With a brand value of USD 144 million and registering a growth of 56 per cent from last year, Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli has taken the number one position and dethroned Bollywood badshah Shah Rukh Khan to become the most valuable celebrity brand in the country, it is reported.
This increase is primarily driven by his growing endorsement fees, on-field performances and rise in popularity index, according to a report published by the Duff & Phelps report called Rise of the Millennials: India’s Most Valuable Celebrity Brands.
“For the first time since we began publishing our rankings, Shah Rukh Khan has slipped from the top ranking and been replaced by Virat Kohli. Kohli is now the first choice of brands to engage and attract consumers, fueled by his extraordinary on-field performances and off-field charisma,” said Duff & Phelps managing director and region leader, India, Japan and Southeast Asia Varun Gupta.
Shah Rukh Khan slipped to second rank, with a brand value of USD 106 million down by nearly 20 per cent as compared to that of 2016 while actress Deepika Padukone valued at USD 93 million stuck to her third rank.
Kohli endorses 20 brands as of October 2017, while Khan and Padukone endorse 21 and 23 brands, respectively.
Former Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is the only other sports personality to feature in the top 15 list, taking the 13th position with a brand value of USD 21 million.
Total value of the top 15 celebrity brands is estimated to be USD 712 million of which sports celebrities contributed around 25 per cent of the total celebrity brand value in 2017.
The top sectors using celebrity brand endorsers include personal care, food and beverages, automobiles, smartphones and clothing.
