#SalmanVerdict: Salman Khan's hit-and-run case will surely knock brand Salman!

Bollywood’s Dabbang superstar Salman Khan has been convicted in the 13 year old hit and run case. And this sure ain’t good news for the brands that he endorses.

“This verdict impacts both brand Salman Khan and the brands that he is associated with differently. As far as the brand Salman Khan is concerned, it will definitely be adversely impacted,” said brand expert Harish Bijoor, CEO of Bijoor Consults.

He explained that Khan’s huge fan following will be hit and his hero status will get affected. “A lot of his fans would have really preferred him to own up his mistake in the court of law. Instead, he has tried to fight it legally, which will not be taken down well by many of his followers,” added Bijoor.

Talking about his brand endorsements, he feels that the brands he endorses will not be impacted much as consumers are mature and realise that it is advertising. “I see over 90% of the brands moving away from Salman Khan,” averred Bijoor.

However, adman Naresh Gupta, managing partner with Bang in the Middle feels otherwise. I don’t see the brands dumping Salman Khan immediately, for all of them signed him up knowing fully well that he has cases pending against him. His equity will be impacted in long term, as the news of his sentencing starts to build up. He would have a small phase of sympathy, but it will start to peter out. Long term his equity will definitely take a knock This is not the only case pending, the blackbuck one too is pending,” he said.

It should be noted that currently, Salman Khan has over Rs 200 crore riding on him through his film projects. According to market estimates, his brand endorsements are pegged at nearly Rs 50 crore. “On Times Celebex , Khan is among the top 5, so he has a very strong following. His following in mass market will be even higher looking at how his movies do,” suggested Gupta.

As per Times Celebex 2015 list, Salman Khan has the highest box office collections and is also the most searched Bollywood star online. Among the brand endorsements, Salman Khan ranks fifth with 10 brands in his kitty.

Image Credit: Indiatimes.com