Tomorrow night sees Lady Gaga perform in Johannesburg at the FNB Stadium. However, her visit has not been without controversy, with well-publicised objections by the SA Council of Churches and Beauty without Cruelty.
Love her or hate her, Lady Gaga is a marketing genius. In just a few years she has become a global superstar. She has the highest number of followers on Twitter in the world, multiple award-winning tracks and millions of fans. Her every move is document by the popular press.
Business lessons to be learnt
There are a few business lessons to be learnt from this that SMEs can use to boost their marketing to the next level.
Martin Kupp, a professor at the European School of Management and Technology in Berlin, authored an academic study on what lessons chief executives can learn from Lady Gaga.
Kupp says that Gaga has a perfect understanding of the basics of business strategy in that she:
- Is clear about her vision
- Understands her customers
- Plays on her strengths
- Is relentless in the implementation of her strategy
- Is constantly renewing and reinventing herself.
Social media a weapon of choice
In addition to being a very hard worker, Lady Gaga exhibits outstanding use of social media. Using Twitter and Facebook, she has built an entire community of loyal followers.
According to Kupp, Lady Gaga understands that social media is all about emotion, and she uses this to create unique experiences for her followers.
She has developed an army of fans through virtual interaction and not by pushing traditional marketing principles of promotion, product and price onto consumers
Build your brand
Much of Lady Gaga’s success lies in the brand she has built and how she consistently portrays that brand in every interaction with her audience.
Be opportunistic
Lady Gaga maximises every opportunity that comes her way, building on her successes.
Build customer loyalty
Lady Gaga’s fans adore her and this is because they feel an emotional connection to her.
Be bold
Lady Gaga is constantly in the limelight because she puts herself there. She’s active on Twitter, she attends media events, she interacts with her fans and she consistently engages with the world.