Shah Rukh Khan vsAamir Khan: Whoisthe Better Marketer?

19 Pages·2010·1.71 MB·English

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Shah Rukh Khan vs Aamir Khan:
Who is the Better Marketer?
NoonedoubtsthecelebrityorendorsementpowerofBollywood’sBadshahs–ShahRukhKhan
(ShahRukh)andAamirKhan(Aamir).Whatstartedasaprofessionalrivalryisalsogettingplayed
out in the brands endorsed by them, making it a keenly-watched and most-talked about celebrity
war.However,themostintriguingquestiondoingrounds,bothinBollywoodaswellascorporate
world,thesedaysis:whoisthebettermarketer–ShahRukhorAamir?Whilesomethankthemfor
havingsetinmotionrefreshinglynewbrandofIndianfilmmarketingwiththeirexquisitemarketing
blitzkrieg, manystill wonder who would be a better marketer – both for their home productions’
movies,theirrespectivebusinessventuresaswellforastheirmovies.
BusinessTodayreportedonthescalingupofanentertainmentconglomeratebyShahRukh–
consistingofthesegmentsrangingfromfilm-makingandvisualeffectstotelevisioncommercialsand
cricket. HighlightingAamir as ‘a marketing genius’, it stated, “films are his bread and butter, and
endorsementshisjam.AamirKhan,incontrasttoSRK,hasfewerironsinthefirebuthe’saseffective”.1
How both of them invented elaborate mental construct to manage the stardom in the backdrop of
Bollywood’stransformationsinceearly1990s,soundsinteresting.
Film Promotion: Scripted by Hollywood, Executed by Bollywood
Bollywoodmovies,priorto1990s,weremarketedandpromotedbydistributorsthroughtraditional
means such as television, radio and paid advertisement in print media. However, rapid
commercialisationofmoviesandadventofonlinemediaplatformsthroughthe1990sandfirstdecade
ofthenewmillenniumhaveaugmentedthetraditionalmethodsofmoviepromotionandmarketing.
Bollywood’sforayintooverseasmarketduringthesameperiodhelpedittopickupafewstrings
frommoviepromotionaltacticsscriptedbyHollywood.
Post-liberalisation, Hum Aapke Hain Kaun (1994) became the first Bollywood movie to be
released overseas targeting the Indian diaspora successfully. The following year, a musical love
1 SubramanianAnusha, “The Other Khan:AMarketing Genius”, Business Today, February 21st 2010
Thiscase studywas written byPrashanthVidya SagarThalluri undertheguidanceof Dr. Nagendra V.Chowdary, IBSCDC. It is
intendedtobeusedasthebasisforclassdiscussionratherthantoillustrateeithereffectiveorineffectivehandlingofamanagement
situation. Thecase wascompiled frompublished sources.
© 2010, IBSCDC.
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ShahRukhKhanvsAamirKhan:WhoistheBetterMarketer?
storyportrayingthelifeofNon-ResidentIndians(NRIs)andtheirIndiansentiment,DilwaleDulhania
Le Jayenge (DDLJ) – which set a new record at the Indian Box Office collections – was also a
major hit overseas. Bollywood got a new vigour when Amitabh Bachchan was selected as the
‘Greatest Star of the Millennium’2 in BBConline poll in July1999, surpassing manyHollywood
legendary stars. Consequently, a number of movies such as Dil To Pagal Hai, Taal, Kuch Kuch
Hota Hai, Hum Dil De Chuke Sanam, Hum Saath Saath Hain, Kaho Naa Pyar Hai, etc. were
released overseas.With each release, Bollywood attempted to adopt and execute the Hollywood-
stylepromotionalstrategies.
ImplementingHollywood’sfilmpromotionaltechniquesinIndia–suchascreatingbuzz,showing
smallmovieclippingsduringatelevisionshow,talkshowsinvolvingcrewandcastofthefilmdescribing
technicaldetailsofthefilmandtheirexperiencesrespectively–becameacommonpracticeoftop
Bollywoodstars.Leveragingongrowinginformationtechnology,Bollywoodpromotedfilmsinthe
virtualworldbycreatingwebsitescontainingmovietrailers,rushesfromthefilmandevenvirtual
games.RameshTaurani,aleadingfilmproducerstates,“Marketingafilmintoday’stimesisabsolutely
imperativeasouraudienceswanttogetatasteofthefilmbeforetheymakeuptheirmindstoseeit.
Marketingnotonlyneedstospreadintermsofdemographicsbutitshouldalsoberelevant,interactive,
engagingandcompetitive.”3
ManyaBollywoodstarssuchasSalmanKhan(Salman),AkshayKumar(Akshay),ShahRukh
andAamirattemptedtopromotetheirmoviesthroughbuzz,viralanddigitalmarketing.Forpromoting
hismovie,Veer,SalmancreatedbuzzbyannouncingthathewouldrideafillynamedWildRoseat
theMillionHorseRacesponsoredbyHellomagazineinMumbai.Hevisitedthemultiplex,Prasad’s
IMAXinHyderabadandalsovisitedJamnabaiNarseeSchool’sCascadesannualdaycelebrations
in the suburban Mumbai alongwith Bollywood actress Pooja Bhatt and delivered an electrifying
messagetochildren–howtotriumphintheirlivesintheVeerway.
Akshay,ontheotherhand,wentastepaheadbypromotingSinghisKinginSilverCityBrampton
inTorontoandbyropinginsingerSnoopDoggforperformingapromotionalsongforthemovie.His
marketingteamtied up with an entertainmentportal, Sify.com, to launch an online quizgame4 to
promote Kambakht Ishq and gave away the movie merchandise as prizes to the winners.
The way Shah Rukh’s Chak de India!, Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi and Aamir’s Ghajini and 3
Idiotswerepromoted,broughtaninnovativedifferencetomoviesandtheirsuccess.TheGhajini
haircutwiththemultiplexushersandtheonline‘missing’campaignofthe3Idiotsredesignedthe
craftoffilmpromotionsinIndia.Theirinnovationshingedonunconventionalplatformslikepersonal
promotion, buzz marketing, viral marketing and digital marketing. Over a period of time, Shah
RukhandAamirgraduatedtoscaleuptheirownproductionhouses–RedChilliesEntertainment
(RCE) and Aamir Khan Productions (AKP) respectively – aimed at fostering environment for
experimentationtofindpath-breakingwaysinfilmproductionandtoventureintoalliedbusinesses.
2 Srivastava Sanjeev, “World: South Asia Bollywood superstar ‘surprised’by vote”, http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/
394226.stm, July 14th 1999
3 Bhat Varada, “The marketing of Bollywood”, http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/catalyst/2010/01/14/stories/
2010011450050100.htm, January 14th 2010
4 “qUIZ”, http://sify.com/movies/bollywood/quiz/kambakht_ishq/
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Business Today and even some analysts claimed that Shah Rukh and Aamir, among all star
promoters,succeededinreceivinghighcollectionsfortheirmoviesduetotheirmarketingprowess
and business skills. However, the charm and charisma of Shah Rukh andAamir created by their
performancesandcareersalsohelpedthembecometheiconsofBollywood.
ShahRukhandAamir:AProfileComparison
Bythe endof 2009, Shah Rukh’s production house,RCEhad a net worth ofINR1,500 crore,
whileAKPclockedinrevenuesofINR350crore.5However,thepathschosenbythesetwoactors
toachievethisstardomindicatestarkdifferencesrangingfromtheirbackgroundtobusinessventures’
success.
Shah Rukh had no film industry background while Aamir is closely associated with the film
industry.ShahRukh’sfatherTajMohammedKhanwasalawyerandafreedomfighter,andmother
LateefFatimaBegumwasasocialworkerandafirstclassmagistrate.6Hebeganhisactingcareer
with television serials such as Fauji and Circus in late 1980s and made his first film debut with
Deewana in 1992. On the other hand, Aamir was a descendant of freedom fighter and the first
Minister of Education of Independent India, Maulana Abul KalamAzad and also of the former
IndianPresident,Dr.ZakirHussain.7ThelongestservingDeputyChairpersonoftheRajyaSabha,
Dr.NajmaHeptullahisAamir’ssecondcousin.Hisfather,TahirHussainisafilmproducerwhilehis
lateuncle,NasirHussainwasaproducer,directorandanactoraswell.Aamirbeganhisfilmcareer
withthefilm,Holi(1984),thoughhehadactedasachildartisteinNasirHussain’sfilm,YaadonKi
Baaraat (1973).
Havingnogodfatherinthefilmindustry,ShahRukhstruggledtobuildthestardomfromscratch,
whileAamirhavingfilmindustrybackgroundattemptedtoconsolidateandgoaheadwiththebubbly,
next-door neighbour boy image. But the genre – range and breadth – of the movies that each of
these actors acted in, over the years had been pretty much very narrow, as both the actors acted
largely in only one genre of the movie category i.e. romance – such as Shah Rukh’s Deewana,
DDLJ, etc., and Aamir’s Qayamat Se Qayamat Tak, Ranageela (Annexures I, II, III and IV).
However,boththeKhans–apartfromtheregularcommercialmovieplots–consciouslyselected
theplotschampioningthenationalandsocialcausealso.Forinstance,ShahRukh’sDilSeportrayed
thequestofamediapersontostoptheterroristactivitiesandMainHoonNaespousedthecauseof
India-Pakistanamity,whileAamir’sSarfaroshexposedthestringenteffortsputinbypoliceforcein
containingthearms-smugglingandcross-borderterrorism.ShahRukh’sChakDeIndia!underscored
thetriumphof galvanisingteamworkintrue letterandspiritwhileAamir’s Lagaanhighlighted the
triumphofvillagersinCentralIndiaontheirunjustcolonialrulers.ShahRukh’sSwadeshdealtwiththe
problemstroublingthevillageinhabitants,whileAamir’sTaareZameenPardealtwithdyslexicchildren.
5 “qUIZ”, op.cit.
6 “SHAH RUKH KHAN - Biography- Fact File”, http://www.shah-rukh-khan.info/homepage/shahrukh_khan_biography.html
7 “Aamir Khan Biography”, http://www.chakpak.com/celebrity/aamir-khan/biography/11059
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ShahRukhismediasavvyandassociatedhimselfwithmassesandmedia,presentinghimselfas
one among themto gain their love and admiration (Exhibit I). Filmmaker Sangeeth Sivan states,
“...thefactisthatallhisfilmsselllikehotcakeandmedialovestowriteabouthim.Heknowshow
toplaythegameandhasplayedittothegallery.”8
ExhibitI
ShahRukh’sPublicAppearance
Compiledbytheauthor
8 “SRK’s Khantastic PR skills!”, http://movies.indiatimes.com/News__Gossip/News/SRKs_Khantastic_PR_skills/articleshow/
msid-2823399,curpg-1.cms, February 28th 2008
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However, on the other hand,
ExhibitII
comparativelyreserved,Aamirmakesastyle
Aamir’sStyleStatements
statement, by donning a new get up in his
every new release. For instance, his
moustacheinMangalPandey,tonsuredhead
in Ghajini, goatee in Dil Chahta Hai, etc.,
catches the public and media attention
(ExhibitII).Havinghugepublicattentionand
charisma, the two actors were also selected
bytheNationalGovernmenttoendorsepublic
Compiledbytheauthor
welfare campaigns.
BoththeKhanshavelenttheircelebritystatustoendorseseveralsocialcauses.Asasuccessor
to Amitabh Bacchan, Shah Rukh endorsed the Government’s social welfare campaigns such as
PulsePolioImmunizationandAIDSpreventionprogrammeslaunchedbyUnionMinistryofHealth
andFamilyWelfare,UNICEF,NationalAidsControlOrganization(NACO),NationalRuralHealth
Mission (NRHM),Rajasthan StateAIDSControl Society(RSACS)and Bihar StateAids Control
Society (BSACS). On the other hand,Aamir became the brand ambassador for the Athithi Devo
Bhava (Sanskrit word meaning ‘The guest is God’) campaign for Incredible India launched by
IndianTourismMinistry.Inaddition,forthe2009parliamentaryelections,Aamirinassociationwith
anAhmedabad-basedNGO,AssociationforDemocraticReforms(ADR)–foundedin1991byIIM
andNIDprofessorswhichfocusesonelectoralreforms–launchedanallIndiaadcampaignSache
kochune,Achchekochune(Votefor integrity,Voteforgood people)andappealedto thecitizens
toelecttherightperson.AamirwastheIndianfaceofglobal‘EarthHour’campaignlaunchedby
World Wildlife Fund (WWF) in March 2009 to create awareness on climate change and global
warming.AllsucheventsmadeboththeKhanstorubtheshoulderswithHollywoodcelebritiessuch
asRichardGere,AngelinaJolie,ScarlettJohansson,GeorgeClooney,whohavebeenambassadors
formanyasocialcauseacrosstheglobe.OveraperiodoftimeboththeKhansprovedthemselves
asactors,brandambassadors,PRpersonsandsociallyresponsiblecitizens.Whilethisisononeside
of the coin, there is another side to it – as business persons.With the establishment of their own
productionhouses,theybecamewellknowncelebrityCEOsinthecountry.
ShahRukhteamedupwithactress,JuhiChawlaanddirector,AzizMirzatostartaproduction
house,DreamzUnlimited in1998, butthe lowsuccess rateof itsfirst twomovies (PhirBhi Dil
Hai Hindustani and Asoka) coupled with industry tussles emasculated the production house.
Laterin2002,ShahRukhalongwithhiswife,GauriKhanestablishedRCE.Aimingtoblitzkrieg
theworldofentertainmentandsports,RCEforayedintotheproductionofBollywoodfilmsand
televisioncommercials–formajorglobalbrandssuchasPepsi,Nokia,Hyundai,ITC,Emamietc.
RCEalsobranchedintootherspheresofproductionsuchasVFX,aimedatbringingHollywood’s
slicksophisticationofspecialeffectstoIndiancinema,IdiotBox–creatingshowinesstoIndian
small-screenindustryandEquipmentdivisionofferingtop-enddevicesandtechnologyhelpfulfor
multi-mediaproduction.Inaddition,TheKolkataKnightRiders(KKR),oneofthe8IndianPremier
League (IPL) teams, is aimed at amalgamating entertainment with sports. On the other hand,
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whennoneoftheproducerstookupthescriptof Lagaanformaking,Aamirresortedtostarthis
own production houseAKPin 2001 and took up the mammoth challenge of making the movie.
Eventually,LagaanscoredhighinIndiaandoverseasandwasevennominatedforOscars.Since
then,Aamir’sAKPaimed at exploring new thematic concerns and visual styles to develop and
producefilmsonparwiththeinternationalstandardsinbothcontentandtechnique.BothRCEand
AKP produced blockbusters that not only proved a big hit with local audience, but also the
internationalaudience(ExhibitIII).Inadditiontofilmproduction,RCEandAKPalsopromoted
themoviesinavarietyofstyles.
ExhibitIII
AchievementsofKhans’ProductionHouses
Red Chillies Entertainment AamirKhanProductions
Paheli (2005) Lagaan - Once Upon ATime In India (2001) –
DirectedbyAshutoshGowariker
Don - The Chase Begins Again (2006) CocaColacommercials-alldirectedbyAshutosh
Gowariker
OmShantiOm(2007) Baal ki Dukaan, Hyderabadi, Punjabi, Paanch,
Nepali
Billu(2009) Taare ZameenPar -Directed byAamirKhan
Ghar Ki Baat Hai – comedy show Jaane Tu... Ya Jaane Na - Directed by Abbas
Tyrewala
First Ladies with Abu Sandeep
KnightsandAngels; India’sfirst realityshow
Compiledbytheauthor
WhileAamirhadbeenanintrovert,ShahRukh’sbehaviourlargelycorrespondstoanextrovert’s
traits.BothShahRukhandAamir–alongwiththeirproductionhouses–resortedtouniquemarketing
stylesinpromotingthemselvesasbrands(reflectedbrandimagefromthemoviestheyactedin,their
personalitytype,thesocialcausesthattheyendorsed,andthegeneralbehaviourwithintheindustry
andoutsidetheindustry,etc.)andtheirmovies.Althoughnotcorroboratedwithanyconcreteevidence,
it was widely and constantly reported that there had been a cold war between both the Khans
competingforNumberOne(afairytaletitle!)positioninBollywood.Forinstance,ontherelease
day of Shah Rukh’s Rab Ne Bana Di Jodi, multiplexes’ staff showed up for the duty sporting
Ghajini’shairstyle(asportrayedbyAamir)(ExhibitIV).Thismuchtalked-aboutpromotionalevent
set the pace for Ghajini’s eventual success, as many industry experts observed.
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ExhibitIV
Staff of Multiplexes with GhajiniHaircut
Source: “Ghajini makeover sweeps Mumbai cinemas”, http://www.afaqs.com/perl/media/story.html?sid=22897,
December16th2008
Media focused on the similar buzz and war of words between the two Khans, when Aamir
launchedaninnovativemarketingcampaignAlternativeRealityGame(ARG)touringthelengthand
breadth of the countryin disguise to promote the movie, 3 Idiots. However, the industryanalysts
opinedthattheShahRukh-Aamirfightisameremarketinggimmickrythathitthemediajustbefore
thereleaseoftheirfilms.9Therivalscenariocreatedapprehensionsoverthemarketingskillsofboth,
whentwo Khansreceivedhigh corporateaccolades.
OnFebruary1st2010,theleadcastofMyNameisKhan,ShahRukhandKajolrangtheopening
bellofUSstockexchange,NASDAQ. Aamirisn’tfarbehind,though.3Idiots,inwhichAamirwas
theleadandpivotalactor,wasrankedNo.1in2009BrandDerby.10
Eveninpayinguptheincometaxes,theKhansseemtobecompeting.WhileBollywood’sMr.
Perfectionist,AamirKhanhaspaidINR12croreinincometax,theBadshah,ShahRukhKhantoo
has paid INR12 crore for 2010.11
Caught in the neck and neck race of attaining the numero uno status, both the Khans have to
churnoutavantgardesolutionsbytestingthewaters,bitingthedustandhoggingthelimelightona
singleplatter.Withtheintensifyingcompetitionbetweenthem,themarketingexpertsandbusiness
analystsdigwaydowndeeptofigureoutthebettermarketeramongthetwo.
9 Rai K.K., “Aamir Khan 3 IDIOTS promotion is Chhichhorapan-rowdy, says Shahrukh Khan!!”, http://www.magnamags.com/
index.php/200912225417/stardust/scoop-of-the-day/aamir-khan-3-idiots-promotion-is-chhichhorapan-rowdy-says-shah-
rukh-khan.html, December 23rd 2009
10 Bhandari Bhupesh, “Idiots lead the pack”, http://www.business-standard.com/india/news/idiots-leadpack/394240/, May 10th
2010
11 “Top Highest tax payers In Bollywood”, http://www.fungur.com/top-highest-tax-payers-bollywood/aamir/
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ShahRukhorAamir:WhoisBetterMarketer?
WithShahRukhandAamirhittingbox-officewithhigh-grossermoviesduringthepastdecade,
businessanalystsstartedassessingtheirmarketingprowessbyexaminingthechiefcharacteristics
thatmakethemqualifiedtobebettermarketers–whichrangefromtheirmovies’successtobrand
endorsements. What is the celebrity brand value of each of the stars? How does celebrity brand
valueaffecttheirmarketingcapabilities?
Theout-of-theboxmarketingeffortsandendeavoursofShahRukhandAamirborefruitsinthe
nameofblockbusterssuchasShahRukh’s Chak DeIndia!(INR67.69crore)andOmShanti Om
(INR79.42croreand160croreworldwide12)in2007,RabNeBanaDiJodi(INR86.78crore)in
2008 and My Name is Khan (INR 174.60 crore) in 2009, andAamir’s Taare Zameen Par (62.48
crore)in2007,Ghajini(around114crore)in2008and3Idiots(approximately196crore)in2009.
However, Prabhat Chaudhary, head of Spice, a marketing agency had a different opinion when
examiningtherealsuccessofthebigstars.
AccordingtoPrabhatChaudhary,thebrandendorsements
ExhibitV
have become the true barometer of a star’s success and
ShahRukhKhan’s
appeal.13 If he is right, then Shah Rukh seems to be the most
TigerEyes Perfume
successfulstar. ShahRukhhasendorsedtheproductsranging
from soaps and biscuits to two wheelers and durables, from
watches and computers to cosmetics. The French perfume
manufacturer, JeanneArthes introduced a new perfume line,
‘TigerEyes’–bothformenandwomen–inthenameofShah
Rukh(ExhibitV). ThisisatestimonytosaythatbrandShah
Rukh sells. On the contrary, Aamir is choosy in signing the
accountsandcarefullyplansthattheseendorsementsmutually
benefitthesuccessofthebrandaswellashisfilmpromotion. Source: Silva Judi, “Tiger Eyes – Now
For instance, the ads of Titan watches featuredAamir in his Available!”, http://www.bollyvista.com/
handlebar moustache and long hair which was originally the article/a/32/4927,May26th2005
Mangal Pandey getup. The ‘Next is what?’ campaign of
SamsungmobileseriesfeaturedAamirwiththesuperhitGhajinihaircut.
However,beingamediasavvyandanexcellentcommunicator,ShahRukhisthefirstchoicefor
the companies that want to promote their products. In contrast, the rivals of brands endorsed by
ShahRukhalwayshadAamirastheirprimechoice.Samsung,therivalofNokiaropedinAamirto
endorseitsproducts.Similarly,thecompetitors,PepsiandCocaCola,HyundaiandToyota,DishTV
andTataSky,etc.(ExhibitVI),ropedinShahRukhandAamirrespectivelytoendorsetheirproducts.
12 “Who rules Bollywood – SRKorAamir?”, http://movies.indiatimes.com/rssarticleshow/msid-4254720,prtpage-1.cms, March
14th 2009
13 Iyer Meena, “Aamir bags record Rs 35 cr ad deal”, http://www.mumbaimirror.com/index.aspx?Page=article&sectname=
Entertainment%20-%20Bollywood&sectid=30&contentid=201003052010030513121690281cf7bb8, March 5th 2010
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ExhibitVI
TopBrandsEndorsedbytheBadshahs
ShahRukhKhan AamirKhan
Airtel Etisalat(UAE)
Nokia–2007 Samsung
TAGHeuer–2003 Titan
CocaCola CocaCola
DishTV TataSky
Sunfeast(ITCFoods)2005 ParleMonacoSmartChips
HyundaiSantro Toyota’sInnova
ColgatePalmolive2009
ICICIBank2005
PepsiCo(dropped)
HP(CompaqPresario)2006
LuxCozi
LincPen
DiageoRadico
Belmonte
Emami-SonaChandiChyawanprash
EmamiFairandHandsome EarthHourIndia
AIDSandPolioAwareness India(Tourism)
Note: As of February 2010, Shah Rukh Khan endorses more brands while Aamir Khan earns
more per endorsement.
Compiledbytheauthor
ShahRukh’srendezvouswithendorsementsbeganin1999withbrandslikePepsiandHyundai
Santro.ShahRukhhasbeenendorsingTAGHeuerwatchessince2003andEmami’sSonaChandi
Chyawanprash and Sunfeast (ITC Foods) since 2005. However,Aamir’s brand endorsements are
limitedintimespanwhencomparedtoShahRukh.
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ShahRukh’sbrandendorsementsincreasedfrom8brandsclockingINR86lakhrevenuein2003
to 21 brands generating around INR 6 crore by 2005.14 In 2006, ICICIBank made Shah Rukh its
global ambassador and the next year ITC Foods had commissioned Shah Rukh to endorse new
brands.ByFebruary2010,despiteendorsingmorenumberofbrandstothatofAamir,ShahRukh
clockedinaboutINR7croreperbrandandAamirINR12croreperadvertisementonanaverage.15
However, in January 2010, when Aamir charged INR 30–35 crore16 to endorse an UAE-based,
EtisalattelecomoperatorforthreeyearsinIndia,mediareportedthatAamirovertookShahRukhin
chargingsuchahugeamountforasingleproject.
Dotheendorsementvaluessignifythecelebrityvalue?Whydobrandscommissioncelebritiesto
endorse their brands? Celebrities (from sports, movies, social activists or great achievers) serve
three important purposes for the brands they endorse: a celebrity can ensure that the ads for the
brand get noticed; a celebrity confers trust on a brand, and a celebrity often “lends” the qualities
associated with him/her to the brand being endorsed. How can a celebrity’s brand/endorsement
valuebemeasured?This,asmanyargue,isthereflectedgloryofhowwellthecelebrityis“consumed”
bythepublic?Doesagreaterconsumptionofacelebrityimprovethemarketingcapabilitiesofthe
brand endorser?Akeyargument to decidewho isa bettermarketer amongst twoof theKhans is:
Cancelebritiesbuildcelebratedbrands?Cancelebritiesmakeanordinarybrandacelebratedbrand
usingalltheirstarpower?HowdoesthisworkoutinthecaseofShahRukhandAamir?
Questions for Discussion
1. WhataccordingtoyouarethecriticalsuccessfactorsthathelpedShahRukhandAamirto
becomethetopBollywoodcelebrities?
2. WhatarethebrandpromotionalstrategiesandmarketingpracticesofShahRukhandAamir?
Compareand contrast the effectiveness of their strategies.
3. Analyzing the marketing practices of Shah Rukh and Aamir, debate on who is a better
marketer?Substantiate yourviews withnecessaryexamplesfromthecase study.
4. Establishtherelationshipbetweenendorsementvalueandcelebrityvalueforboththeactors
usingthefollowingparameters:
14 “Shah Rukh and the money he makes”, http://www.radiosargam.com/films/archives/633/shah-rukh-and-the-money-he-
makes.html, November 3rd 2006
15 “The Other Khan:AMarketing Genius”, op.cit.
16 Diwan Piyush, “Aamir Khan to become Etisalat’s brand ambassador”, http://www.topnews.in/aamir-khan-become-etisalat-s-
brand-ambassador-2252380, January 23rd 2010
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