What's the story?
Virat Kohli recently made the decision to only endorse the products he consumes or can relate to. Implementing the same, the Indian skipper decided not to renew his six-year multi-crore deal with PepsiCo. Despite the keen interest of the company to continue with Kohli as their brand ambassador, the latter decided against it owing to his fitness regime.
“If I myself won't consume such things, I won't urge others to consume it, just because I am getting money out of it,” said Kohli in an interview with CNN-IBN. “When I started my fitness turnaround, it was more of a lifestyle thing initially. If something goes away from that, I would not want to be a part of that or be promoting that.”
In case you didn't know...
Kohli's deal with PepsiCo ended on April 30th. The two were associated for six years and the manufacturer of cold drinks and snacks, a big name in the market, were keen on renewing the deal.
PepsiCo's cola products carry a large amount of sugar which are often harmful. Consumption of these products is bound to affect the fitness of the players and this is the primary factor that led to this decision.
The heart of the matter
Kohli has decided to cut ties with all products that he does not feel will have a positive impact on his lifestyle. He refused to name any such synonymous deals that he was earlier a part of. However, he indicated that he would cut ties with them in the future as well.
Apart from this, the Indian captain will not endorse products and services that he cannot connect with.
What's next?
Kohli might decide to associate himself with other products of the same parent company which do not pose threats to his fitness or that of the general public. For instance, Quacker Oats is not harmful to the body and has another cricket legend, Sachin Tendulkar, as its ambassador and Kohli might decide to go in this direction.
Author's Take
Brands often use popular faces to promote their products in the market. Amidst the blinding commercials, this is a brilliant move by Kohli to refrain from being the source of false advertising. This decision shows the maturity that has now become an integral part of his thought process.
There are a lot of other associations that the player can make without promoting something he doesn’t use or connect with.
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