Move over Dhoni, Virat Kohli is the new poster boy of Indian Television

Mumbai: Virat Kohli, touted as the next Indian cricket captain has seen his presence on television through advertisements shore up by over 200% over last year according to media tracking agency TAM courtesy the 13 brands that he endorses currently . 

Kohli has outrun his skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni and has become a compelling choice for marketers.  

The Delhi lad's annual endorsement fee which went up to Rs. 3 crore per brand last year has now touched Rs. 6 crore per brand annually rivaling the likes of Bollywood heartthrob Ranbir Kapoor in the celebrity endorsement market.

 Kohli recently added Nestle Munch and Cinthol deo spray to his portfolio even as he closes in on signing a shampoo, toy and laptop brand soon. 

Kohli's youth, good looks and attitude make him a compelling proposition for brand endorsements said experts. According to TAM data, it is for the first time that the youngster has overtaken his skipper Dhoni in terms of visibility on the telly during the first three months of 2013. Dhoni earns Rs. 100 annually and is the top ranked sports brand ambassador charging Rs. 8-10 crore for each brand annually. 

Sunil Kataria, executive VP, marketing & sales at Godrej Consumer Products said Kohli conveyed Cinthol's new image and positioning very well which is the reason for having signed him on post the brand relaunch last year. "We have used the digital platform for both 'Alive is Awesome' and 'Challenge Virat' campaigns in a big way. As Virat is a youth icon he connects well with our target audiences who are all consuming media through social media channels," he said. 

Cinthol has largely used Bollywood stars as brand ambassadors the last one being Hrithik Roshan. Similarly, Swiss foods brand Nestle has never had a sports celebrity as its ambassador till they got on board Kohli recently. 

"Last year we sat down and decided we did not want to do run of the mill associations for Kohli as we do not want to saturate his brand equity. Due to this we have dropped a few brands over the last few months and are looking to differentiate his associations so that they stand out," said Bunty Sajdeh, CEO, Cornerstone Sport & Entertainment, who has been managing Kohli since 2009.