SRK in a fight again ; banned from Wankhede - Page 30

Yesterday's fracas involving Shah Rukh Khan at the Wankhede Stadium is another nail in the coffin of brand Shah Rukh Khan.

"He (Khan) misbehaved and abused the MCA security personnel as well as MCA officials, including our president Vilasrao Deshmukh, after the IPLmatch (between KKR and Mumbai Indians). We have decided to ban him for life from entering the stadium in future," MCA treasurer Ravi Savant said, Firspost had reported earlier today.

Such behaviour will do little to maintain or enhance Shah Rukh's image ' the very image which made him India's favourite brand ambassador. "What catapulted Shah Rukh Khan to the top spot among brand endorsers is the unprecedented promotion that began a few months before the release of his magnum opus, Ra One, said industry watchers, TAM AdEx, which takes into account advertising volumes for its analysis. The actor, who endorses brands like Emami, Hyundai Motors and Dish TV, besides others, charges anything between Rs 7-8 crore per year," said an Economic Times report in December 2011.

Falling foul of the authorities and demonstrating an inability to respect the law seems to be de rigueur for Shah Rukh. Less than a month ago, the actor was seen smoking during anotherIPL match. "Smoking publicly is banned in Rajasthan since 2000 under the Rajasthan Prevention of Smoking Act. However, Shah Rukh Khan was smoking publicly in front of thousands of spectators. The actor was broadcast live while smoking on the TV channel which was showing the match," said lawyer Nem Singh Rathore who filed the complaint," reported The Times of India.

In January, Ibnlive had reported, "Actor Shah Rukh Khan reportedly beat up scriptwriter/director Shirish Kunder, the husband of once his close friend and director Farah Khan, at a party'"

Shah Rukh has now consistently and regularly built a picture of a man who has a short temper, a man who does not respect authority and laws and, indeed, a man who fails to conduct himself well or to control himself at social gatherings.

It'll be a brave brand manager or marketing manager who will have the courage to sign on Shah Rukh if he is unable to control or restrain himself. If he continues with his shenanigans, he will certainly find that his brand endorsement income disappears.

Of equal concern to him should be the direct involvement of brands and movies today. Don 2, for example saw brands like McDonald's, Caf Coffee Day and Microsoft getting involved ' and they played key roles in the marketing of the film.

If SRK carries on with his transgressions, he can kiss income from brand placements and marketing associations in his films goodbye, too.

Which brand, today, wants to be associated with a star who makes the headlines, regularly, for the wrong reasons?

http://www.firstpost.com/bollywood/shah-rukh-endangers-brand-shah-rukh-312323.html