Captain Cool announced his retirement from international cricket on Saturday with a short post and a video on Instagram. The fact that by Sunday afternoon his post garnered more than 2.40 crore views and over 72 lakh comments is perhaps a testament to the fact that this boy from Ranchi has made a lasting impact on fans. Brand experts said that while post-retirement cricketers do see an erosion in endorsement fees, but brands are expected to continue to seek him to cut the clutter, and his latest move is unlikely to have a significant impact on his brand valuations.
Brand strategy specialist Harish Bijoor pointed out as Dhoni will remain a major force in the T20 format, which is the "most commercial format that is there in India." He added, “ Dhoni and his brand value will, therefore, see no decline provided his swashbuckling format of cricket ability sees no change. In fact, I see his brand value deepen as we see him in fewer fixtures than before.”
Dhoni has in the past few years, been expanding his business interests and in recent times made investments in new-age ventures such as Dream11 and Cars24. He also owns an athleisure brand called Seven and a gym venture called Sportsfit World. He also co-owns ISL team called Chennaiyin F.C. Brand experts believe with more time on hand he is expected to expand his business ventures and increase brand engagements.
Lloyd Mathias, Business Strategist and former Asia Pacific Marketing head of HP Inc said, " Most cricketers' brand value do indeed correlate with their active playing career, but for someone of Dhoni’s stature there will be a prolonged afterglow, that if properly nurtured may keep him much sought after."
"Dhoni has firmly cemented himself among India’s cricketing legends. His value derives not just from his cricketing achievements but also from his small-town origins, his leadership skills, his cool demeanour and his conduct on and off the field. Of course, post-retirement there will be some erosion in his endorsement fees, but how he plays out his next innings will in a large part determine this," Mathias stated.
According to Duff & Phelps Celebrity brand valuation study 2019, which was released in February, M S Dhoni's brand valuation was estimated at $41.2 million, and he was ranked among the top ten in celebrity brand rankings. He was featured in campaigns of as many as 44 brands in 2019, as per TAM Media's Adex report and included Gulf Oil, Orient Electric Fans, Powerade, Indian Terrain and Mastercard among others.
Rakesh Khanna, MD & CEO, Orient Electric Ltd said that the brand has been associated with the ace cricketer for more than 11 years. " In our advertisements, if you see, Dhoni has seldom been featured as a cricketer. He is respected and admired as a thought leader showcasing strong values of credibility and reliability, and his mass appeal goes beyond the cricket field," he added.
Meanwhile, Ravi Chawla, Managing Director, Gulf Oil Lubricants India Ltd said, " We have had a long-standing and multifaceted association with Dhoni for nearly a decade. He is very passionate about the automobile segment and has helped us deepen our engagement with our consumers, and we believe this journey will get further strengthened."