Let’s face it, the woman whose real name is Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, better known as Lady Gaga, is polarizing. People love her or hate her, however after watching her in the remake of “A Star is Born” I’m reminded what this 32-year old has accomplished when it comes to branding and rebranding.
What makes a good brand? There are as many opinions about this as there are grains of sand on the beach, but a few points always rise to the top. A brand is consistent with its product, service and messaging, it makes you feel good in some way, promotes loyalty, creates an emotional link with its customers, responds to feedback and changes with the times.
So how does Lady Gaga stand up as a brand? Let’s look at a few areas where all brands live on a daily basis:
Emotional Link: If there’s one thing you can say about Lady Gaga, she creates an emotional link with her fans and it tends to either be die-hard loyalty or complete revulsion. There’s not much in between. At this point, loyalty is far ahead of revulsion as she storms the world with concerts, music videos, guest appearances and now “A Star is Born.” Lady Gaga has released five studio albums along with a myriad of singles and worldwide has sold close to 30 million albums. Her concerts always sell out and in 2019 she’ll take her act to Las Vegas and perform 27 shows throughout the year. Do you think she’s created an emotional link with her fans?
Engaging with Customers/Fans: Lady Gaga has over 50 million Facebook fans and close to 20 million Twitter followers. A YouTube video of her duet with Bradley Cooper from “A Star is Born” has 108 million views. She engages with fans on social media who she fondly named her “little monsters.” She regularly thanks her fans for their support and keeps them up-to-date on upcoming appearances, events, and concerts. She knows how to keep her little monsters coming back for more as a recent tweet from a fan shows, “I love you so much and can't help but cry when I think of my hero who has saved my life. I can never tell you how special you are to me.”
Controversy: That’s her middle name, or it should be. From her outrageous outfits (a dress made from real meat!) to her suggestive song lyrics and music videos Lady Gaga keeps people talking, good and bad. A few years ago she arrived at the Grammy awards (she’s won six already in her short career) inside an egg-shaped pod. She offended mental health professionals by referring to her critics as retarded. And she inflames Catholics and Christians alike with songs like “Judas” and by dressing like a nun (she grew up Roman Catholic). Controversy can help a brand (think of controversial ads you still remember), but too much controversy can also doom it.
Philanthropy: The best brands give back and this is an area where Lady Gaga puts her money where her mouth is. She donated over $500,000 to rebuilding efforts in Haiti after the devastating earthquakes there and she designed a bracelet to support Japan after a ravaging tsunami. She supports HIV/AIDS education and created the Born This Way Foundation to empower young people to create a kinder world. Brands that only take and never give back eventually go away and Lady Gaga has shown herself to be a brand that is willing to give back.
Continual Improvement: Lady Gaga began playing piano at age four and wrote a ballet by the age of 13. She has an amazing voice, writes much of her own music and creates many of the outrageous costumes she wears. Despite the controversy she creates, she is talented and continually working to improve herself, which is her brand. Will she be doing the same things she does now in 30 years or will she continue to evolve with the times and with her fans? Her recent starring role with Bradley Cooper and upcoming Las Vegas shows prove she continues to spread her wings. Good brands do just that if they want to be around in 30 years and more.
Whether you love her or hate her, she has created something amazing in a very short amount of time. Can your brand, personal or otherwise, say the same thing?
A quote from Lady Gaga sums it all up that brands both big and small would be wise to heed, "You have to be unique, and different, and shine in your own way." So my little monsters, how does your brand stack up?
After a several decades on-the-radio as a DJ and traffic reporter, Steve Woodburn MAS, stumbled, as most do, into the world of promotional products. He spent 27 years on the distributor side and the last three as a supplier, which gives him a unique perspective on this crazy business and life in general.