Hindi Actress As Brand Ambassador of KSDL Draws Flak
KSDL has chosen Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador of Mysore Soaps and Detergents Limited
Bengaluru: With a vision to touch Rs 5000 crore annual revenue by 2028, the Karnataka Soaps and Detergents Limited, a State Government undertaking, has chosen popular Hindi/Telugu actress Tamannaah Bhatia has been made brand ambassador of Mysore Soaps and Detergents Limited, a State Government undertaking, by offering her Rs 6.2 crore for two-year agreement. The agreement was formalised on Wednesday.
KSDL manufacturers Mysore Sandal Soaps, Mysore Sandal body washes, detergent cakes, liquid detergents, multipurpose liquid, phenyl, agarbhathis among others.
However, the decision drew flak from Kannada activists over ignoring young Kannada actors to be the ambassador of the brand.
Responding to the criticism, Minister of Large and Medium Scale Industries M.B. Patil stated “The intent of Mysore Soaps and Detergents is to penetrate markets beyond Karnataka aggressively.” Adding, the Minister termed the decision to pick Tamannaah Bhatia as the brand ambassador “a strategic decision of the Public Sector Undertaking board after consulting various marketing experts.”
Patil stated “To choose a brand ambassador, it takes a lot of deliberation and also considerations like social media presence, most importantly coherence with the brand, product and target audience, marketing fit and reach.”
Seeking the Minister to cancel Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador, Rupesh Rajanna, a pro-Kannada activist questioned the rationale of the Minister in choosing Tamannaah Bhati as brand ambassador of Mysore Soaps and Detergents Limited, particularly when the brand is making profits.
He said the previous year KSDL profit reached Rs 400 crore and posed a query to the Minister “Does a brand making profit require a brand ambassador?” Rajanna questioned “Is it right to waste money in such a way?”
Expressing views, some Kannada activists expressed displeasure over selection of Tamannaah Bhatia as brand ambassador especially when one of young Kannada actresses should have been given a chance to promote the brand.