‘Unless
a
comedian
is
involved
in
something
society
deems
unforgivable…’
Kindly
note
the
image
has
been
posted
only
for
representational
purposes.
Photograph:
Kind
courtesy
Tumisu/Pixabay.com
From
weekend
gigs
to
social
media
dominance,
stand-up
comedy
has
flourished
in
India,
and
brands
are
capitalising
on
this
growth.
Companies
across
industries
—
including
ride-hailing
platform
Uber,
food
aggregator
Zomato,
wearable
major
boAt,
car
trade
platform
Spinny,
and
apparel
startup
Vastrado
—
are
collaborating
with
comedians
like
Samay
Raina,
Ravi
Gupta,
and
Shreeja
Chaturvedi.
“Brands
across
various
sectors,
whether
new-age
D2C
(direct-to-consumer),
FMCG
(fast-moving
consumer
goods),
or
BFSI
(banking,
financial
services,
and
insurance),
are
increasingly
exploring
collaborations,”
said
Preranaa
Khatri,
chief
business
officer
at
Only
Much
Louder,
a
Mumbai-based
artiste
management
firm.
However,
the
sensitive
nature
of
comedy
and
the
rise
of
cancel
culture
make
brands
cautious.
“Brands
work
with
comedians
as
long
as
the
partnership
drives
engagement.
They
prioritise
return
on
investment,
and
if
the
comedian’s
popularity
translates
into
audience
interaction,
the
collaboration
makes
sense,”
Khatri
added.
Controversy
and
caution
A
recent
example
of
brand
risk
in
comedy
is
India’s
Got
Latent,
a
YouTube
talent
show
hosted
by
Raina.
Despite
strong
brand
engagement,
the
show
was
removed
from
YouTube
for
‘inappropriate
content’
and
the
matter
was
also
raised
in
Parliament,
with
one
MP
calling
for
a
law
to
regulate
social
media.
The
controversy
prompted
some
brands
to
withdraw
their
sponsorships.
Apparel
brand
XYXX
reportedly
had
planned
sponsorship
deals
worth
Rs
35
lakh
per
episode,
which
have
since
been
cancelled.
XYXX
did
not
respond
to
queries
from
Business
Standard.
Meanwhile,
food
chain
KFC
has
disabled
comments
on
its
Instagram
campaign
featuring
Raina.
“Shows
like
India’s
Got
Latent
always
carry
the
risk
of
backlash.
Brands
engaging
with
edgy
content
need
to
factor
in
this
possibility,”
said
Smit
Bhanushali,
general
manager
of
Strategy
and
Operations
at
Black
Hat
Talent
Solutions.
However,
he
added,
that
brands
with
solid
agreements
and
risk
clauses
can
mitigate
potential
fallout.
An
agency
that
worked
closely
with
India’s
Got
Latent
said
that
going
ahead,
“brands
are
likely
to
take
a
more
proactive
stance.
This
includes
rigorous
vetting,
clear
contracts
and
crisis-management
strategies.”
Despite
the
occasional
controversy,
industry
experts
believe
comedy
remains
a
valuable
tool
for
marketing.
“Unless
a
comedian
is
involved
in
something
society
deems
unforgivable,
they
usually
bounce
back
if
their
talent
remains
strong,”
said
Samit
Sinha,
founder
of
Alchemist
Brand
Consulting.
“Stand-up
comedy
will
always
be
a
sensitive
subject,
but
brands
willing
to
take
the
plunge
can
position
themselves
as
bold,
progressive,
and
attuned
to
younger
audiences,”
Bhanushali
added.
Opportunity
and
risk
Risks
notwithstanding,
brands
continue
collaborating
with
comedians
due
to
their
unique
storytelling
ability.
“Most
comedians
are
also
writers.
Their
knack
for
delivering
messages
with
timing,
relatability,
and
authenticity
makes
them
valuable
for
digital
marketing,”
said
Pankaj
Malani,
senior
vice
president
of
Revenue
at
Only
Much
Louder.
Shubham
Chawla,
Raina’s
manager
who
spoke
with
Business
Standard
before
the
India’s
Got
Latent
controversy
erupted,
highlighted
the
impact.
All
brands
that
partnered
with
India’s
Got
Latent
saw
an
uptick
in
sales,
he
claimed,
adding,
“Vastrado’s
sales
doubled
within
a
month,
and
Spinny
saw
increased
market
presence.”
Beyond
humour,
brands
focus
on
reach
and
relatability.
Uber
recently
partnered
with
comedians
Shreeja
Chaturvedi,
Shreya
Priyam
Roy,
and
Shashi
Dhiman
for
its
‘Women
Safety
Isn’t
a
Joke’
campaign,
balancing
a
serious
topic
with
a
light-hearted
approach.
Meanwhile,
boAt
collaborated
with
comedian
Ravi
Gupta
to
challenge
the
‘Made
in
China’
perception
of
its
products.
“His
witty,
shudh
desi
style
made
him
the
right
pick,”
said
a
boAt
spokesperson.
Unlike
scripted
campaigns,
live
shows
pose
greater
risks
due
to
their
unpredictability.
“In
scripted
campaigns,
brands
ensure
message
alignment,
but
this
comes
at
the
cost
of
authenticity
and
spontaneity,”
Bhanushali
said.
That
said,
few
brands
are
comfortable
with
unpredictability,
she
added.
Most
are
hesitant
to
engage
in
live
collaborations.
However,
some
opt
for
controlled
environments,
such
as
private
corporate
events,
where
they
set
guidelines
for
comedians
and
restrict
audience
recordings.
Currently,
most
brand
partnerships
with
comedians
are
short-term
and
last
between
three
to
six
months,
often
capitalising
on
trending
topics,
said
Malani.
“Long-term
partnerships
align
with
our
core
category
entry
points,
while
short-term
collaborations
tap
into
ongoing
conversations,”
said
the
boAt
spokesperson.
Khatri
said
there
was
also
a
growing
interest
in
long-term
deals.
“We
structure
collaborations
where
comedians
endorse
brands
across
multiple
channels
and
even
serve
as
brand
consultants,”
she
said.
Comedy
conundrum
Controversy
in
comedy
is
nothing
new
in
India
—
comedians
like
Tanmay
Bhat
and
Vir
Das
have
faced
backlash
before.
While
this
limits
some
endorsement
opportunities,
experts
believe
the
overall
impact
is
minimal.
“Public
perception
of
artistes
can
change,
but
we
focus
on
their
current
relevance,
authenticity,
and
alignment
with
our
brand,”
said
the
boAt
spokesperson.
There
is
also
the
view
that
comedy’s
edgy
nature
restricts
its
appeal
to
certain
brands.
“Most
stand-up
content
is
consumed
individually
on
mobile
devices,
allowing
comedians
to
push
boundaries.
This
makes
them
less
suitable
for
brands
targeting
family
audiences,”
said
Sinha.
“It’s
a
double-edged
sword
—
established
brands
are
more
cautious
with
comedians
than
they
are
with
film
and
sports
celebrities.”
Opportunity
-
Comedians’
popularity
and
high
return
on
investment -
Brands
can
position
themselves
as
bold,
progressive,
and
attuned
to
younger
audiences
Risk
-
Sensitive
nature
of
comedy -
Content
pushes
boundaries,
hence,
less
suitable
for
brands
targeting
family
audiences
Feature
Presentation:
Ashish
Narsale/Rediff.com