Shah Rukh Khan tops Khan celebrity brand equity; Salman leads mass-market appeal

An Indian Institute of Human Brands study of 500 urban respondents ranks Shah Rukh Khan highest overall in celebrity brand equity. Salman Khan leads mass-market consumer-category appeal, Aamir Khan scores on trust-led endorsements, and Saif Ali Khan retains premium and luxury relevance.

— Source published Tue, 18 Aug, 2026, 14:20 IST · First seen Tue, 18 Aug, 2026, 17:11 IST · Source ET BrandEquity

What happened

IIHB study ranks Shah Rukh Khan highest in overall celebrity brand equity. Salman Khan leads in mass-market consumer categories, Aamir Khan commands high-trust

Key facts

  • 500 urban respondents

Why this matters

Agencies, talent managers, and consumer-brand partners can build higher-value endorsement portfolios by packaging celebrities around distinct mass, trust, premium, and overall-equity positioning.

What to watch

  • New endorsement announcements showing category clustering by each actor.
  • Changes in celebrity endorsement fees, exclusivity clauses, and contract duration.
  • Brand-lift and sales data from festive-season, e-commerce, and mass-retail campaigns.
  • Social-media sentiment, controversy risk, and audience-age shifts affecting trust or premium perception.
  • Whether regional creators and digital influencers displace celebrity spend in Tier 2/3 acquisition campaigns.
  • Luxury and premium consumer demand trends that could expand or reduce Saif Ali Khan and Shah Rukh Khan partnership opportunities.
  • Build category-by-celebrity fit matrices using mass reach, trust, premium affinity, social engagement, and regional resonance rather than overall equity rankings.
  • Test Shah Rukh Khan for premium mass brands and festive retail campaigns where cross-demographic reach matters.
  • Use Salman Khan for price-led, high-frequency, distribution-expansion campaigns, with brand-safety and exclusivity protections.
  • Reserve Aamir Khan for high-consideration or credibility-sensitive endorsements, including finance, mobility, education, health, and technology.
  • Position Saif Ali Khan in premium lifestyle, luxury, travel, grooming, and fashion campaigns where aspirational relevance matters more than scale.
  • Structure contracts around measurable lift in consideration, conversion, retailer sell-through, and audience-segment reach rather than awareness alone.