By Christina Moniz
It looks like blockbuster Southern movies will change the script not only for Bollywood stars but also for brand endorsers. Allu Arjun, who starred in the 2021 Telugu blockbuster Pushpa: The Rise, has made it into the top 10 celebrity rankings for India compiled by Hansa Research. Samantha Ruth Prabhu from Oo Antava (from the same film) has also had great success in the latest Brand Endorser (BE) report. These two actors have risen to become the highest ranking male and female celebrities of South India. Arjun had 85% recognition and Samantha 74%. Allu Arjun supports brands like Zomato, redBus, Rapido and Samantha Ruth Prabhu supports KurKure, Myntra, Mamaearth, Munch, PhonePe and so on, among others.
The ranking is a commentary on how Southern stars have really begun to shine on the national stage. Besides Arjun and Prabhu, actors like Rashmika Mandanna, Suriya, Vijay Deverakonda, Mahesh Babu, Ram Charan, Mohanlal, Junior NTR, Shruti Hasan and Chaitanya Akkineni not only capture the hearts of viewers but also capture the attention of brand marketers and strategists.
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Take McDonald’s India, which named Rashmika Mandanna its brand ambassador over 15 months ago to win in the southern regions. “When we looked at our strategy for the South market, we felt celebrity endorsement was appropriate given the large celebrity following, particularly in the South, and Rashmika, who is young and vibrant, fits our brand perfectly,” notes Arvind RP. Marketing and Communications Director of McDonald’s India. “The move has paid off for us, as our surveys show that brand affinity with McDonald’s in the southern regions has increased by a good 25-30% over the past 15 months,” he adds.
Otherwise, the Hansa report has few surprises in store. Hindi film star Amitabh Bachchan tops the overall list as the country’s best-known celebrity. He is way ahead of younger actors Shah Rukh Khan and Salman Khan and cricket icons Sachin Tendulkar and Mahendra Singh Dhoni. For his part, Sachin Tendulkar appears in the sports category ahead of Dhoni and Virat Kohli; Stand-up comedian and producer Kapil Sharma became the most popular male TV star; Naagin’s fame Mouni Roy is the most popular female TV star; and Bhuvan Bam, known for his YouTube channel BB Ki Vines, tops the social media list of top influencers.
The report covered more than 550 celebrities across film, sports, music, television and even social media influencers, reflecting the wide range of choices marketers have today when it comes to finding endorsers for their brands; There were 5,100 respondents in 36 cities. The celebrities are tracked using various metrics such as likeability, social media influence, perception, marketing potential, recognition, etc. that make up their final BE score. Hansa Research chief executive officer Praveen Nijhara says the BE study is a comprehensive assessment of the value an endorser brings to the table and will “help advertisers improve the overall return on celebrity engagement.”
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