PV Sindhu becomes the top pick for brands after World Championship win

PV Sindhu made the nation proud with her Gold medal at the BWF World Championship on August 25, 2019. The Indian shuttler is the first to do so, making her extremely valuable for brands. 

PV Sindhu is already associated with several brands globally, including PepsiCo’s Gatorade, Nokia, HARMAN by JBL, Myntra, etc. She also has a 4-year deal with Chinese sports brand Li Ning. It’s a Rs 50-crore contract, making it approximately Rs 11 crore per annum. This is astounding as it is very close to Virat Kohli’s Puma contract of Rs 12.5 crore per annum. 

After her success at BWF World Championship, PV Sindhu definitely becomes a favourite for brands not only in India but globally. This will definitely affect her brand value and increase it furthermore. Indranil Das Blah, Founding Partner, KWAN Entertainment, remarked, “Brand value of PV Sindhu has definitely increased as she is the first World Champion in Badminton the country has ever had. She has broken many barriers with this and hence, many brands will be queuing up for her.” 

Jigar Rambhia, National Director- Sports and Entertainment Sponsorships, Wavemaker India, added here, “PV Sindhu is the first Indian to win this title. It will surely see a huge boost. Also, with the Olympics slated for next year, it will definitely witness a surge in her brand value.” 

Sindhu is already associated with many brands across various categories. Her brand associations range from tyres to energy drinks. However, her success at the World Championship will make several women centric brands attract towards the champion. Also, brands looking for ambassadors with global impact will look to take PV Sindhu on board. As Charu Sharma, Sports Commentator and Director of Pro Kabaddi League, noted, “Whatever PV Sindhu advertises and endorses, the messaging is right here. PV Sindhu – World Champion. This makes a big difference in the messaging. Any brand that endorses its product as the best in the world would want to associate with a world champion like her.” 

Indranil Das Blah added here, “Any brand looking for strong independent women and ambassadors who are world beaters would be the obvious categories for her.” 

Now comes the big question. What’s the positioning of PV Sindhu when compared to other sport personalities like Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni? Both the cricketers are the highest earning sports personalities in the country. Brands always want to be associated with them due to their sure reach, success and popularity with the masses. Kohli endorses Pepsi, Puma, Manyaavar and many other brands. Dhoni endorses everything – right from paints and ceiling fans to sports equipment from Reebok. 

Now with PV Sindhu as the World Champion, this will definitely boost the brands being associated with her especially with the Olympics happening next year. Indranil Das Blah said, “After Virat Kohli and Dhoni, PV Sindhu is definitely in the top 5 sports endorsees after her win at the World Championship. With the Tokyo Olympics happening next year, brands will definitely want to take her on boards expecting her to win a gold.” 

Charu Sharma pointed out, “Her positioning right now is at the top of the world. Any brand that would want to sell their product as the best in the world, would want to definitely be associated with PV Sindhu. She is the obvious choice.” 

With over 5 million followers on Instagram, Twitter and Facebook, Sindhu definitely has a deep connection with fans. She is a young athlete and depicts the story of the success of a small town girl. She has a huge regional impact along with a global impact now. Brands would definitely want to leverage this. As per the Forbes list for highest paid female athletes, Sindhu ranks at number 13. It is very much possible that she climbs up the list as more brands start associating with her.