Can stars from South match Bollywood’s charm in the endorsement universe?

Every discourse around Indian cinema is now centered around one burning question – has South Indian cinema become bigger and more profitable than Bollywood? A look at the numbers may hint at a possibility – in 2019, as per reports, Bollywood’s share in domestic box office revenues stood at Rs 5,200 crore, while South Indian films earned Rs 4,000 crore. There was a complete reversal in 2021 with the latter dominating box-office revenues at Rs 2,400 crore, and Bollywood standing a distant second at Rs 800 crore. Even in 2022, seven out of the top ten grossing films are from the South, IMDB data shows.

But as South Indian movies get an edge over Bollywood and create a bigger pan-India impact, can the Southern stars replace the Bollywood biggies from the world of brand endorsements? 

The beginning of a change 

While earlier, too, there have been actors from the South who made it big in Bollywood, this time the rise of OTT and changing consumer behaviour have helped the South Indian actors in getting recognition for their works in their own language. Viewers are able to connect with the stories better and so with the stars. This has created a lot of potential in the brand world as well, which wants to rope in fresher faces with a stronger audience connect. 

MATES Dy. General Manager Kumar Siddharath says, “There has been a shift in how brands and marketers viewed south Indian stars.  I think the biggest factor has obviously been the commercial success of South Indian films not just in India but also internationally. Brands keenly follow public perception when they make any decision. As South Indian films take over the mainstream imagination of India, we’re going to see more of these superstars represented in global and national brand campaigns.” 

In recent years, actors like Allu Arjun, Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Vijay Devarakonda and Rashmika Mandanna have become quite popular among the brands and have started bagging national-level ads too. 

 A gradual process albeit 

While some of the South Indian actors have started climbing the ropes when it comes to national-level brand deals, it will take some time for them to be as successful as Bollywood actors, say industry observers. Factors like language and culture gap can’t still be neglected fully. However, as the content industry grows, this gap could be filled by the immense popularity and reach these actors can attain. 

Youlry.com CEO and avid marketer Nishit Nanda says, “Not just within India, but globally, talent across the world is being given its due - whether it be Japanese stars, Spanish celebrities, Korean heartthrobs or African actors. The world is falling in love with actors all over again but in a way that is global. Within the Indian context, the new generation of crossovers, remakes and regional content has made taste a matter of access which is evolving rapidly so yes, a few years down the line, from a marketing perspective I foresee a wave of change not just at the box office but also at brand valuation and deals when it comes to South-Indian heavyweights who will be at par with Bollywood.” 

Moreover, South Indian stars, historically, have refrained from associating with brand deals. In the early years, actors like Rajinikanth and Kamal Hassan categorically refrained from taking up brand deals. And so might be the case for a lot of new superstars. 

Influencer.in Business Head Arushi Gupta notes, “To perceive this situation as other actors having an edge over them would be wrong. Prabhas, Allu Arjun, and the others have their national presence, You and I both can’t deny that. The one thing people tend to forget sometimes is that all influencers can be actors but not all actors want to be influencers. Not running campaigns could be a personal choice as well. Stardom is also effectively a factor of exclusivity, hence stars tend to shy away from brand collaborations or endorsements risking the loss of their exclusivity.” 

The number game 

While South Indian actors seem to be getting more popular than several of the Bollywood heavyweights right now, they are still far behind in the social media game. Top Bollywood actors like Alia Bhatt (69.7 million), Deepika Padukone (68.7 million), Akshay Kumar (63 million), Ranveer Singh (41 million), Kartik Aryan (26 million), have a humungous number of followers on Instagram. On the other hand, the numbers, comparatively, are not shiny enough for the top south Indian crop of stars like Rashmika Mandanna (33 million), Samantha Ruth Prabhu (24.2 million), Allu Arjun (19 million), Vijay Deverakonda (17.3 million) and Mahesh Babu (8.8 million). 

Today, most brands take into consideration the following on social media before signing an ambassador agreement and that’s where these stars need to put in a lot of effort now. 

Gupta states, “Each one of the actors, be it Bollywood or Kollywood, has the power to be impactful and carry out brand campaigns but the measure of impact between a personality from the south is not yet as much as those from the north. The reason behind this, according to my opinion, is that Influencer Marketing as a concept kickstarted way before up north than it did here. Yes maybe as a few years go by the gap will close but right now I’d say there is a preference when it comes to choosing an influencer for a Pan-Indian reach. Again, it also lies in the eyes of the beholder. It can depend on how the audience perceives it.” 

An analyst believes that this could also be the reason for the pay gap when it comes to brand deals amongst Bollywood and South Indian stars. According to them, while the top endorsers from Bollywood are currently charging anywhere Rs 7-15 crore for an endorsement deal, the South Indian actors are getting Rs 2-8 crore for the same, even at a pan-India level. The social media post charges have an even bigger gap as they are a function of reach, they added. 

Siddharath agrees, “I'm sure some of the south Indian stars will be able to stand at par with Bollywood actors when it comes to brand deals. (But) Bollywood stars are extremely good at curating their individual brand image. South Indian stars are going to have to compete with them on that battleground.” 

What the future holds 

There is no denying the fact that there is huge headroom for growth when it comes to south Indian actors taking a pan-India brand deal, and one which is very much possible to fill. As Siddharath says, “We are currently seeing a transitory phase where the world is taking notice of the potential of South Indian films and stars in capturing the imagination of audiences. If they are able to do it consistently with enough individualistic flavour, brands will definitely come knocking. The potential is definitely there.” 

Nanda agrees, “As brands, we need to think big when it comes to market evolution. We cannot stick to “safe players” if we want to keep the industry growing. With the right kind of vision backed by aggressive marketing and promotions, it is possible to reinvent the rules of engagement given that the audience greenlights it. With a customer-first approach to appeal in mind, I think creating stable and bankable brand equity with diversity is possible.”