Shah Rukh Khan won't be Apple's Indian brand ambassador, new report claims

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in iPhone
Despite rumors, Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan is not poised to become Apple's brand ambassador in India, a regional news agency said on Friday.




The company "does not need a brand ambassador in India or anywhere else," a source told Asian News International, in turn quoted by the Times of India. Khan is extremely famous in the country, and would potentially be a major coup for Apple's marketing efforts.

During a business trip in May, Apple CEO Tim Cook went to a dinner party hosted by Khan, where several other Bollywood celebrities were also present. Although the executive made a number of other cultural stops, the party visit might've made particular sense if it was done with recruiting Khan in mind.

Apple actually does use other celebrity "ambassadors" to help sell its products, but to date it hasn't tapped anyone from India.

The company has positioned India as its next big frontier. Although many people there still live in poverty, a small but growing percentage of people can now afford Apple products, and new LTE networks may improve the usefulness of smartphones. Currently the iPhone has just a 2 percent marketshare.

Comments

  • Reply 1 of 18
    TempletonTempleton Posts: 84member
    I prefer Kubla Kahn ( sic).
    1983
  • Reply 2 of 18
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    A "source told Asian News International..."? What source -- from Apple or close to Apple? Or was it an analyst? Someone else?
  • Reply 3 of 18
    VisualSeedVisualSeed Posts: 217member
    I think I could operate a decently trafficked media site by publishing "reports" that I refute with a different "report" the next day. 
    1983
  • Reply 4 of 18
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Imagine that. When has Apple ever had a "brand ambassador" (and no I'm not referring to celebrities used in commercials)?
  • Reply 5 of 18
    gatorguygatorguy Posts: 24,176member
    A "source told Asian News International..."? What source -- from Apple or close to Apple? Or was it an analyst? Someone else?
    Just as reliable a source as the one who planted the story that he WAS a brand ambassador. 
  • Reply 6 of 18
    phone-ui-guyphone-ui-guy Posts: 1,019member
    Imagine that. When has Apple ever had a "brand ambassador" (and no I'm not referring to celebrities used in commercials)?

    I would say they did for the watch. I know that this is not the entire brand, but I also don't know if they do that in other countries.

    Christy Turlington Burns

    http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/running-dialogue/christy-turlington-burns-runs-apple-watch-blog-entry-1.2143214


    edited June 2016 goodbyeranchairbubble
  • Reply 7 of 18
    azentropyazentropy Posts: 57member
    I Feel for You
  • Reply 8 of 18
    anantksundaramanantksundaram Posts: 20,403member
    gatorguy said:
    A "source told Asian News International..."? What source -- from Apple or close to Apple? Or was it an analyst? Someone else?
    Just as reliable a source as the one who planted the story that he WAS a brand ambassador. 
    Good point!
  • Reply 9 of 18


    Christy Turlington Burns

    And Taylor Swift. Assignment 1: Write emotional Apple Music open letter
  • Reply 10 of 18
    rogifan_newrogifan_new Posts: 4,297member
    Imagine that. When has Apple ever had a "brand ambassador" (and no I'm not referring to celebrities used in commercials)?

    I would say they did for the watch. I know that this is not the entire brand, but I also don't know if they do that in other countries.

    Christy Turlington Burns

    http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/running-dialogue/christy-turlington-burns-runs-apple-watch-blog-entry-1.2143214


    To me a brand ambassador is one person specifically picked by a company or a specific brand to represent that company/brand. Like Roger Federer who has a multi million dollar endorsement deal to represent Möet champagne. I believe in the press release they even referred to him as a brand ambassador. I consider that different than using all kinds of different celebrities in TV ads. 
    gatorguy
  • Reply 11 of 18
    pulseimagespulseimages Posts: 593member
    I guess Khan wasn't impressed with the engraved iPod Shuffle Tim Cook brought as a gift.
  • Reply 12 of 18
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    Just get Justin Long back, a good tan and he'd be perfect and it's an easy accent to get roughly ok.  "Hello Android, I'm an iPhone ...."  (I am kidding!)
  • Reply 13 of 18
    19831983 Posts: 1,225member
    What has India got against Apple? Its going to be a lot harder for the company to crack that market than the Chinese one...if they can be successful over there at all that is.
    edited June 2016
  • Reply 14 of 18
    SpamSandwichSpamSandwich Posts: 33,407member
    Dreams crushed! Oh, wait. Actually, I don't care.
  • Reply 15 of 18
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    Imagine that. When has Apple ever had a "brand ambassador" (and no I'm not referring to celebrities used in commercials)?
    Steve Jobs.
  • Reply 16 of 18
    cpsrocpsro Posts: 3,192member
    Translation: Samsung made a better offer.
  • Reply 17 of 18
    cnocbuicnocbui Posts: 3,613member
    1983 said:
    What has India got against Apple? Its going to be a lot harder for the company to crack that market than the Chinese one...if they can be successful over there at all that is.
    I don't think India has anything against Apple at all, it's just that they are not going to just let Apple attach the hose from their giant money sucking machine to India and  suck up billions, without putting something back.  They just want some quid pro quo in the form of meaningful and large scale investment and job creation.
    jacob1vargheseanantksundarampulseimages
  • Reply 18 of 18
    MacProMacPro Posts: 19,718member
    cnocbui said:
    1983 said:
    What has India got against Apple? Its going to be a lot harder for the company to crack that market than the Chinese one...if they can be successful over there at all that is.
    I don't think India has anything against Apple at all, it's just that they are not going to just let Apple attach the hose from their giant money sucking machine to India and  suck up billions, without putting something back.  They just want some quid pro quo in the form of meaningful and large scale investment and job creation.
    Seems fair.  Jobs and investment, sounds like the usual Apple arrangement in any country.  That Taj Mahal would make a cool Apple Store!  
    edited June 2016
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