Brand Hype Vs Consumer Retaliation

Amongst the most hyped commodities in India is the Indian Cricket team. Other strong contenders being 'The Economy', 'Mumbai' and 'India's Software Prowess'...
Talking of cricket - the ads, the media crescendo and the moolah almost always outshines the actual performance of the cricket team...

Media of course gets the TRPs, either way! On the up-swing and the downward-spiral...
But the advertisers really get screwed when on top of the hype, the team fails miserably!

One of the brands that repeatedly doesn't learn from this is the lost-its-sheen-a-long-time-ago Pepsi in India...

And when the hype gets punctured, the consumers get back at the brand and the endorsers...Earlier it used to be localised conversations and pent up anger. But UGC(User-generated-content) has taken over.

Today, consumers talk back, make fun and de-pedestal their icons almost instantly and then share with the world!! Technology is a great tool to retaliate against the hype...Sample this( got it on mail just a while ago).

Aap Bhi Taj!!

In the celebrity starved/ craving world of Indian brands, there was one refreshing endorsement that had stood the test of time. That of the tabla maestro - Ustaad Zakir Hussain's endorsement of Taj Mahal chai!

Am a tea drinker who never really liked the product. But was a great fan of Zakir saheb! The endorsement was so apt. Chai has a certain Indian-ness, a certain nazaakat which the Ustaad epitomised with his flavourful presence, his tabla recital and the 'Arrey Huzoor Wah Taj Boleye' tagline.

Of course, age had caught up with the Ustaad. He looked jaded. And so the brand has decided to replace him with the 'now-in-heavy-demand' Saif. Decent choice.

However, I - the non-user of the brand will miss Zakir Saheb, who was among the most recognisable and long-term celeb faces of any Indian brand!

Thinking aloud - Was there a brand story in passing the baton from Zakir Saheb to Saif Ali that the agency didn't fully capitalise.

Does the brand owe an explanation to its loyal fans on the choice of a new endorser?

In an age of intimate conversations with the brand, consensus, interactivity and user generated content was it the right thing to suddenly replace the iconic brand face with the current-heavy-in demand celeb face?

Or is the thought just plain nostalgia drivel!!