M NCs are not unduly perturbed by such questions. We are not doing celebrity endorsement per se. There could be ups and downs in their careers, but our company has always stood strong because we are very clear about what we want to portray. Thus their performance has never really affected us because in our advertising we only put forth a strong idea. The success of a product is not a function of the success of the Indian cricket team, says Rupam Ganguly, marketing manager of the foods and dairy major Britannia.
Cricketers are just one aspect of the product.
The other aspects would be the price, quality, packaging, etc. Besides, every sport is characterised by ups and downs, and any company that considers itself affected by the bad performance of a particular series is either thinking short-term or does not have a solid base for the product in question. It all began with the advent of television. One-day cricket turned the players into celebrities overnight. Performances can be good or bad, what matters is the respect and admiration the cricketers command.