Lessons on building a brand with passion and purpose.
By Luke Sklar and Amber Hudson
Two words: Rebecca Black.
If you need a refresher here’s a link to her video Friday. Being a researcher I like stats. And dude, these are mind blowing:
- 100 million hits on YouTube, with a whopping 2 million “dislikes” and only 260,000 “likes”
- Number 13 on the top 100 top downloaded songs on iTunes.
- Widely considered the “worst song ever” (okay, not mind blowing, completely understandable)
As I sputter and stutter trying to find reason in all this it’s become clear, this is a raging case of The Democratization of Fame. It wasn’t label execs or A&R reps or critics that helped this girl become “fa-meme-ous.” It was the market place. While the media attention has been anything but flattering, it’s the public, particularly the haters, that is keeping Rebecca Black alive simply by just talking about her. Sure, social media can launch a career (Justin Bieber) or tarnish one (Charlie Sheen). But what happens when the person / product is so appalling? Videos like “Friday” do nothing to elevate the music industry and as a result Black’s current fame is not sustainable. She’ll never become iconic; she’ll never elevate the category she’s in. She will, however, become smelly. Like it or hate it (the song. Leave the girl alone, she’s only a kid for crying out loud), it begs the question, when it comes to fame for fame sake, what happens to the art? To longevity?
Here’s the marketing lesson: Yeah sure, short term fame can lead to money, sometimes a bucket load. But it won’t last. Don’t try to make your brand the biggest brand around for the sake of being the biggest brand. Rather, ask yourself what does your brand do to elevate the category it’s in? Great brands don’t meet the literal demands of today’s market place, they create to meet a real consumer need and do so with purpose and passion. Fame is merely an afterthought.
This is the Everything is Marketing blog. We are here to prove that every single issue in life, every person, story or event, has a marketing lesson. And we want you to join in the conversation. So crack those knuckles and weigh in on the discussion, share your thoughts and ideas, agree or disagree. Bring it on; we want to hear from you! And if you like what you read, click on a button below to share.
Featured Image Courtesy of PublicDomainPictures.net