The brand value of Prithvi Shaw
Prithvi Shaw has been the talk of the town ever since he made his Test debut against the West Indies in Rajkot. He made a sensational debut by scoring 134 and then a 70 in the next match. In his debut series, he scored 237 runs at an average of 118.5 in the two Test matches.
Shaw is keenly followed by advertisers and corporations to advertise their brands on TV and social media outlets. He hired a talent management team to manage his advertising deals and contracts.
It is somewhat early to predict if he will become an icon like Sachin Tendulkar or Virat Kohli but he has shown tremendous potential, talent, and skill at opportune times. Shaw has got off to a good start and has developed a loyal fan base also. The cricket experts and commentators have been lavish in their praise of his batting ability.
Shaw currently endorses MRF, Nike, Indian Oil, and Protinex. The list is bound to grow as he gets more chance to play in the Test matches, ODIs, and T20I tournaments. He is still young, and fans relate to him in the same way as they did with young Sachin Tendulkar, when he arrived on the international cricket platform.
Kohli has been on the world stage for almost 10 years hence Shaw can provide the novelty and freshness to the companies and their brands. Those products which seek wider mass appeal can definitely be endorsed by him.
Big consumer goods and cola brands will surely warm up to him in a few years. His brand endorsement firm, Baseline Ventures are looking at the suitable opportunities for him, while being cautious. They slapped cease-and-desist notices on Swiggy, Freecharge, and Yashodhara Hospitals when they congratulated the 18-year-old talent on his debut century. By doing this, they wanted to emphasize that he was meant for bigger companies and not the smaller fries.
Shaw was sold at Rs 12 million to the Delhi Daredevils in the IPL auctions this year. Besides being a talented cricketer, he also comes across as a shy and down-to-earth person. This extension of his personality can definitely add a few more brands in his kitty. If he gets big runs in the forthcoming India-Australia series, then his market value would soar tremendously.
Kohli is currently the reigning king of brand endorsements. He is the only Indian to feature in Forbes’s annual list of 100 highest-paid athletes in the world. Shaw has to position himself as a nice guy to differentiate himself from the Indian captain. The shoes are big to fill and there lies the challenge for Prithvi Shaw. His on-field performances and demeanour will define the success of Brand Shaw.