When talking with a colleague recently about advertising, he made the comment, “when it comes to marketing, you would do well to emulate Lady Gaga.” What does that mean – and how did she get to be so big in such a relatively short period of time?
Your colleague has it right – and when it comes to marketing, so does Lady Gaga. Think about it, everywhere you look, there she is. Late night shows, daytime talk shows, awards shows – even shows that have nothing to do with music. The fact is, Lady Gaga is not only a musical genius; she’s a marketing genius as well.
Whoever is handling the marketing side of Lady Gaga knows how to play the game. She’s become a marketing machine. And it’s not just the zany outfits, the different color hair every 15 minutes or the sexy clothes or borderline nudity. It is strictly the “persona” – the mystique she’s created for herself, and the aura of stardom.
But it’s so much more. Lady Gaga, or actually Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has used social media better than anyone else. She’s got a huge fan base, a huge following on Facebook and Twitter, and she is a major influence on the culture of her “monsters” that revere her. How did she do all of this?
She has built a brand around herself, and the music is secondary. Sure, she has musical talent, although you could argue that what she does is not considered stellar singing. But just like a successful product you’d find on a store shelf, she has built a brand with a unique name, a unique look and a unique style you can’t copy with being considered a “me too” copycat. (There are a whole bunch of legal ramifications as well, so don’t even think about it.)
So what can you learn from all this? For starters, it’s all about the brand. It starts with a unique name; a unique and distinctive look that compels attention – and most importantly – it’s a product that fills a niche for a highly targeted audience. (She provides music for the 18 – 34 group – and it just happens to spill over into every other age category!
She creates demand for her product by making personal appearances, performances, concerts – and so much more. She tweets, she makes sound bytes available to the media and she grinds out publicity like a well-tuned machine. That’s what it takes to keep your brand in front of the public.
So the next time you’re thumbing through a magazine or surfing through your cable channels, watch and listen for a Gaga sighting. You’ll recognize the brand. And like everyone else who does advertising and marketing, look for the reasons people go goo-goo for Gaga.
Your colleague has it right – and when it comes to marketing, so does Lady Gaga. Think about it, everywhere you look, there she is. Late night shows, daytime talk shows, awards shows – even shows that have nothing to do with music. The fact is, Lady Gaga is not only a musical genius; she’s a marketing genius as well.
Whoever is handling the marketing side of Lady Gaga knows how to play the game. She’s become a marketing machine. And it’s not just the zany outfits, the different color hair every 15 minutes or the sexy clothes or borderline nudity. It is strictly the “persona” – the mystique she’s created for herself, and the aura of stardom.
But it’s so much more. Lady Gaga, or actually Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, has used social media better than anyone else. She’s got a huge fan base, a huge following on Facebook and Twitter, and she is a major influence on the culture of her “monsters” that revere her. How did she do all of this?
She has built a brand around herself, and the music is secondary. Sure, she has musical talent, although you could argue that what she does is not considered stellar singing. But just like a successful product you’d find on a store shelf, she has built a brand with a unique name, a unique look and a unique style you can’t copy with being considered a “me too” copycat. (There are a whole bunch of legal ramifications as well, so don’t even think about it.)
So what can you learn from all this? For starters, it’s all about the brand. It starts with a unique name; a unique and distinctive look that compels attention – and most importantly – it’s a product that fills a niche for a highly targeted audience. (She provides music for the 18 – 34 group – and it just happens to spill over into every other age category!
She creates demand for her product by making personal appearances, performances, concerts – and so much more. She tweets, she makes sound bytes available to the media and she grinds out publicity like a well-tuned machine. That’s what it takes to keep your brand in front of the public.
So the next time you’re thumbing through a magazine or surfing through your cable channels, watch and listen for a Gaga sighting. You’ll recognize the brand. And like everyone else who does advertising and marketing, look for the reasons people go goo-goo for Gaga.
