Yatra appoints Ranbir Kapoor as brand ambassador
Yatra says Ranbir Kapoor will help strengthen its brand appeal among customers and it will roll out a new ad campaign in the next two months featuring the actor
New Delhi: Online travel platform, Yatra on Monday said that Bollywood actor Ranbir Kapoor will be its new brand ambassador. The company will roll out a new advertising campaign in the next two months across platforms featuring the actor.
Yatra used to be promoted by Bollywood actor Salman Khan who has also invested an undisclosed amount in the company. Although Khan’s association as Yatra’s brand ambassador ended in June last year, he continues to have a small stake in the company.
Vikrant Mudaliar, chief marketing officer, Yatra.com, said, “Ranbir Kapoor will help strengthen Yatra’s brand appeal and recall among customers. We will be leveraging his popularity across mediums. We are confident that this association will help us stand out in an increasingly cluttered media environment. Ranbir appeals to all age groups and demographics across the board and we are excited about using him in our marketing communication."
Kapoor endorses an array of brands including Asian Paints, automobile maker Renault India, Japanese consumer durable firm Panasonic, beverage maker Pepsico and Mondelez International owned cookie brand Oreo among others. According to celebrity managers, he charges Rs9 crore a year for four days of shooting for brands he endorses.
Anirban Das Blah, managing director of Kwan Entertainment and Marketing Solutions which manages Kapoor believes that in a volatile industry like Bollywood, Ranbir Kapoor is the only actor, below the age of 35, who has delivered multiple hits.
“Being a part of the royalty film family also gives him a premium feel. He is also extremely picky in his brand endorsement deals and makes sure that he is never repetitive in terms of product categories," he added.
Currently, almost all the online travel portals are relying on celebrity advertising. Yatra’s rival MakeMyTrip is spending heavy advertising money promoting its hotel booking product . The ads feature company’s brand ambassadors and popular Bollywood actors Alia Bhatt and Ranveer Singh. Goibibo, an online firm acquired by MakeMyTrip, has also been running a new campaign featuring actor Deepika Padukone.
“Travel, leisure food and fashion are the four big categories where young consumers spend their money. Most young people plan and book their trips online. Since the prices on all these platforms are similar, these platforms have to market themselves well to attract loyal consumers," noted Blah.
Launched in August 2006, Yatra provides services for domestic and international air travel, hotel bookings, holiday packages, buses, trains, in city activities, inter-city and point-to-point cabs, homestays and cruises. It claims to have more than 62,000 hotels in India and over five lakh hotels partners around the world. Yatra’s parent company, Yatra Online Inc. is a Nasdaq listed entity.
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