Think about Lady Gaga for a second. What is the first thing that pops into your mind? Let me guess…eccentric, crazy, interesting, awesome or weird? Well, whatever thoughts, perceptions or opinions you have of Lady Gaga, I imagine they all focus on her unusual songs, bizarre outfits and strange personality. Believe it or not, she’s brilliant at branding.
As BURN Advertising’s new Firestarter, I was given the opportunity to attend a presentation, “Personal Branding in the Digital Age,” by Ramsey Mohsen. Mohsen is known as an “Internet addict” and works for Digital Evolution Group in Kansas City. For him, personal branding AND good looks come naturally (self proclaimed).
The focus of his presentation was that a brand must be three things: authentic, passionate and consistent.
Seems easy right? Well, it takes more work than you might think, and using social media sites can help people more effectively create a brand.
Social media sites like Facebook, Twitter and foursquare enable people to stay informed about a person’s everyday life. While it is not always necessary to know exactly what the person ate for breakfast, being able to understand what Lady Gaga is doing between photo shoots and recording sessions really has helped her communicate just how authentic she really is and why sometimes we ask: “Was she born this way?”
Next up on Mohsen’s list is passion. People can feel the passion when it’s there and will know when it’s not. If you are not excited about your brand, how do you expect others to be excited? For Lady Gaga, passion is overflowing. She rides her success on her fans and, to show them her appreciation, she tattooed “Little Monsters” (the expression Gaga uses to refer to her fans) on her arm that holds the microphone. Now that’s passion!
Last but not least, consistency. Consistency is important to assure that everyone understands the message of your brand. If Lady Gaga showed up to the Grammy Awards wearing a pretty pink gown, her fans would be confused and totally disoriented. Her unpredictable outfits on the red carpet keep her brand consistent.
Personal branding is a reputation that needs to be upheld, and the best way to be authentic, passionate and consistent is by being yourself! Thanks to Lady Gaga, we know exactly how that’s done.
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