Gaga Marketing

By simon | 10 May

If you want to take a look at a pop act who is also an expert in marketing, then you don't need to look much further than Lady Gaga.

In the history of music, there have been some great self-marketing acts - Madonna, Michael Jackson, Sex Pistols, Beatles, Eminem - groups and artists that have their very marketing built into who they are, and their image and route to market is as important as their music.

Lady Gaga is an expert at her job - not just the performance, but the marketing herself to the outside world. Musically there is little to distinguish herself from many of the other subculture electro-pop acts spawned into the same genre and whilst she has produced some undoubtedly catchy songs, lyrically there's little depth and chances are her appeal could wane sooner rather than later.

Obviously, depending on your preference Gaga isn't blessed with the best looks either. Kind of a softer, less scary Marilyn Manson. But she manages to divert any attention away from that via outrageous stage shows and costumes. There are a number of other key areas that Gaga works her marketing magic in.

Gaga's fans have a name. They're not called fans but she refers to them as 'Little Monsters', based on her album 'The Fame Monster'. The nickname was followed up with a tattoo and a tweet to prove her loyalty to her followers. Fans feel a stronger sense of ownership in her act knowing that she's gone to these lengths on their behalf. This is reinforced with her 'Manifesto of Little Monsters' that she recites at concerts. The LM even have their own symbols - the monster claw out-stretched hand.

When on stage, Gaga actually calls a fan on their mobile phone, invites them on stage and takes them back-stage for a drink. Sure rock bands have run back stage competitions before - think Wayne and Garth with Alice Cooper - and people have called other people on stage before - Bono has done it a lot - but very few have made it this personal before.

Merchandise is a vital component to the Gaga success with t-shirts and other key pieces fans can buy and covert. Again, whilst other bands have done this before, Gaga makes this merchandise significantly more personal - offering it through her social media direct to fans rather than via trestle tables at concerts with hideous pricing.

Finally, of course, Gaga is all over social media. 4 million followers on Twitter; 7 million fans on Facebook. Her reach is enormous. Even this alone, when launching a new song, album or tour, will allow almost instantaneous sales and success.

We can't all be Lady Gaga. Neither can our businesses. But we can take some key learnings from the way she markets herself. Treat your customers like Gaga treats her fans - give them a special name, let them occasionally access parts of your business they wouldn't normally access, to a degree allow them ownership of your business and talk to them frequently.