Marketing Lessons From Lady Gaga
Bizarre outfits, outrageous performances, and #1 records are hallmarks of superstar Lady Gaga. Recently however, Gaga has been drawing attention from more than just the tabloids. Some in the business world some have taken notice of the singer’s ability to engage her audience and create loyal and passionate fans.
In the article Loyalty Lessons From Lady Gaga ( http://www.churchofcustomer.com/2010/02/loyalty-lessons-from-lady-gaga.html), the singer’s unique branding and marketing techniques are examined.
It all started with a claw. Lady GaGa has branded the “monster claw” as a sign of dedication to her fans, creating branded loyalty that is growing faster than one can say Gaga. She refers to her audience as “little monsters” instead of “fans”, developing a shared symbol that both she and her audience can use to connect and build a unique relationship. The Gaga buzz is uncanny and when the Lady herself walks out on stage holding her hand up in the shape of a monster claw, the recognition is undeniable and the excitement and hysteria from her fans can’t go ignored.
With typical rock star fashion, Gaga took the branding of the symbol one step further and got a claw tattoo to signify her fan devotion. Predictably, fans followed in her footsteps and showed their loyalty by branding themselves with the tattoo as well.
In the article Gaga, Oooh La La: Why the Lady Is the Ultimate Social Climber (http://adage.com/digitalalist10/article?article_id=142210), author Andrew Hampp notes that in conjunction with her branding efforts, Lady Gaga has the ability to leverage social media to drive huge sales.
“Lady Gaga, with her army of nearly 2.8 million Twitter followers and more than 5.2 million Facebook fans, can move product. Since fall 2008, her digital-single sales have exceeded 20 million and her album sales hit 8 million, all at a time when no one under the age of 60 buys CDs anymore,” Hampp said. “Now, she's being courted by marketers to do the same for their products.”
Although these marketing techniques are in Gaga’s style, businesses should take notice of the bigger picture: consumers want to feel engaged and noticed. You won’t find Lady Gaga ignoring her fans and that should be said for any company that relies on a consumer base in order to succeed. Listen to your consumers, utilize social media, engage with them, make them feel important, and show them your devotion and appreciation.
The JLS Agency specializes in digital marketing and is based out of State College, Pennsylvania. Services offered by JLS include video production, website production, search engine marketing, copywriting and more.
