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Introduction

Amitabh Bachchan, the brand manager of Brand AB is in a dilemma. He understands how important Brand AB is to the industry. He had told an interviewer, "With the change in the country and the economy and the boom in entertainment, I felt the need for a professional attitude towards the entertainment industry.
I am no longer an individual but a corporate entity. They have invested money in me as a brand. They can recover the money through whatever the brand can do: act, sing, do a concert, endorse a product." The current situation is clearly showing that Brand AB has now divided itself into two images. Which of these images should ultimately lead to long-term sustenance and growth of the brand and, thus, helping in the growth of the industry?

One of the images is that of a father figure, which is a reflection of his core brand value of a Saviour. Brand AB here is a guide of the people leading them towards the success, which he had achieved through lot of struggles. And people believe in this brand because they had seen him succeed starting from a humble background. So Brand AB symbolizes trust, esteem, respectfulness, and love for people all over India. This Brand AB has been built through years and has a rock solid foundation. This image of a father figure induces people to make him play roles he played in films like Khakee, Black, etc., or turn towards the Brand AB whenever there is a need to resurrect a bruised image, e.g., Cadbury after worm controversy, Dabur Chyawanprash to counter flat sales growth, etc. This image of Brand AB gets a boost when we speak of Amitabh Bachchan who has already got a Padma Shri award. People believe, love and respect this image of Brand AB.

Another image of Brand AB, which is becoming prominent in the recent times, is that of a brand which is acceptable to young generation. The role in 'Kabhi Alvida Naa Kehna' or the advertisements in which he dances to the tunes of young generation portrays this image. Now this image of Brand AB may be used due to different reasons - it may be due to the threat it is feeling from other young brands, to make itself acceptable to young generation, to stay relevant in recent times.

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* Contributed by: -
Shirshendu Ganguli,
Research Scholar,
ICFAI Institute for Management Teachers, Hyderabad.