[drmohitg]

In the broader scheme of things, do you buy even a bar of soap because an actor is advertising it? I guess not. But I am sure many others do take note of such things. I think celebrity endorsements don't work like this. It is not about the person buying the product. But you may just watch that advertisement if you like that celebrity. And this is the real purpose to enlighten you about the new product. Every advertisement is aimed at that only, i.e. to capture your attention in those few seconds or minutes. Some do it with interesting jingles, smart & interesting advertisements and lastly by using celebrities or objectifying women.

Regardless this forum is the last place where anyone would buy a car simply because a certain celebrity is endorsing it. In fact we enjoy the long sessions lasting over days filled with anxiety, pondering over every aspect of the cars we have rejected, are considering and also the ones which we cannot afford. And that feeling is brilliantly captured in this video below from the TV show Big Bang Theory. Watch it from 1:30 minute onwards.

https://youtu.be/pghXirEizCE

[KiloAlpha]

I voted "No" - obviously (Duh!!). I will buy a car purely on its merits, and feedback from like-minded people. All like minded people are here on this forum!

Going through the various posts, I realise that some people in this forum might be persuaded to buy accessories based on celebrity endorsements. That is a whole different ballgame altogether and cannot be compared to the car purchase decision making process.

So far, there are zero people who admitted to being swayed by celebrity endorsement during the purchase of a car. I would posit that this is a wrong question in the wrong forum. Why would any member of Team BHP admit to a purchase decision of a car based on celebrity endorsements? For that matter, why would people who would normally be influenced by celebrity endorsements even want to join this community?

[adwaith]

For me it depends on who the person endorsing is to be very honest. While it may not just prompt me to like the vehicle, it will definitely pique my curiosity if someone like, say Dulquer Salmaan, endorses it.

It's is a known fact that he knows and loves his automobiles and based on that I place a bit of trust in him. The gig he had with the F77 electric bike definitely gave some legitimacy in my eyes to the product.

[PrasunBannerjee]

Another (mildly) successful campaign can be attributed to

• Ranveer Singh for Nexa,
• Saif-Rani for Chevy Aveo,
• Prabhas for TUV3OO

And failure towards Hritik for Tigor.
I remember they signed both Amitabh and Abhishek for Maruti Versa, and it didn't do well because the product was faulty (aspirational for smaller towns but too pricey for them than Omni, dud for bigger towns)

I voted no, but, we're missing a point here. The poll is asked in a wrong place. It is a forum of well informed individuals with learned opinions, or members and visitors who drop by only to get knowledge beyond the scope of endorsements.

Try to ask the same set of questions to a set of non-enthusiast persons in his late 50s who wants to purchase a car, or people between 30s to 60s in smaller towns/villages, results might be a little different if not exactly opposite.

Celebrity endorsements can work in multiple stages.

Aim-1: Brands hiring celebrities for 'made you look' for a product which would have been ignored otherwise totally by the aam junta (not well informed people) due to perhaps the brand image or less popularity. Say Palio endorsement by Sachin, K/Captur by Ranbir, Tigor by Hritik, even Versa on those grounds was decent enough attempt. It is up to the individuals to then walk into a showroom and responsibility of the brand to make a sale, or the individuals can outright reject the product if it doesn't appeal to them.

Aim-2: Celebrity's image pulling the entire ship. Not every celebrity can pull it off though. The celebrity needs to be strongly rooted to his niche image and the product has to be heavily related to it. That works better.
Some notable ones can be
Manoj Bajpayee for Mahindra (for rural/commercial target markets)
Akshay Kumar for Tata Yodha
SRK for Santro/Hyundai
Amir Khan for Innova.

For some similar reasons perhaps I couldn't digest Varun Dhawan for Mahindra (KUV) but is a right fit for Ertiga. Again, the 'made you look' factor. Once the endorsement made me look, I might not ignore it outright or might consider taking a test ride, if it appeals to me (from perspective of a regular person).

Ayushman or Saif or Rajkummar might not be perfect fit to endorse Thar 2.0 in my opinion but someone with action-adventure or a nationalist image like Akshay/Ajay/Vidyut/Tiger would be a better fit.

Just my two paisas

[Akash.D]

I really hope someone important from the auto industry looks at this poll and contemplates on discarding celebrity endorsements. They could same some money in the process or maybe pass on the benefits to us end users .

[Storm2.0]

Voted for a big NO.
Especially after realising how degraded the star studded entertainment industry is, I wouldn't let these dim witted guys with hardly any technical knowledge or passion for automobile products to influence my decision in any way.

[Sahil]

Wrong crowd for this poll. Celebrities will never influence an enthuiasts buying decision. However, as we know, we are a minority. The general public is deeply influenced by celebrities from purchasing a toothpaste to a car.

[sahil624]

Voted No and at the time of writing this, unsurprisingly, there wasn’t a single Yes.
Celebrity endorsement might, for once, pull the crowd to showrooms. However, I doubt it will lead to sales, just on the basis of celebrity endorsement, if the product isn’t good.

[Jeroen]

It is interesting to see how nearly all members vehemently argue that they are not influenced by celebrity endorsement. Apparently, so I see the argument goes; TeamBHP members are real car enthusiast and base their car purchasing decisions on facts.

I have said it in several other threads too; I am oversimplifying but people don’t buy on facts. Or at least not as much as we like to think. Most decision are taken unconsciously and we collect and adjust the facts to back it up. It is no difference in your professional life/personal life.

We also have quite a few threads on celebrities, about their cars, accidents etc. And those are popular threads! So somehow this select “fact based decision making group of individuals” still likes to read and comment on what these celebrities do or don’t etc. So there is a certain fascination on TeamBHP when it comes to celebrities.

Celebrity endorsement is aimed at influencing your subconscious. Some are more prone to it than others. If you do read up about celebrities, even casually, if you like to read up on what cars this cricket star or that football star has, if you will read a few lines about a Bollywood star involved in an accident, you are likely to pick up a certain bias for that individual. Unconsciously, but it is there and it does effect, to a certain extend, they way you might be making decisions, or form an opinion.

There are a few brave souls who have actually voted maybe/ don’t know in this poll. Either they are letting it directly influence their decision making, or they are aware how endorsement works on your mind.

In general I don’t like celebrities and I don’t understand what fascinates people about them. But I can’t rule out that it does have an influence on my decision/opinion making.

Just checked my vote: I voted no, whereas it should have been maybe. No is just wishful thinking “I am a rational guy and I deal in facts"

Jeroen

[KL01toKA03]

In most cases I wouldn't care if a celebrity endorsed a brand or not. The only way in which that would affect my decision making process would be if a new brand in the Indian market or a brand that wasn't selling too many cars in the market went for an actor or sportsperson who isn't counted among the top stars as their brand ambassador. I would then wonder if the brand is serious about the Indian market, and be very cautious.

[Worldchamp 2019]

I think the whole celebrity endorsement model will get old now. Generations are advancing in terms how they process things. I often look at these ads and silently comment "yes amitabh, I'm sure you travel on the back of that TVS Jupiter every day".

I think it has more to do with attracting attention to the products by signing on a celebrity for any campaign, than to show that -- look even so and so drives our car so you should as well.

In fact it works the opposite way too. Think of all the non-fans who would turn away from that product. Me being the biggest one!

[Mortis]

No celebrities do not influence my buying choices for cars or anything else for that matter. It doesn't help that I have zero interest in any Indian celebrities as most of them haven't done anything to interest or impress me. It's hard to respect them when for example you have someone like Amitabh Bachchan who will sell just about any for money.

The only "celebrities" that could influence my car buying decision would be the TBHP review team !!
Then too I would test drive a car or multiple cars before buying one but keeping the review in mind I will still go by MY feelings on the car as well as practical aspects of its ownership.

[manjunathkl]

I'm the only one who voted 'Yes'. Hugely unpopular option in this enthusiast forum, but not so much for the common Indians. Let me explain. BTW, this applies to not just automobile industry.

Celebrity endorsements and other branding activities work at a subconscious levels. it is not conscious decision making. So, while a buyer will not think - "I'm buying it because this product is endorsed by my favourite celebrity", it puts this product on higher rank in the shortlist of products the buyers' mind.

Everyone knows the "Dentist" in the Pepsodent Ad is a model/actor and not a dentist. Does that mean, it won't influence them? If so, why do companies spend millions every year on celebrity ads? There must be some positive outcome.

When will it work:
1. When all the competing products are more-or-less come with same utility/features/similar prices. So, when everything else is equal, celebrity endorsement creates unique differentiation.

2. Product is very acceptable, it ticks all the boxes, but there is a confusion which brand to buy/which unique features are going to be more useful. E.g. Ventilated Seats vs. Mild-Hybrid system.

3. The product category is a hot segment, its products are moving fast. And the product-market-timing fit is perfect. Celebrity will add a zing to the momentum.

In these cases, there is very close competition, not many significant differentiation among competitor's products.


When will it NOT work:
1. When the product is getting rejected by the consumers. E.g. Nano. Either the category is loosing its market, or the product is inferior, or the product has lost its appeal etc.

2. When the celebrity him/herself is not a huge sensation. These celebrities themselves are struggling to get a foothold in their respective industries. E.g. Fair and Lovely girl was endorsing Chevrolet Beat.

Celebrity endorsements like any marketing strategies just acts as amplifiers. You must only apply when your product is well accepted by the market, and you want to enhance its sales further. If you advertise a flop product, it will amply its "flop" credentials further.

But like in any field, marketing agencies/professionals also con their customers. When a customer is struggling, it becomes easy to make a sale and throw in endorsements to lure the customers. Most agencies are not bothered to advise the right techniques.

Many BHPians have listed many products that failed inspite of celebrity endorsements. So, I'm going to list some of the celebrity endorsements in automobile industry that were successful:

Sachin Tendulkar - TVS Victor
John Abraham - Yamaha
Ranveer Singh - MS Ciaz
Madhavan - MS WagonR
Virat Kohli - Audi

[mayurhuria]

I think another main idea behind using (if that's the correct term) celebrities, by brands to promote their product/service/offerings, is that the audience would love watching their favourite celebrity. This, in turn, will keep them intrigued to the commercial/promotion and thus audience will get to know the product/service/offering.

Me (and I am sure many of us), on the other hand, would love a car commercial with a bit of banter, funny or something of a surprise rather than with a celebrity.
Something like these

https://youtu.be/vVKLt-hdWN0

https://youtu.be/ha5im2Yh6nE

[saisailendra]

For me a celeb endorsing any product means nothing.

They're at the end of the day, just someone who had become popular because of their career. They probably don't even know the basics of products that they endorse.

I am not a fan of any "celeb" personally. For them, I mean nothing and they won't come to my rescue if the car/product that I purchased looking at their endorsement ends up being defective or even puts me at risk !

I have a special place for people who care for us (family & friends). Not someone who's got a ton of following for their talents.

An endorsement by a friend or a family member weighs more than an endorsement by a celeb, for me.