Colgate ropes in SRK as its new brand ambassado

MUMBAI: His last film Billu did not set the cash registers ringing and his cricket team, Kolkata Knight Riders (KKR) finished at the bottom in the second season of the Indian Premier League (IPL). None of this seems to have deterred advertisers, who are still convinced about the brand equity of Shah Rukh Khan.

FMCG giant Colgate Palmolive has signed on SRK to be its new brand ambassador. The deal between the company and the actor was signed on Tuesday, according to a source familiar with the development. An announcement to this effect is expected in a couple of days.

Colgate-Palmolive is a key player in the oral care category — toothpaste, toothbrush, toothpowder and whitening products. Earlier, Saif Ali Khan and Asin Thottumkal have been the brand endorsers for Colgate Max Fresh. Representatives of Colgate Palmolive, when contacted, were not available for comment.

SRK has been associated with about 25 brands, among which are ICICI Bank, Dish TV, Nokia, Hyundai, Linc Pens, Compaq, Sunfeast, Emami, TAG Heuer, and Omega. It is estimated that the actor commands anywhere between Rs 3 and 9 crore for a brand endorsement. "The masses love SRK and Colgate is a brand that reaches out to the masses. SRK is considered a family man and Colgate too is a product for the entire family. Colgate considers many things before signing on an ambassador and his positives will override the negatives like him being a chain smoker," said Manish Porwal, CEO, Percept Talent Management.

The market share for Colgate Palmolive's oral care products saw a jump during the past quarter of FY09, according to the company's annual report. The market shares in the toothpaste segment increased by 3% to 52.2%, toothpowder by 1.2% to 48.9% while it was at 37.6% in toothbrushes. The Colgate-Palmolive stock was up by 0.39% on Tuesday.

source: The Economic Times