The Marketing Genius

     His palatial residence in Bandra is one of the most famous buildings in the country, and is also one of the most expensive homes in the world. You’ll find an opulent library in one of the corners of his house, which he fondly calls his ‘study’, one of the places in his house where he enjoys a carefree smoke. He’s also notorious for his chain smoking habit, but that in no way deters him from being one of the most energetic entertainers in the world. You can love him, you can hate him, but you sure cannot ignore him. Bow down to the rightly titled ‘King Khan’ – Shah Rukh Khan.

      Breaking away from the literal meaning of his name that means ‘One with the face of a prince’, SRK as he’s fondly called by his humongous fan base, is extraordinarily ordinary looking. He symbolises all of us who have a dream, and is an inspiration to those who are willing to go through thick and thin to reach where he is today. He deserves his stardom, the respect he garners wherever he goes, and the love that is showered on him whenever he passes through the smallest of the by lanes.

     But this article is not about his stardom or the kind of person he is; it is about the business mind that he possesses, which is very rare in people of his cadre. Who would have thought that ‘Om Shanti Om’ (OSO) would have been a blockbuster? The story was ordinary, actually, very outdated, but it was his promotion during the 2007 T-20 World Cup that catapulted the movie to the heights of box office success. You could find him waving in the stands, flanked by his latest find – the gorgeous Miss Deepika Padukone, and not realise the kind of impact that had on the success of OSO.

     Who could’ve thought that the world of cricket could be so glamorous before SRK came up with ‘Korbo Lorbo Jeetbo’ for his Kolkata Knight Riders. His black and gold-clad team took 4 years to win the IPL title, but it won hearts long before it won the cup. The merchandising, branding and advertising he did for the team made him one of the few team owners who actually made a profit during the IPL.

     He is not just blessed with a rare marketing acumen but also possesses an insight that is unparalleled in the film fraternity. The pioneer of bringing films to mobile gaming in India, he launched the ‘Ra.One – Genesis’ mobile game before the release of the movie. The movie was his dream project, but sadly didn’t do as well as it was expected to, but what followed was a plethora of filmmakers venturing into the world of mobile gaming – be it Krrish 3 or Dhoom 3, it was Shah Rukh Khan who laid the foundation stone of this innovative way of marketing.

     He was one of the very first actors to have come on the immensely successful show – ‘Comedy Nights with Kapil’. He’d realised the show’s potential long before even its makers probably had. He had come there to promote his film ‘Chennai Express’, and his playful antics with Kapil “Bittoo” Sharma and his clan only made the audience more keen on watching his magnum opus.

     He left no stone unturned in promoting his movie ‘Chennai Express’. The hit combination of Rohit Shetty – SRK – Deepika Padukone and Vishal-Shekhar was bound to break all records with their August 2013 offering, and by golly, they did. "I am not a marketing guru or a romantic hero. I promote my film to inform about it to my audience. I feel since they had to shell so much money to watch a film, they have the right to know about it. I inform my audience and give a brief overview of it," he was quoted saying by PTI. And the way he promoted this movie swept the Hindi film industry off its feet.

     Since the movie had a South flavour to it, he added the hugely hit song – ‘Lungi Dance’ at the end by roping in none other than India’s favourite ‘rapper’ – Yo Yo Honey Singh. The number set dance floors on fire across the country, and so did the movie.

     He didn’t fail to miss out on the festive season of Raksha Bandhan either. He cashed in on this occasion by coming out with a never seen before one-day offer - ‘Buy two tickets, get one free’ for the masses across the country on Raksha Bandhan. Now that’s a sure-shot crowd puller, isn’t it?

     The Chennai Express mobile game – ‘Escape from Rameshwaram’ was also launched on the day of the film’s release in three versions, aimed at making the film a part of the mobile gaming community. The game was based on the immensely popular ‘Subway Surfers’ game. Now that is insight, am I right?

     He even made appearances in several popular television reality shows like Jhalak Dikhla Jaa 6 and Indian Idol Junior. Daily soaps were not left out either – to engage the couch potatoes at home. The nation’s favourite ‘Taarak Mehta Ka Oolta Chashma’ saw SRK and Deepika pay Jethalal a visit in his humble home. An exclusive range of sarees, designed in the way Deepika wears in the movie were also unveiled. Cinema screens served locally favoured and in-demand snacks at all metros in India.

     Shah Rukh Khan understands the Indian market like few in the country do today, and he deserves the fruits he gets after watering his saplings of these brilliant seeds of marketing.

     He has delivered lectures at Yale University in Connecticut and last year’s reports suggested that even Harvard University had invited Shah Rukh Khan to deliver a lecture about the economics of film-making to the students.

     He recently made it to the cover page of Forbes magazine. The edition listed out the names of the 100 most powerful people in India. In the four years since Forbes entered the Indian market, SRK was the first actor on the cover page. He talked about his success, owning a cricket team and a lot more in the feature.

     He has the gift of seeing potential in an idea before anyone else does, and that’s what sets him apart from his contemporaries. He owns a large stake in the Mexican edutainment children chain – Kidzania, that opened its first theme park in R-City Mall, Ghatkopar in August last year. His love for kids and business came together in this venture, and it has been doing phenomenally well.

     With a marketing style that is not in-the-face or aggressive but is ubiquitous at the same time, Shah Rukh Khan sure is a guiding beacon for those who think that an MBA degree is required to be a good marketeer, and a wake-up call for those who think a romantic hero can only sell hugs and kisses.