All posts tagged Facebook

Rick Springfield: A one hit wonder is a wonder.

RS6-e1346944431337I’ve never been a guy for details so when Mitch Joel informed me that Rick Springfield was performing as a part of Content Marketing World in Columbus, Ohio, I realized I hadn’t thoroughly read the conference’s extracurricular agenda. I also realized that I hadn’t thought of the name “Rick Springfield” since the last time I watched my favourite scene from Boogie Nights.

Leading up to last night, his performance was met with mischievous smiles and eye rolls. It was the kind of thing people expected, I guess. An older rocker who we (kinda) remembered from pre-teen dances and the early days of MTV performing for gaggle of badge-flapping, khaki wearing, “What’s the ROI?” spouting, content marketers.

Oh, I wouldn’t miss this spectacle for all the Facebook Likes in the world.

For those who don’t know, Rick Springfield had a song, Jessie’s Girl, that spent 2 whole weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 in 1981 and netted him a Grammy for Best Male Rock Vocal Performance. Sure there were other songs and albums and a stint on General Hospital, but Jessie’s Girl is what most people remember about his career.

Rick Springfield just celebrated his 63rd birthday.
Let me repeat that. He’s 63.

You know who else is 63? Bill O’Reilly. Victor Garber. Hell, even Ric Flair was born in 1949. Just 2 years from collecting a pension and with (I hope) enough money to last and Rick Springfield is still performing? And at a corporate show to boot?

Well, Rick rocked. And there was no one more surprised than me.
He sang his heart out, played the heck out of his guitar, worked his way through the crowd and genuinely seemed to have a good time.

What I liked most about it though, was how comfortable he seemed to be with himself and his place in history. Introducing one song, he chuckled, “You probably remember this song from when you were wearing a training bra.” For another, he actually apologized for making the movie, “Hard to Hold”.

He could have phoned it in. He could have played some stuff, collected his cheque, and visibly grumbled about the experience but he didn’t. He was a total pro. He was more energetic, passionate and honest about his work than most people in the audience are about theirs. Even if he hated the whole thing, he certainly didn’t show it. I don’t know that I’ll ever love his music but I certainly respect him for it.

Because, deep down, on some level, I think we’re all Rick Springfield.

Our careers have peaks and valleys and we normally have our biggest successes in our younger years. Having a number one song (however we define it in our own industries) is rare and when it happens, we should acknowledge that it’s probably some combination of talent, drive, working with the right people, and the miraculous alignment of the planets in our favour. Some of us are simply lucky that it all comes together. We should be proud of the achievement but also recognize how fortunate we are to have been a part of it.

I once opened for Jann Arden at a corporate event and before singing her hit song, Insensitive, she said, “I’d like to thank this next song because it allowed me to buy my house and send my parents on many cruises.” I don’t like the song but I loved her honesty about her role in its success.

As Rick showed  our group last night, what follows success is probably more important than what precedes it. We can acknowledge the accolades but we should be more proud of the passion for the craft that got us there.

When I turn 63, I hope I show the passion for my craft that Rick showed for his.
Keep rockin’ Rick. And don’t talk to strangers. 

Business should busk.

What marketers can learn from street performers.

I’ve always thought that buskers were “Carnies with Talent”, working their way around the world entertaining suburban dads decked out in a Tilley hat and a willingness to be embarrassed in front of a crowd of assembled strangers. Now, given your average street performer makes less than minimal wage over a 40 hour work week, it may not seem like there’s much to learn from them. But there is.

Busking is the epitome of the cold call.

No brand awareness. No liquidation sale. No inbound marketing techniques. A busker has the unenviable task of selling their product in an environment filled with the direct  competition and booths with food and face painting that distract their customers even more. In one 20 minute set, they have to build an audience, deliver their product and then ask for voluntary payment. Is there a more pure business transaction in the world? I doubt it. Here’s what we can learn.

1. They build a unique product.
When you’re competing against other performers, you can’t simply do what the other guy is doing. Even if you’re juggling stuff, you have to look unique, act unique, sound unique and in some cases, smell unique. And when you hit the stage, you better have invested the time to perfect your product. Who’s going to invest the time watching someone perfect their bit when there are so many other perfect options available?

2. They use the audience to build an audience.
Stepping into an empty space, a busker has to immediately create interest in his or her product without the benefit of a social media agency to help them do it.

To build an audience, they simply start with one person. They’ll politely ask an innocent bystander to get involved. “Can you hold this? Can you stand there? Can you put your hand up?” Volunteers aren’t given the 3 year strategic plan and asked to share with their friends – they’re just asked to do something simple. They’re involvement intrigues others to at least stand around and wait to see what’s going to happen. Even the most skeptical will wonder what we’re missing when a crowd starts to form.

3. VIP access for early adopters.
Why hang around waiting for something to happen when there are so many other options? Well, anyone who has been to a busker festival knows that the early adopters get front row seating. They get to see more and hear more and if they’re lucky, there’s a chance that they’ll actually get to star in the show. There should be a reward for those who stuck with us even when there wasn’t any show to speak of. I hope I never forget that.

4. Make ‘em feel special.
A positive attitude creates a positive experience. Every time someone does something, says something, or volunteers to join the show, the professional busker initiates a response with the age-old, “Let’s give Phil a really big hand, folks…” And it doesn’t just make the volunteer feel ridiculously special. It creates intrigue for customers who may be bored at another show. We consumers don’t want to think we’re missing out on something. With this strategy, the bigger a crowd gets, the bigger the crowd will get.

5. They use humour.
I don’t think puns or sexual innuendo are funny. Apparently, I’m in the vast minority. While crowds bellowed at lame one-liners, I was heard muttering, “They think this shit is funny?” Oh well. Regardless of the specific tone of the humour, I think we can all agree that humour is critical when building relationships.

6. They ask to get paid. 

Can you imagine if agencies had to complete a campaign before asking, “How much do you think that was worth?” Yikes. Part of me thinks agencies would actually make more. Well, that’s what these folks do every day of the week. And those who are good at it make more. When they make more, they can perform more.

The approach is usually honest: “I do this as my job and the festival doesn’t pay me.”
It’s rational: “Can you see a show this good for $10 for your entire family?”
It’s promotional: “If you give $20, you get a free DVD.”
It’s humourous: “If you give $10, you’ll go home happy. If you give $100, you’ll go home with me.”

I always feel bad asking for dough. I think I may change my approach.

It’s not like I’m asking brand managers to get a guitar case, work on stilts or juggle their product while it’s in flames. But there’s a lot we can learn from our nomadic creative colleagues. We all want to build community, give a good show and create applause. But unless people put money in our cap, we won’t survive.

If you want to check out more photos I took at Buskerfest, click here. 

Where did this come from?

In between mentions of Clint’s Chrysler spot and the “Shit Girls Say” meme, Content Marketing is getting a lot of ink. How did we get here? Can marketers really turn their backs on the content they’ve historically funded to create their own media properties? Yes they can. And here’s why:

1. Media’s doing it.
Rogers has done a great job extending their Sportsnet brand into all corners of the media universe. You can see and hear it online, on your phone, on TV, on radio, on demand, on tablets, in print, on blogs, and more. And when you turn the channel, flip the page, or call up the site, you’ll probably see ads for other Rogers services and properties. This is great business but the whole system falls apart if there isn’t something to talk about.

That something is content.

With full or partial ownership of the Jays, Leafs, Raptors, FC, and more, Rogers not only owns where the content occurs but what the content is, too. They can’t do it alone but they certainly have decreased their dependence on other brands for revenue. They’re almost completely self sufficient. Brands simply have to return the favour.

2. Consumer expectations
After the financial issues of the past few years, consumers have returned to simplicity and finally value steak over sizzle. They demand honesty and transparency at every interaction. And brands HAVE to deliver because social media allows bad experiences to be shared with millions and brands that don’t act in good faith face the wrath of the masses. Remember the Netflx Canada launch? Wrath. Kenneth Cole? Wrath. Ocean Marketing? Wrath (and hilarious).

Even when it’s honestly delivered, traditional ad messages that don’t actually create value go unnoticed. Consumers want stuff that does stuff. Most would rather see Starbucks focus their efforts on a perfect mobile app than an ad to tell us about it.

That’s where content comes in.

Whether it’s informative, entertaining or both, content adds value. Just what consumers want.

3. Rise of the niche markets
Most of us have unique interests that trump the lowest-common denominator content that is served up by traditional media outlets. If you love quilting, there used to be very little that could help stir your passions. Now you can watch a quilting Youtube Channel, read a blog, and participate with others who love quilting. Surely, that content is more engaging than anything offered up on CTV. It’s quilting!!

Well, many brands’ consumers also share interests. Brands can offer up interesting content that their consumers care about and provide additional product value-adds along the way.

4. Affordable production
Naturally, none of this would be possible if brands had to enlist a full crew, expensive cameras, an Avid suite, a Flame artist and a team of nerds to code it. Production and post production is cheaper than ever as are the methods of distribution. Want to be Rupert Murdoch? You’re a Mac Airbook and a WordPress site away from doing it.

Why outsource content to a mass media company when you can own the highly specific content your customer wants as well as the place they see it?
Seems like an easy question to answer.

If not, this may help:

Take the meeting. It’s good karma.

Whether we’re 20 or 90, we all ask for advice.
Should we take the job? Should we wear this jacket with these pants? Should we use WordPress or Tumblr? Usually, it’s with those close to us, but when our indecision extends to the workplace or our career, we usually have to look beyond our Friends List for real and insightful advice. And that can be tough. Often, you won’t know the people who’s counsel you seek. So you reach out on LinkedIn, you look for mutual friends on Facebook, or you simply cross your fingers, fire off an email and hope for a response.

Over the past year, I wanted to do just that. I wasn’t seeking advice as much as perspective. I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do exactly but wanted to dedicate time to really find out how other worlds were adapting to the new media and advertising landscape. So I connected with network programming people, production companies, media sellers, media planners, creative folks, planners and more. It was like a TED Tour and I had a front row seat.

Through it all, I discovered the niche I wanted to play in but admittedly, didn’t do a good enough job of thanking those who took the time to help me do it. Well, this week, I got a great reminder when Daniel Hebert went out of his way to thank me for my advice.

A while ago, I got an email from Daniel asking me to look at his blog and provide some career advice. Like most people with senior advertising experience, I get a ton of emails asking for meetings, portfolio reviews, and the general, “Can I pick your brain?” sort of requests. Normally, I try to set aside time as there are many who have done the same for me. When I can swing it, I try to make myself available.

I just never really know if they listen. Now I do.
Daniel Hebert wrote a blog post featuring my email response, my career advice and his appreciation for both. Needless to say, it made my day.

When we get asked for a bit of our time, it’s pretty easy to forget how we feel when we’re the one asking for it. It’s nice to know that a simple email resonated with him and that all those meetings and emails DO help people.
To all those who have helped me out, thanks. And the next time someone asks for that meeting, try to make yourself available. It’s good karma.

Here’s the post (and I’m curious to know what you think of my advice).

Canadian Advertising Community’s 2012 Resolutions.

We all make them. We all break them. And the Canadian advertising industry is no different.
Here they are. In 2012, the Canadian advertising community resolves to…

1. Close the blinds on Antoine.
I don’t watch a lot of live TV because when I do, I’m forced to sit through the forced enthusiasm and badly scripted interruptions of Antoine from Blinds to Go. I actually don’t mind the slowly closing blinds concept but I’d prefer to see it delivered by an ACTRA member. Until then, I’ll be over at Apple TV.

2. Commit to integrating social.
It will be great when we know the ROI of socially sound, customer-focused communications. But why is transparent customer engagement subjected to a level of scrutiny that isn’t applied to other aspects of the business? The only reason the doubters justify inaction is because true social integration radically changes people and processes. Quit asking the spreadsheets to do your job for you. By the time some of you figure it out, you’ll be too late.

3. Invest in good Content Marketing.
Howard Gossage said, “People read what interests them. And sometimes, it’s an ad.”

And often it’s not.

In yesteryear, people didn’t want to see an ad, they had to. Well, now they don’t have to. And now, their content choices include stuff on that weird little hobby they never spoke about. If you absolutely love buttons and can connect with others who love buttons and watch a web show on buttons and attend a button expo, watching advertising supported So You Think You Can Dance suddenly loses its cache. People want good content. It’s time your brand gave it to them.

4. Stop investing in bad Content Marketing.
Content Marketing isn’t finding clever ways to have a character raise your branded cup into frame. That’s right, McDonald’s. I’m talking to you. Please make it stop. And while we’re at it, let’s realize that branded web comedies and dramas compete with comedies and dramas on HBO. Let’s stop making them. I’d rather not sit through Season 2 of VH Sauce’s Life Unjarred, thank you very much.

5. Put the Loan Arranger out to pasture.
Whether he’s buying your gold, lending you money, giving you a mortgage, or sending creepy shivers up your spine, Russell Oliver is a guy who just wants to be on TV. Money should buy many things. Time for this freak to prance around on our public airways shouldn’t be one of them. Oh, yea!

6. Let Ramada do their thing somewhere else.
What’s worse – the horrible music, the ridiculous scenarios or the bad production values? Let’s call it a three way tie. Regardless, I’d rather sleep under the scratchy synthetic comforter at a Journey’s End (where I almost died once) than give my money to a crew that continues to produce this campaign.

7. Close the Gap.
No, not the clothing store. The gap that exists between what Canadian consumers want and what Canadian business is delivering. While not every Canuck wants a mobile integrated, e-commerce driven, unique shopping experience, many do. And the numbers are increasing. If we don’t get our shit together, Canadian retailers will be shutting down as quickly as Amazon warehouses will be popping up.

8. Stop blaming your agencies.
Big ad agencies are caught between delivering solutions for clients who want to push the envelope and those who would rather stuff an envelope. We all have something to learn. So let’s not throw the word “partnership” around during compensation discussions yet not use it when it comes to exploring better ways to do things. Pick your partners and figure it out together.

9. Say “I don’t know”.
Guaranteeing results from new initiatives with very few historical benchmarks is like saying you can predict exactly how long a Hollywood marriage will last. Will it be Kim Kardashian? Russel Brand? Tom Hanks? No one knows. Let’s focus on making the right decisions with the flexibility to change along the way.

10. Learn.
We don’t know. But we should arm ourselves with as much information as we can. Dx3 Canada (full disclosure – I helped them as Content Curator) occurs on January 25-26 and features over 35 workshops on everything you’ll need in 2012 including mobile, social, search, digital wallets, media innovation, trends, digital retailing, ad verification, and more. Facebook, comScore, LinkedIn, Rogers, PayPal, John St., Visa, SAY Media, Amber Mac, and many others will be there. You should, too. It’s super cheap and promises to be fun. Pick the sessions you want to attend at www.dx3canada.com

 

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This Dr. Pepper campaign isn’t sexist. It’s bad.

Hello, ladies. Look at this ad. Now back to me. Now back at this ad. Sadly, we’re all a little bit sexist, aren’t we?

Dr. Pepper launched a new drink targeting guys called Dr. Pepper Ten. The spot is below.

While good brands massage their tone and messaging to appeal to a specific target, this one is kinda unique because it blatantly excludes females by saying, “Not for Women”. There’s even a Facebook page only visible to guys with such manly gems as The Manly Shooting Gallery and Name Your Sausage (I picked “Chorizo” which wasn’t the right answer.) As if that wasn’t enough, pop-up Man Caves will appear in select US cities.

People are kinda freaking out. Ad Chickadee is asking people to sign a petition to “remove this sexist ad” and respected AdRants said there was “…no reason to pit one sex against the other…”

Do I like this ad? No I do not.
As a guy, does it speak to me? No it does not.
Will I buy this product? No I will not.

But is it sexist? I guess it is by definition but when we still have gender imbalance in income levels and household duties and women are still marginalized by “babes in bikinis” for just about every beer brand on the planet, I think we have more important gender issues to fight for.

As a guy, I don’t connect with this campaign just as I fail to connect with manly ads for pickup trucks, meat-lovers pizza, and domestic beer. Sure, they don’t say, “Not for women” but they might as well. And what about the hundreds of CPG spots that depict the husband as bumbling idiots while their wives do that all-knowing wink to the camera? Are those sexist? Hell, even the toast of ad-town Old Spice claimed that if I stopped using lady scented body wash, I could smell like a chiseled former NFL player. Was it sexist or just targeting burly men who proudly define themselves as one?

I drive a Volvo. I’m not handy. I despise action movies. And I don’t own any Rock ‘em Sock ‘em Hockey DVDs. I can’t be further from the image of men depicted in most advertising. But I’m ok with it because I vote with my dollars by not purchasing those products. I don’t waste my time or space in gender discussions to complain about it. I just say “no thanks” and move on.

Good advertising should always connect with specific people. Some of those people are women who like traditional “girly stuff” or men who like “macho stuff”. And if there aren’t enough guys who relate to a soft drink that is exclusively male then sales will plummet, business will suffer, and people will get fired.

Ordering them to take it down seems foolish when it’ll come crashing down organically if people vote with their wallets.

Call me old school but I think Dr. Pepper should have the opportunity to fail just like the rest of us.

For part 2 of this, read the post Who’s guilty? Advertising, Paris Hilton, or me?

This 71 year old knows more about social media than you and I do.

While various social media apps can help you be more effective or more productive or more accurate, a passionate desire to connect is far more powerful than any software package. A brand that has a genuine willingness to engage with their customers will trump one that doesn’t, regardless of the budget, websites, widgets or tools used.

You want proof? Don’t talk to the 21 year old social media evangelist who’s busy building their Google+ profile in the corner. Talk to 71 year old Evelyn Hannon.

Back when putting brochures online was considered breakthrough, Evelyn decided to launch a website for female travellers called JourneyWoman.com.

That was 1997.
And she hasn’t changed the design since.

Seriously. There’s no flash. No video. No HTML 5. Or, in her words, “…there’s no fancy shmancy”. Check it out. You’ll be amazed. It’s so old school, it’s retro. Her site is the Polaroid in a sea of iPhone 4 HD cameras. One look and you’ll think you got to it by putting a punch card into a mainframe.

What it does have, though, is a massive loyal community of active contributors.

• She has an e-newsletter with over 75,000 subscribers.
• She has 13,000 Twitter followers.
• She built a global database of female mentors.
• She’s been an imbedded blogger on a ship sailing around the world.
• People from over 200 countries follower her, read her and trust her.

She has no heavily researched strategy, she’s never checked out Google Analytics, she doesn’t read up on what the experts say she should do and her approach to engagement, refreshingly, doesn’t even use the word “engagement”.

All she does is care.

She cares about the subject of travel. She cares about helping women. She cares about being genuine.
She acts like a grandmother. Not surprising because, well, she is.

Evelyn reminds us that real communities don’t live on Twitter or Facebook. They camp out there. Real communities live because of a passion that is shared by those who belong to it. And when it’s strong enough, that community can exist anywhere.

Have a listen. You won’t just love Evelyn. You’ll love her approach.
Success may be a journey but this woman has figured out what to do along the way.

Pizza Nova gets it. Pizza Pizza doesn’t.

Yesterday, I wrote about the customer service issue that Cammi Pham experienced with  Canadian pizza retailer Pizza Pizza. Here’s Pizza Pizza’s response:

Good Afternoon Ron,
We’ve read your blog in regards to the social media driven, customer service issue. This customer’s complaint was handled immediately, complying several hours in advance of our 24 hour response guarantee.  At this point, we are not able to release any further information with regards to this, as we take customer confidentiality very seriously. If there are any other issues directly pertaining to yourself that you would like to discuss we are open to chatting live. Thank you .

Pizza Pizza didn’t just fail to deliver a pizza to a hungry customer. They failed (and continue to fail) with their social media efforts, especially when compared to their competition. Here’s why:

No one wants to speak to a corporation.
Pizza Nova’s Twitter account is @PizzaNovaGuy. Whether it’s one person actually managing the stream or not, it certainly feels like it is. Pizza Pizza, on the other hand, tweets from the account @PizzaPizzaLtd. Yech. People like connecting with people. With corporations? Not so much. And the numbers prove it. Pizza Pizza has 587 more locations than Pizza Nova but close to 500 fewer followers.

Deals! Offers! Let’s talk about us!
One of the most common mistakes big brands make is using social media as a one-way bugle that provides a never-ending and piercing stream of infomercial-like offers, deals and promotions. On both Twitter and Facebook, Pizza Pizza excels at this. SM isn’t a commercial. It’s an operational service that listens, responds and keeps people interested and engaged. I’m getting tired of hearing it and saying it but clearly, this critical point still needs to be communicated.

We’ll deliver a response in 24 hours… or it’s free.
As noted above, Pizza Pizza gives themselves 24 hours to respond to a customer complaint. So, they can prepare, cook and deliver a pizza in under an hour but can’t respond to a complaint in less than 24? In the fast pace world of SM, that can be too long. I imagine (but can’t confirm) that Pizza Pizza’s community is managed by someone at their head office even though the bulk of their sales come after 6pm. If they serve their customers after normal work hours, they should respond to them then, too.

Focus
PIzza Nova doesn’t seem to maintain a Facebook presence at all. That’s a good thing. Facebook has proven be an unbelievable platform  for brands but only when they have the resources to manage it. I’d rather a brand choose a platform that works for them and focus their time and energy into doing a good job there. To quote Steam Whistle, “Do one thing really, really well.”

Personality.
Let’s face it, pizza is a fun, easy and fast food. We don’t tuck linen napkins into our shirts when enjoying it and most of us want communications that are consistent with this. Take a look at this tweet from @PizzaNovaGuy:

Pizza should be fun.

Almost 25% of Pizza Pizza’s July tweets were template responses that seemed to be written by their legal department. And knowing what I know about large organizations, they probably were.

Clearly, people love the Pizza Nova brand. Of their 36 Tweets in the month of July, 29 were actually unprompted positive comments retweeted from other users. It’s amazing how easy social media can be when other people do the work for you.

Judging by the numerous complaints to @PizzaPizzaLtd, the passion for Pizza Pizza isn’t as strong. I think their social media process has a lot to do with that.

But it’s not the only thing.

As a huge organization, Pizza Pizza has a more difficult job. They have more drivers to keep in line, more locations to quality control and a ton more pizzas to deliver. They’re bound to make more mistakes. They have to dedicate more resources, provide more training and instill a culture of service from top to bottom.

Clearly, they have potential and hopefully, they can turn it around. They’re a successful organization, they have a great mobile app, and they do a lot of good for the communities they work in. They do have over 80,000 Facebook fans (which I guess is impressive) but as we all know, that doesn’t really indicate true engagement.

Get with it, Pizza Pizza. You’re an institution. I’d just prefer you didn’t act like one.

UPDATE: Here’s another Pizza fail.

 

 

 

 

Please tweet responsibly.

As we’ve seen, social media can be an unbelievable force that can help topple a dictatorship, expose a napping TTC driver or even just convince an airline to improve their customer service.
We citizens literally have the ability to change the world right in the palm of our hand.

If you’ve been treated poorly
or if you hate an ad
or if you don’t approve of a company’s environmental policy
or if you don’t like a political candidate well, choose to vote for someone else.
Or choose to not buy that product.

And while you’re at it, do what you can to convince others to follow your lead. Tweet about it. Start a Facebook page. Comment on a post. Expose the wrong, promote the right and leave the world (or at least a brand’s newsfeed) a little better than you found it.

But with that power comes a noble duty.
Please tweet responsibly.

Bitch about government but cheer about it, too.
Complain about staff who were rude but acknowledge the ones who were nice.
Give a restaurant a bad review but be sure to rave about the places that you love.

And here’s the most important part: If you have commented on, complained about, or campaigned against something or someone in the past, well then go out of your way to compliment them when they deserve it.

It doesn’t make you hypocritical.
And doesn’t mean you have to buy what they’re selling.

It’s just the right thing to do.

 

Going gaga for Gaga.

Lady GaGa concert

Image via Wikipedia

What brands can learn from the Queen of Marketing.

The last time I saw someone emerge from an egg, Robin Williams was morking his way into our Nanu-Nanus. Well, 24-year-old Lady Gaga’s Grammy entrance trumped the Orkian tradition with more glitz, more glam, and more of something a little less expected:

Business smarts.

Yup, pay attention pointy-haired CEOs: The best marketing case study may not be in the Harvard Business Review after all. It’s on your kid’s iPod. Welcome to the School of Gaga. Here’s what business and brands can learn.

 1. She stands for something.

 At the core of the Lady Gaga brand isn’t a committee-written mission statement. It’s a belief.  And everything Gaga does ties back to that one mantra: People should be free to be themselves.

It drives her music. It inspires her outfits. It dictates her performances. How many brands have a belief that influences product development, packaging, social responsibility, customer service and more? Sadly, as many brands’ campaigns change, so do their beliefs.

2. She’s open, honest and genuine.

“What artists do wrong is they lie. And I don’t lie. I’m not a liar. I built good will with my fans. They know who I am.”

Above all else, consumers want honesty. Lady Gaga delivers. Whether it’s being open about her background (real name: Stephanie), her drug use (smokes pot) or even her insecurities, Gaga is honest. Some may think she’s just one big marketing machine but she’s even open about that:

“One of my greatest artworks is the Art of Fame. I’m a master of the Art of Fame.”

 Her honesty brings credibility to everything she does. Are you listening big business?

3. She puts her customers first.

Gaga doesn’t just call her fans, “Little Monsters”. She actually has those words tattooed on her leg. And I don’t think it’s one of those lick-the-back-and-press-really-hard tattoos, either. How many of us are THAT dedicated to the people who put bread on our table? Not many.Lady Gaga’s customers are not a necessary evil. They inspire her. They’re at the centre of everything she does. She listens to them. She communicates with them. And she shares her success with them.

4. It’s about her but it’s not about her.

 Obviously, one person could not do this alone. Gaga is surrounded by a team of stylists, musicians, choreographers, publicists, and creatives that keep her and her music fresh.

Instead of calling them her suppliers or partners or whatever the latest version of “self-directed work teams” is, she simply includes them in the collective family unit, “House of Gaga”. There may be a Lady in the House but the brand requires a gaggle of Gagas. She acknowledges and celebrates that in a real and genuine way. As she explained to Jay Leno recently,

“I don’t want the band and dancers to feel like a band and dancers behind me because the performance of Born This Way is nothing without them.”

 It’s simple. Instead of creating policies on improving morale and retention, she treats her people with respect. I wish more would.

5. She keeps us interested.

 What will she do next? We never know. What we DO know is that simply talking about personal freedom and expression could get really boring after a while. To keep us engaged, she keeps us entertained. Provocative videos. Original attire. Unique performances. Grand entrances. Perfectly timed sneak peeks and releases. Constant media exposure. New partnerships (Beyonce, Elton John and others). Consistent communication. She does it all to keep us coming back for more. And it’s ALWAYS interesting.

6. She understands social media

  • 8 million followers on Twitter (the most)
  • 28 million + Facebook fans
  • 1 billion + views on Youtube.

At the end of her Leno interview, Jay was gushing from his chin as he wrapped up:

Leno: I think you’re really great… I do appreciate all the effort. Your people get here early. And you look great. And people can’t wait to see you. And you have wonderful taste and everything. And I thought you were just fantastic.

Gaga: Well, this is what I do.

What is it you do?