RANVEER SINGH’S NUDE PHOTOSHOOT IS A MARKETING MASTERSTROKE, HERE’S WHY

When you are an emerging superstar climbing the ladder of superstardom but then there is a sudden halt. You have two back-to-back flops: 83 and JayeshBhai Jordaar. It is bound to send ripples down your spine and the ecosystem that relies on you. You become restless, take a step back unwillingly and push your team to come up with an idea on how to raise the value of your stocks. You keep the buzz going by attending cricket matches and shooting Man Vs Wild with Bear Grylls.

Moreover, then when the time is ripe, set the internet ablaze with your nudes. Nailed it! Marketing strategy done to perfection! And here are five reasons why I think so:

WHAT’S ALL THE FUSS ABOUT FEMALE NUDITY VS MALE NUDITY?

Mimi Chakravarthy starting the whole feminism debate on how had it been a woman, the amount of hostility she would have received would have been enormous.

Ram Gopal Varma chimed in his two cents, if women can show off their sexy bodies why can’t men. I am not here to agree or disagree with what Mimi Chakraborty or RGV says, all I am saying is it is because of Ranveer Singh, a discussion like this is happening in first place. And when something you do triggers a major conversation, it’s marketing done right.

CONTROVERSIES ARE A WAY TO MAINTAIN YOUR STARDOM IF YOU DELIBERATELY CREATE IT

As a content marketer, my blogs go through four rounds of review. To ensure it states the right facts and expresses the right message across. No way Ranveer Singh would post nudes without discussing the narrative with his team. In fact, maybe weeks ago while brainstorming on how do I get back with a bang or how do I keep my brand value intact, doing a nude photoshoot would have come across as a masterstroke idea.

Ranveer Singh endorses more than 40 brands and in the current times is one of the top stars in our country. Maintaining his brand value is of utmost importance to him and the people around him.

Based on how it broke the internet, they would be pleased with the result.

BRAND DIFFERENTIATION TAKES YOU MILES AHEAD OF YOUR COMPETITORS

Over the years, Ranveer Singh has build a brand persona quirky over the top superstar who oozes out energy wherever he goes. That’s how he differentiated himself from his line of actors. Doing a nude photoshoot is another step towards brand differentiation. A quirky superstar comfortable in his skin to shed it all.

You need three characterstics to pass the differentiator test:

How true it is?

How relevant it is?

Can you prove it?

Is there any truth to Ranveer Singh’s quirkiness? Yes, the nude photoshoot is the latest proof.

What is the relevance of this nude photo shoot? Well, it is relevant to the brands he endorses. The more people talk about him, the more buzz he generates for these brands.

Anyone can claim to be quirky but the hard part is living the quirkiness. And Ranveer Singh’s latest photoshoot is a testimony to his quirkiness

A NUDE PHOTOSHOOT AFTER A LONG TIME

Yes, last year John Abraham went nude. This year Vijay Devarakonda did for Liger but Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot is the best marketed one. Giving the audience an impression that after Milind Soman, he is the only Indian actor to bare it all.

Well, a lot of you or some of you might think what is the big deal with nudes. Porn stars do it all the time. Well, Ranveer Singh is a mainstream actor. When someone of his stature does it, it is bound to shock people. I am not saying John Abraham or Vijay Devarakonda aren’t big stars, they are. It’s just that Ranveer Singh’s marketing team did a fantabulous job in placing the nudes at the right place at the right time.

HIS MARKETING TEAM LEVERAGED THE “PURPLE COW” CONCEPT TO PERFECTION

You are a great actor, sounds good. But you had two back-to-back flops, to keep your brand image intact, you need to do something impactful and interesting. Something that could break the internet.

Making a great movie will take time, but again people have anti-Bollywood feelings and it will take time before those hard feelings settle down. What can be done that could leverage the hostility of the audience and the love of the fans at the same time?

Something that will make them go, wow, and make them think, hey what was that?

Bam, there comes the nudes, and up goes the stocks of Ranveer Singh’s brand. It’s almost a week since Ranveer Singh posted nudes but the discussions aren’t stopping anytime soon. Check the top stories around him,

Like Seth Godin says,

You are driving on a highway relaxing your eyes looking at those lush green fields on the sides. You see a bunch of cows, you won’t think anything about it.However, if you saw in those bunch cows, a cow purple in color.

A Purple Cow.

Won’t your mind go, “Holy shit, that’s a purple cow?” That’s what grabbing attention is all about. For Ranveer Singh, his nudes are his purple cow. In dire times, post some nudes and stir the Internet. That’s why Ranveer Singh’s nude photoshoot is a marketing masterstroke.

The author is a senior writer and content marketer at Sprinklr. He is the author of Something Between Him and Her: His First Kiss and the co-author of the Growth Hacking book series.