped to rank with a brand value of USD 48 million.

From startups to mobile, from beverages to clothing, from grooming products to watches, Khurrana is endorsing more than two dozen top brands, the report said.

Highlighting the digital medium, Varun Gupta, Managing Director and Asia Pacific Leader for Valuation Services, Duff & Phelps, said that last year saw a boost in digital advertising, with celebrities leveraging their authentic and personal experiences for endorsements. "In fact, many OTT stars and influencers are currently sharing the spotlight for digital ads which is a new trend.”