'Brand idea is more important than celeb', says Vivek Oberoi

The idea behind a brand is more important than the celebrity endorsing it for it to go down well with consumers, well-known Bollywood actor Vivek Oberoi said today.

"If there is no inherent idea, the idea is not strong enough, it will not only erode the brand value of the celebrity but will also be a dampner as far as advertising campaign is concerned", he said during a panel discussion on "Engaging with Consumer through Celebrities" on the second day of the CII Brand Summit here today.

Responding to a query on whether a celebrity gains from brand association, Vivek said "there is an uncanny resemblance between Bollywood and Advertising", it is important that brand value of the product fits the brand value of the celebrity, there has to be a symbiotic relationship between the two.

"For example I have refused to accept alcohol and cigarette brand campaigns just after my first film Company in which I was the bad guy, though there was big money in it because I don't believe in it. There has to be a certain commitment in what you do," he said.

On another question posed by moderator Shruti Verma Singh, Producer & Anchor NDTV Profit, he conceded social networking sites today had changed the way one looked at stardom. "The idea of marketing today is to be out there as much as you can. I answer to all queries posed by my fans which I find interesting on the Twitter", he said.

Noted Ad film maker Prahlad Kakkar, speaking through video conferencing, said "if used cleverly, brand can become an equal part of the celebrity's person. However, just tagging on to the celebrity is not god enough, it is necessary to write the script with the brand ambassador in mind, the two have to be knitted in".

While advertising professional Suhail Seth was frank enough to admit that ad film makers often used "celebrities as sheep which resulted in herd mentality", Anisha Motwani chief marketing officer of Max New York Life, responding similarly asserted "celebrities must come with an expiry date. They cannot become an addiction for the brand".

Young director Balki, who has carved a niche for himself by foraying into a different genre altogether with films like "Cheeni Kum" and "Paa" emphasised, "idea if used in an interesting way and fits the celebrity to the T, it will definitely click with the target audience".

On using top celebrities, Ashok Das, managing director HANSA Research Group, said if the brand is new then one must take the biggest actors but if one is building a brand then "you can afford to take stars slightly lower in the rung".

The consensus on celebrities being embroiled in controversies was that it does adversely impact the brand, the latest being that of renowned golfer Tiger Woods, who is the brand ambassador for Accenture.

Harish Bijoor, Founder of Harish Bijoor Consults and Senthil Kumar of JWT India Creative Council felt people endorsements were the best, be it the zuzus or the pug in Vodafone ad.