Retired, but Brand Dhoni still on a strong advertising pitch

Captain Cool Mahendra Singh Dhoni may be out of the international cricket pitch but his appeal on the advertisement pitch will endure long, say brand experts.

Dhoni’s aura is such that endorsement deals will continue to land on his table and there is unlikely to be any erosion in his brand value.

As brand strategy specialist Harish Bijoor points out Dhoni will remain a major force in the T20 format, which is the “most commercial format that is there in India”.

He adds, “Dhoni and his brand value will therefore see no decline provided his swashbuckling format of cricket ability sees no change. In fact, I see his brand value deepen as we see him in fewer fixtures than before.”

Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former Asia-Pacific Marketing head of HP Inc, said, “Most cricketers’ brand value do indeed correlate with their active playing career, but for someone of Dhoni’s stature there will be a prolonged afterglow, that if properly nurtured may keep him much sought after.”

New fields of interest

Dhoni has in the past few years been expanding his business interests and in recent times made investments in new-age ventures such as Cars24. He also owns an athleisure brand called Seven and a gym venture called Sportsfit World. He also co-owns an ISL team called Chennaiyin F.C. Brand experts believe with more time on hand he is expected to expand his business ventures and increase brand engagements.

According to Duff & Phelps Celebrity brand valuation study 2019, which was released in February, Dhoni's brand valuation was estimated at $41.2 million and he was ranked among the top 10 in celebrity brand rankings. He was featured in campaigns of as many as 44 brands in 2019, according to TAM Media's Adex report. These included campaigns for Gulf Oil, Orient Electric Fans, Powerade, Indian Terrain and Mastercard, among others.

Rakesh Khanna, MD & CEO, Orient Electric Ltd, said the brand has been associated with the ace cricketer for more than 11 years. “In our advertisements, if you see, Dhoni has seldom been featured as a cricketer.

He is respected and admired as a thought leader showcasing strong values of credibility and reliability and his mass appeal goes beyond the cricket field,” he added.

Ravi Chawla, Managing Director, Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd, said, “We have had a long-standing and multifaceted association with Dhoni for nearly a decade. He is very passionate about the automobile segment and has helped us deepen our engagement with our consumers and we believe this journey will get further strengthened.”

Clearly, on the brands and business pitch, Brand Dhoni still remains not out!

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