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Convicted singer Nicholas Tse Ting-fung stands to lose almost $20 million in income from singing, films and commercial sponsorship if he spends the next year behind bars, industry insiders estimate.

However, some marketing and advertising experts predicted his conviction might increase his allure to sponsors when he is released, as his rebellious image is the key to his appeal.

Tse, 22, was remanded in custody yesterday and warned he faced a custodial sentence after his conviction for perverting the course of justice by switching drivers following a crash in his Ferrari in March.

The singer, one of Hong Kong's most popular artists since his first album in 1997, has accumulated a fortune and now makes an estimated annual income of nearly $20 million.

He promotes a range of brands including Coca-Cola -  he arrived at Western Court clutching a can yesterday - Bossini, Pokka Coffee, Nissin Cup Noodles, Hong Thai Travel and Fairwood Rice Burger.

Sponsors did not return calls yesterday on whether they would continue their contracts with the star.

Tse's rebellious rock'n'roll image is played up heavily in marketing, with one noodle advertisement showing him beating on the bonnet of a sports car with a drum stick.

Chris Jaques, chairman of the Big Thinking Group, a consulting company specialising in creative thinking, said Tse's conviction could make him even more attractive to young people.

'The most attractive thing to the youth market is something rebellious,' he said.

Though he admitted companies were always worried about using people who had done something wrong, he predicted: 'More companies will want to use him than want to drop him.'

Echoing his view, a source in the marketing profession remarked: 'It doesn't matter whether he's convicted or not. All that matters is sales.'

She said advertising companies would adopt a wait-and-see attitude to the effect of his conviction on their products. 'Each company will watch the others' actions closely,' she added.

Tse has also been engaged in the government's strategy of promoting civic awareness, such as helping in the Announcements in the Public Interest on voter registration and ads for the anniversary of the Basic Law in 2000.

A government spokesman said the primary consideration in choosing people to appear in the advertisements was 'effectiveness in conveying the message'.

'Generally speaking, where it is appropriate to invite an artiste to help promote a message, consideration will be based on the message, the target audience, effectiveness of the approach, etc. Each case will be considered on its own merits,' the spokesman said.



Tse counts $20m cost of guilty verdict