Virat Kohli tops celebrity endorsers list in 2018, SRK slips to 5th

Deepika Padukone and Akshay Kumar occupied the second and third spots with brand values of $102 million and $67.3 million, respectively: 2018 Duff & Phelps celebrity brand valuation report

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mint-india-wire celebrity endorsementsendorsement dealscelebrity endorsers 2018Virat KohliShah Rukh KhanDeepika PadukoneAkshay KumarDuff & Phelps celebrity brand valuation report

New Delhi: Indian cricket team captain Virat Kohli emerged as the top celebrity endorser for the second year in a row in the 2018 Duff & Phelps celebrity brand valuation report. With a brand value of $170 million, the cricketer currently endorses 24 brands across categories. He signed new deals with e-commerce firm Flipkart, health snacking brand Too Yum and ride-hailing app Uber last year, while ending his association with Pepsi stating that he would only endorse brands with a pro-health image.

Similarly, actor Deepika Padukone also parted ways with Coca-Cola after four years and chose to endorse Tetley Green Tea, which promotes a healthy lifestyle. Riding on the success of period drama ‘Padmavat’, Padukone emerged as the second-most popular celebrity endorser of 2018, knocking off Shah Rukh Khan, who slipped to the fifth spot. With a $102-million brand value, Padukone endorses 21 brands.

According to the report, both Kohli and Padukone have been structuring endorsement deals with equity elements, which help them maintain long-term associations with brands and share upsides from performances of companies.

Akshay Kumar, with a $67.3-million brand value, moved up a spot from 2017 to occupy the third position in 2018. Kumar cemented his place in the third spot by adding new product brands, supporting social initiatives such as the use of sanitary napkins (Padman Challenge), road safety (Sadak Suraksha Jeevan Raksha) and the commercial success of his movies ‘Padman’ and ‘Gold’.

With only one movie release (‘Zero’) in 2018, Shah Rukh Khan, who was at the second spot in 2017, slipped to the fifth position in 2018. His brand value took a beating and was down 43% at $61 million, compared to 2017. With 13 deals in hand, he lost endorsements such as shaving cream brand Vi John, Dish TV and Frooti to younger celebrities. Meanwhile, Ranveer Singh occupied the fourth spot in the ranking, with a brand value of $63 million.