The SRK Show
Archna Shukla -
Thursday, April 17, 2008 10:40 PM
Try answering the following questions:
Who is a bigger icon-- Shahrukh Khan or Sachin Tendulkar?
Who has a bigger star appeal – Shahrukh Khan or Yuvraj?
Who can draw in more eyeballs – Shahrukh Khan or Ricky Ponting?
Who is a bigger hero -- Shahrukh Khan or Graeme Smith?
Who has more loyalists – Shahrukh Khan or Sourav Ganguly?
You may have a different take on each of the aforesaid questions, but
advertisers, the bread winners of any television channel and broadcast
property in this country, seem unanimous that the answer to all the
questions above is one: Shahrukh Khan. Why else will they be so circumspect
about investing in IPL and make a beeline for Kya Aap Paanchvi Paas Se Tez
Hain? No need to tell you what IPL and Paanchvi Paas are, right? Paanchvi
Paas is the game show that SRK is going to host on Star Plus and IPL is the
domestic cricket league that BCCI….well, you know! And you also know, that
SRK owns one of the eight teams of IPL. While his benefactors on Star Plus
have managed to cash in on his brand equity among television viewers, the
poor guy, apparently, is finding it hard to sell himself on the ground (I
read some on some blog that IPL ticket sales in Kolkata have been minimal).
So the story is: Paanchvi Paas has got more number of advertisers than IPL.
Apparently, Sony Entertainment Televsion, the channel that will air IPL
matches managed to find only six sponsors, and Star Plus has signed in 11.
Not just that, the six sponsors on IPL spent much less than the 11 guys on
Star Plus. IPL, in fact, hasn’t managed to get two of the five ground
sponsors for the matches. (for details see Mint’s story in tomorrow’s
edition. Cheap plug? Nah! We live in an era of aggressive marketing).
So what do you think like millions of common Indians, advertisers are also
sold on SRK? Or you think Star has a smarter ad sales team than Sony’s? Not
sure if Kunal Dasgupta would like to field this one. I met him at Ficci
Frames last month. He was as elusive as ever. I asked him what happened to
Sony’s IPO plans? His comeback: What IPO? I only know IPL. We have IPL and
IPL is bigger than IPO. Indeed!