Its Wise To Stay Away From Hi-Tech Brands That use Star Power To Sell

Looking at the Cannon advertisement in ET (Economic Times), 6th April 2007, page 3 of CD (Corporate Dossier), really blew up my fuse!
Guess what, Sachin Tendulkar was shown to be teaching us about returns on technology investment. Ha! what does a high school dropout and a ex-mega cricket star knows about high technology business solutions? You may argue that Bill Gate, Michel Dell and Steve Jobs are drop outs too! Yes true, but they are deep into technology and their education has been hands on in technology industry. And, yes Sachin too learned about the tricks of his trade in the cricket field. Sachin's brand equity clearly indicates how much he is admired by the Indians. But does that sports brand equity automatically makes him a high technology diva? I think not.

Recently Lenovo, Compaq and now Cannon are trying to use film and cricket stars to build their brands. But tell me what does Shahrukh or Saif ali Khan know about computers? One of the bloggers going by the nickname of ranger, suggested that this trend is due to computers becoming commodity. That may be so, but I personally don't think that people who buy high tech PC or laptop will buy because a film star poses in the advert. The consumer knows that, probably the star is as clueless about the computing configuration as a normal end user.

It makes sense if a film star poses for a jewellery or a suiting advertisement. But NOT computers.

If at all a brand needs to use star power, they should use a known personality who is also a power user of computers. For example, Vishvanathan Anand, the numero uno chess grandmaster, mostly practices on a powerful PC or a Laptop.

Also most of the people I know quietly stay away from high technology brands that use star power to sell their wares. Its because, the consumer ultimately pays for their fat fees.

So, the ET in general and CD in particular is read by corporate executive, who are not swayed by an ex-cricket star, trying to preach them about technology. Sachin wearing a business suite does not change the facts.

(c) 2007, Ashish Banerjee, www.Ashish.Banerjee.name