The Hindu Business Line : Bhajji ban: No impact on brands

With his endorsement value not expected to cross Rs 40 lakh, it is perhaps his personal financial loss (reported at Rs 2.9 crore) which is going to hurt the cricketer more than his loss of endorsements.

Mr Mahesh Ranka, GM, Relay Worldwide (a division of Starcom), says, “Endorsements has always been lopsided against bowlers. In Harbhajan’s case, he would at best been paid between Rs 30 lakh and 40 lakh for a couple of endorsements.”

Currently, the bowler appears in Seagram’s Royal Stag ad along with actor Saif Ali Khan and also has a presence in Reebok’s campaigns.

According to Mr Atul Hegde, COO, Connect Turf, “While the current sponsors may decide not to use him in their current campaigns, new brands coming his way will surely stop. At the same time, Bhajji has played long enough and today stands for the New India and that is something which will not get eroded so easily. The fact that he has apologised and not challenged the ban might also make his sponsors forgive him easily.”

But Harbhajan Singh has always been known for courting controversy and has never really been a brand endorser like Sachin Tendulkar or Rahul Dravid. He is visible in ads more as a part of a group of people rather than having a standalone status.

Mr Anirban Das Blah, Vice-President, Globosport, says, “Harbhajan is a familiar face and sits in campaigns where he is visible with a bouquet of other people.

“He is not holding any brand on his own. His ban is not going to make a difference either to him or to the brand. Besides, Bhajji has always been a controversial cricketer.”

The fact that Harbhajan Singh never really stood for a brand is being endorsed by other sports marketing companies as well.

Adds Ms Latika Khaneja, Director, Collage Sports, “Harbhajan has never been a role model like Sachin and Rahul, who are known to be cricketers of repute. There is nothing appealing about his behaviour and he was never much of a brand.”

Meanwhile, Reebok, which features Harbhajan Singh, has decided to continue having him in its advertisements. As Mr Prashant Singh from Reebok’s Sports Marketing Division said, “The ban on Harbhajan is not going to make a difference to Reebok.”

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