Aishwarya Rai Bachchan, whose brand association is limited to L’Oreal and Longines, is the second-most recognised celebrity in India, right after Sachin Tendulkar. She also takes the lead when it comes to power of persuasion by female actors. Combined, these two qualities place her third on the All-India Power List, representative of the last six months. And the only other female actor from the industry, who makes it to this list, albeit on the 10th spot, is Hema Malini. Though not at par with the two powerful ladies when it comes to recognition, Katrina Kaif, who’s currently the brand ambassador for Nakshatra, Slice and Veet, enjoys the second spot when it comes to the most likeable female stars. What’s more, she enjoys a high persuasion power, next only to Aishwarya across product categories. Ad guru Prahlad Kakkar agrees that Aishwarya and Katrina are the top endorsers among women. However, according to him, it is beauty coupled with the quality of commercials as the reason behind their popularity. As a testimony to his claim, he adds, “If you look at the type of commercials Deepika has been seen in off-late, you will get the answer why she has not made it to the most popular female ambassadors’ list.” Meanwhile, the direct correlation between likeability and convincing power is evident even in the case of male stars. Shah Rukh Khan, who is the brand ambassador for Hyundai, Airtel, Dish TV, ICICI, Fair & Handsome and Nokia to name a few, is the second-most powerful celebrity in India, next to M.S. Dhoni. This, as though he is fourth on the recognition bar, he enjoys a high amount of likeability (second rank) among those who know him. He is also the second-most persuasive star among actors, following Amitabh Bachchan. As for the most convincing male star in the eyes of the consumer, Bachchan enjoys the top spot in spite of being third in terms of recognition, following Salman Khan and Shah Rukh Khan. And finally, the most recognised male Bollywood star, Salman Khan, fails to figure in the list of Top 5 Likeable Male Stars. Kakkar agrees that Amitabh Bachchan and Shah Rukh Khan are two of the most powerful celebrity ambassadors. Explaining their popularity, he says, “When it comes to men, factors like charisma coupled with respect and credibility go a long away in making them popular. And if we were to talk about the three most powerful star ambassadors, it is Amitabh Bachchan, Shah Rukh Khan and Aamir Khan. In fact, what adds to Aamir’s popularity is the fact that he is so particular that he is involved with advertisements right from the scripting stage and if it doesn’t suit him, he opts out of it.” However, the omission of Aamir in the survey’s top lists, who has been part of some of the most creative campaigns for brands like Titan, Coke, Samsung, Monaco and Tata Sky, makes Kakkar suggest that we take the survey with “a pinch of salt.”