Of Rahman and brand recalls Why is having A. R. Rahman as a brand endorser a tough undertaking?.
Rahman is actually a difficult endorser. As a persona he comes through as one that shuns it all. Bringing such a persona to the forefront of advertising and branding could at times prove counter-productive. With music maestro A. R. Rahman winning many awards worldwide for his music, is it not time for brands to use him in their advertising, as a superstar? - S. K. Raman, Chennai Raman sir, I agree with you. A. R. Rahman has arrived on the firmament of music excellence with a big bang. The recognitions are just pouring in, quarter after quarter. There is really a state of under-use in the persona of Rahman as a brand endorser, as of now. The most visible one has been the one in which the now-defunct Worldspace Radio used him to optimal benefit and visibility norms. Rahman's Grammy is an acknowledgement of musical genius and hard work. I do believe it is all about the new fact that brilliance will find recognition, it does not matter which geography it resides in. India is a happening story as of now. It is about IT, ITES, Bollywood, music and more. And Rahman is the latest icon. Rahman as a brand endorser is something that is to be considered seriously now. Rahman is a brand in himself. It is important for this brand to associate with brands that actually add value to the Rahman brand rather than run in the pursuit of money and wide-spectrum endorsements. To that extent, Rahman's work with the now defunct Worldspace was an excellent fit. It added value to brand Rahman, and in return Rahman had a positive rub-off effect on brand Worldspace. The intelligent use of brand Rahman needs to be one of symbiotic use - categories reasonably umbilical to the genius in terms of music, or with categories that are all about excellence, rigour and perfection. A bit like the fit we saw with Tiger Woods and what Accenture wanted to say, until the recent events that rolled out. Keep one thing in mind, though. Rahman is actually a difficult endorser. As a persona he comes through as one that shuns it all. Bringing such a persona to the forefront of advertising and branding at times could prove counter-productive. Whichever brand uses Rahman needs to build a completely organic story of involvement. Nothing must appear forced. And that is a tough one. I do, therefore, believe that Rahman as a brand endorser will have limited cues and limited appeal altogether, and this, in many ways, is very good for Rahman. His image will remain intact, without being eaten into by the canker of brand endorsement that on many an occasion hurts and eats into the persona of the endorser. As far as price is concerned, I do believe he needs to demand a big price now. He needs to endorse very few brands, but he needs to milk the maximum value from those few brands. http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2010/02/25/stories/2010022550110400.htm
