MUMBAI,March21,2012: He is being described as the hottest one-day cricketer on the planet and a potential captain candidate for Team India. At 23, Virat Kohli's exploits on the field - combined with his youth, good looks and attitude - make him a compelling proposition for brand endorsements.The Kohli charm is already at work. The Delhi lad's annual endorsement fee has shot past Rs 3 crore per brand after his two recent blitzkrieg centuries in one-day cricket.He is poised to sign two-three fresh endorsement deals at new rates, which have soared three-fold from just under Rs 1 crore he charged a year ago. TOI has learnt that he has signed P&G's Vicks brand and could sign up with a cellular operator and a mobile handset brand after the
Asia Cup."Age is on his side and the timing is also right, making him a perfect fit for all brands which are targeting the youth. We are talking to brands for possible endorsement deals, but Virat is clear that the brand fit has to be there for him to sign up these contracts," said
Bunty Sajdeh,
CEO, Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment, the agency which handles Kohli's brand endorsements. The cricketer's current portfolio has 10 brands, including Arvind's Flying Machine, Titan Fastrack, PepsiCo, Fair & Lovely and
TVS Motors, besides others.Sajdeh said he will look to sign only short-term contracts for Kohli despite many brands wanting longer associations with the cricketer. "He is currently going from strength to strength and one does not know how it will be before the World Cup in 2015. Therefore, it is best that we finish off all contracts in 2014," he told. In the cricketing world, Kohli is now being seen as next only to M S
Dhoni and
Sachin Tendulkar as far as brand equity goes. MSD's endorsement fee went rocketed to Rs 8-10 crore annually after the World Cup win, and is still by far the biggest brand endorser - neck and neck with the likes of actors such as
Aamir Khan,
Shah Rukh Khan and
Ranbir Kapoor."Kohli will soon become a default option for brands wanting to invest in cricket. What he has going for him is the attitude he carries with him on and off the field," said Anirban Das Blah, MD, Kwan
Entertainment and Marketing, which works closely with Cornerstone Sport on Kohli's endorsements.Kohli's youth makes him an ideal choice for brands that chase a younger demography, which is key to India's consumption-led growth. "We feel we entered at the right stage and the next couple of years will be the peak of his career. He fits the brand proposition perfectly for us and has a charismatic appeal," said J Suresh, MD (brand and retail), Arvind, which owns brands like Flying Machine and Arrow.The jeanswear brand signed Kohli last year before the World Cup at a moderate price and is close to renewing the contract with him till 2013, said sources close to the development.Another brand Titan Fastrack, which caught him early in 2010, also has its endorsement contract up for renewal, rendering it more expensive after his recent successes. Industry observers are watching whether Kohli would follow MSD in swelling his portfolio with brands, not being too picky with his choices. Sajdeh said Kohli, on the contrary, turns down more offers than what he accepts.
