Xebec Communications

Ms. Kiran Bhat on 'BRAND' in Xpressions, a bi-monthly issue by Air Sahara Inflight - July-Aug 2002 Here's what Kiran Bhat, Managing Director, Xebec, says,
"While celebrity endorsement is a good way to establish a brand quickly, it definitely has its up and down side. If the right celebrity is used, it will go a long way in creating goodwill and recall for the brand. Fiat Palio, I feel, has used Sachin and Kambli very well. It's a well-executed and memorable advertisement. Hyundai used Shahrukh Khan very well when it first came into the country."

She adds, "However, the whole bunch of celebrity endorsements for various soft drinks don't make any sense with the exception of Amitabh Bachchan. After a point of time, it is difficult to remember who endorsed what. Err... Was it Ash or Sush for Pepsi? Yeah, it is that bad. It's worse with the same celebrity endorsing two different products from the same category, like automobiles. Too much. A celebrity needs to be used selectively, and not because the creative guy cannot think of anything original or is plain lazy to come up with something exciting."