Which celebrity (non-athlete) has the strongest overall brand? What makes the brand so strong and what are some of the ways that the celebrity leverages her/his brand in the marketplace? Which celebrity’s brand needs to be revamped and why? What are some of the current problems with the brand? *Note: While you still need to use two of this week’s readings to support your answer, the celebrity you select does not need to be mentioned in those articles. I don’t want the readings to limit your responses. Limit: 15 responses
Erin Fennell
ReplyDeletePT 1
A celebrity that I believe to have one of the strongest overall brands is Lizzo. Today, Lizzo symbolizes faith and inclusion. She speaks out against social norms and resonates with a lot of people. Her brand is focused on being unapologetically herself and not fitting in, and I think a lot of people relate with her, and therefore her brand (Staggs, 2020). Lizzo promotes her brand by using shareable content. She has recently partnered with Spotify to take a “DNA Test”- a lyric from her hit song Truth Hurts- which is a sharable personality quiz. Lizzo also creates one-liners in her songs that are easily shareable, relatable, and have the high chance of going viral. Overall, Lizzo relates to most listeners, and that is what helps her brand thrive. Another thing Lizzo does that makes her brand so successful is that she talks about hard topics, like body image and self-love. She is very transparent, and I think that goes a long way for her brand in today's world.
One celebrity that I think could use a brand revamp is Kim Kardashian. Personally, I like Kim and think that she is still extremely successful, but I feel as if her brand shifts to reflect the man she is with. When she was with Kanye, she focused a lot on Yeezy, and now that she is with Pete Davidson, that is being taken over as the focal point of her career currently. Even with the releases from her new Skims line, her and Pete and all the drama overshadows her professional successes. The drama is even one the focal points for Kim in her show “The Kardashians” (Wagmeister). Being famous for drama is past Kim, and her brand should reflect that. She is a mother and has been in the public eye for years now, her brand should be maturing with her, and while the drama with Kanye is not her fault, it does reflect her brand. However, looking past Kim’s personal brand - her professional brand, Skims - has taken off, making her a billionaire last spring (Pener, 2021). I believe that if Kim were able to keep out of the public eye for the drama, she would take the Kardashian name to an even higher and gain the same level of respect as say Kate Hudson and Rihanna in the fashion industry.
Erin Fennell
DeletePT 2
From the readings I can see that this opinion about Kim is not a popular one, and that she is seen to have one of the stronger brands, but I feel like her brand now is doing her a disservice. I also have to put a lot of the blame for this on the media. Kim and her family came to stardom for being dramatic and “messy”, so that is what the media continues to cover. However, Kendall and Kylie Jenner have seemed to get out of that side and are seen as more respectable in their professions. I think if Kim can do this, and show a primarily professional side, her brand will thrive.
Work cited
Pener, D. (2021, November 8). Jennifer Lopez to Dwayne Johnson: Hollywood's next billion-dollar-brand builders. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/whos-heading-the-next-billion-dollar-brands-top-10-hollywood-entrepreneurs-1235036752/
She's got the juice: How Lizzo's brilliant branding has helped her achieve stardom. Tribu Digital Marketing Advertising firm in San Antonio, TX. (2020, November 14). Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://wearetribu.com/how-lizzos-brilliant-branding-has-helped-her-achieve-stardom/
Staggs, J. (2020, February 14). These celebrity personal brands should inspire you - the idea boutique. The Idea Boutique®. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://theideaboutique.com/best-celebrity-personal-brands/
Wagmeister, E. (2022, March 9). 'Money always matters': The kardashians tell all about their new reality TV reign. Variety. Retrieved March 23, 2022, from https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/kardashians-hulu-kris-kim-khloe-1235198939/
Elias King
ReplyDeleteThere are so many celebrities in the world and there are different types of celebrities as well. There are actors, actresses, musicians, and athlete celebrities that so many people look up to and want to be. Sometimes celebrities become celebrities by actually doing nothing and perfect example of that are the Kardashians. Kylie Jenner who is the youngest daughter of Kris Jenner and sister of Kim Kardashian, Khloe Kardashian, and Kourtney Kardashian. Since she is part of the Kardashian family, she has instantly became a well-known celebrity and everyone knows who she is. According to visualcapitalist.com, Kylie Jenner is ranked number 8 in the world with the most social media followers with about 333 million followers from platforms like Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. With so many social media followers, Kylie Jenner can grow her brand name. Kylie Jenner has her own beauty company called Kylie Cosmetics and in 2019 she created Kylie Skin as well. According to usatoday.com, “The youngest daughter of the Kardashian-Jenner clan started her beauty empire with Kylie Cosmetics in 2015 by introducing her signature Matte Lip Kits.” With the help of her family name, she was able to get into the beauty business pretty easily. One celebrity that needs to revamp their own brand is Travis Scott who has a baby with Kylie Jenner. Travis Scott brand was a very popular brand especially in the world of music as he has many fans all across the world. His brand did grow even larger when he started dating Kylie Jenner and then had a baby with her.
One of the reasons why his brand needs be revamped is because his concert caused people to die and many people to get hurt. According to reuters.com, “The 10 people who died in a stampede at rapper Travis Scott's concert at the Astroworld Festival in Houston last month accidentally suffocated.” Also according to reuters.com, “Another 300 people were injured among the audience of 50,000 people.” These people believed that it would be safe to go to his concert, but many people got hurt and died. A lot of people blame Travis Scott for people getting hurt because he didn’t stop the concert when people were shouting for help. According to Vulture, “Travis Scott and Drake have been named in a $750 million lawsuit in connection to the Astroworld tragedy.” Travis Scott is being sued for millions and his reputation right now is not good at all in the public eye. Travis Scott should take the blame for what happened during the concert and settle with the families that have been hurt in this tragedy.
DeleteBekiempis, Victoria. “Astroworld Lawsuits to Become One Case with over 1,250 Plaintiffs.” Vulture, Vulture, 6 Dec. 2021, https://www.vulture.com/2021/12/travis-scott-lawsuits-victims-families.html.
Kasparian, Jessica. “16 Celebrity-Owned Beauty Brands to Try in 2022.” USA Today, Gannett Satellite Information Network, 10 Feb. 2022, https://www.usatoday.com/story/money/reviewed/2022/02/10/celebrity-owned-beauty-brands-2022/6740766001/.
Person, and Erwin Seba Gary Mcwilliams. “Deaths at Travis Scott Concert Due to Accidental Suffocation, Medical Examiner Says.” Reuters, Thomson Reuters, 17 Dec. 2021, https://www.reuters.com/world/us/houston-medical-examiner-rules-deaths-travis-scott-concert-were-accidental-2021-12-16/.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 1
One celebrity that I believe has the strongest overall brand is Rihanna. Worth $1.7 billion, Rihanna’s monetary value comes from Fenty Beauty, Savage x Fenty, and her successful career as an iconic musician and actress (Berg, 2021). Fenty Beauty values inclusivity which is shown in the product's diverse range of colors for a foundation. What's more impactful is that products are modeled and advertised by an equally diverse group of people which shows authenticity (Berg, 2021). Fenty Beauty has surpassed other celebrity-founded brands such as Kylie Jenner’s Kylie Cosmetics, Kim Kardashian West’s KKW Beauty, and Jessica Alba’s Honest Co (Berg, 2021). Rihanna’s lingerie brand Savage X Fenty has also mirrored values of inclusivity like Fenty Beauty. Products are available for all different body shapes and sizes targeting a diverse clientele.
Even though Rihanna hasn't released an album since Anti in 2016, she is still one of the most influential females of our generation. One way Rihanna leverages her brand in the marketplace is her nonbelligerent social media presence and interactions with the press. Scholar Esther L. Jones argues that Rihanna has established more and more narrative authority over her public image and that her social media feed mirrors this concept (Gathright, 2018). Rihanna promotes her brand, posts memes, and genuinely shares moments in her life. She posts genuine content about her home in Barbados, her family, and personnel elements that differentiate herself from other celebrities.
What's fascinating to me is that the revenue made by celebrities sometimes comes more from other brand extensions they have pursued out of their profession. Rihanna’s Fenty Beauty is worth a conservative $2.8 billion (Berg, 2021) which is more than her music career where she originally obtained her fame.
One celebrity that I believe needs to be rebranded is Travis Scott. Scott has made a monumental impact on the music industry's history. Although what happened on November 5th, 2021 will re-write his story for the worse. Travis Scott has created a new understanding of what it means to be a music fan. The Houston Texas native has created a new breed of die-hard fandom that is known for extreme raging behavior. In the 2019 Netflix documentary “Travis Scott: Look Mom I Can Fly” Scott reflects on his legendary 2018 album “Astroworld” where video clips from past Astroworld concerts are shown revealing the “larger than life” nature of his performances (Zaru, 2021). In the documentary, Scott says "I feel like at some points in life you have to just be extreme. And sometimes you have to take all matters to the extreme'' (Zaru, 2021).
Kaitlyn Reilly
ReplyDeletePart 2
Matters were taken to the utmost level of extremity at Scott’s Astroworld concert catastrophe this past November that killed ten people and injured hundreds (Ryder, 2021). The artist has been slammed with several lawsuits that are totaling more than $3 billion (Ryder, 2021). Even though Scott’s concerts have an extreme nature to them, disappointed fans wish that the artist could have done more to alleviate the dangerous risks.What made this situation even worse was Scott’s failed attempt at a sincere apology. After the concert, Scott attended an after-party and released a statement the following day about the havoc his concert reaped on fans (Ryder, 2021).
What happened at Astroworld is a PR team's worst nightmare. Crisis PR expert Eric Schiffer describes the tragedy of Astroworld as “the single most incredible brand hit to a music performer in modern American history” (Ryder, 2021). Not only is Travis Scott's brand hit hard but his successful brand extensions and elite brand partnerships are also collateral damage. This tragedy is something that could quite possibly bankrupt Travis Scott's entire career, destroy his relationships/brand deals, revoke his status in the music industry, and shatter Scott's celebrity brand beyond repair. This Sunday, Travis Scott performed for the first time since his Astroworld tragedy at a private pre-Oscars party (Bloom, 2022). It will be interesting to see how the press and the media react to this in the next couple of days.
Berg, Madeline (2021, August 4). Fenty’s Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially A Billionaire. Forbes. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=62ca7bf37c96
Bloom, Madison (2022, March 27). Travis Scott Performs for the First Time Since 2021 Astroworld Tragedy. Pitchfork. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://pitchfork.com/news/travis-scott-performs-for-the-first-time-since-2021-astroworld-tradgedy/
Gathright, Jenny (2018, August 15). Rihanna Is The 21st Century’s Most Influential Musician. NPR. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.npr.org/2018/08/15/638551793/rihanna-is-the-21st-centurys-most-influential-musician
Ryder, Taryn (2021, November 24). How will Travis Scott and Kylie Jenner’s brands be impacted by Astroworld tragedy? Experts weigh in. Yahoo Entertainment. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/travis-scott-kylie-jenner-astroworld-concert-160645611.html
Zaru, Deena (2021, November 11). How Travis Scott’s chaotic shows electrify a fervent fan base. ABC News. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/travis-scotts-chaotic-shows-electrify-fervent-fan-base/story?id=81034664
Matthew Miller
ReplyDeleteThere are many celebrities with strong brands. One of the strongest brands belongs to Dr. Dre. To start, Beats by Dr. Dre headphones has blossomed into a $1 billion-plus business. Having a product that is widely known and successful is a crucial factor in making a brand strong. One reason his brand is so strong is because of all the promoting that happens. Continuously promoting your brand is pivotal because it gets the word out. People sometimes forget about a product if they do not hear about it for a certain amount of time. However, if they constantly hear and see the product, they will not forget about it. Dr. Dre’s headphones commercials have included many celebrities that appeal to different audiences. His brand makes a smart decision to have different celebrities to attract different audiences. One of the most prominent ads was one “featuring a press conference with outspoken Seattle Seahawks cornerback Richard Sherman… It ran in the third quarter of the playoff game against San Francisco.” (Helm 2014) Celebrities already have an advantage with getting their product out because of their name. It is up to the celebrities to continue to promote their products in addition to the only promotion being their name. Celebrities make money in a variety of ways. Dwayne Johnson, one of the biggest stars in Hollywood, has done much promoting for his brand and stays consistent with how he does things. Dwayne Johnson frequently shares his workout videos and has said he has “always been very particular with what I ingest, particularly with beverages.” (Pener 2021). Because of how particular he is with what he eats and drinks, it was not surprising that he created a beverage that can rejuvenate people after a workout.
One celebrity whose brand needs to be revamped entirely is Kanye West. Kanye has gone wild on social media in recent months, talking about his troubled relationship with his ex, Kim Kardashian. Before the entire social media mess, Kanye changing his name to Ye could have boosted his brand and reputation. However, he has started to lose credibility due to his rants on social media. While they are getting a lot of attention, he keeps digging himself a deeper hole that he might not be able to get out of. West was supposed to perform at the 2022 Grammy awards as “…the artist’s team received a phone call Friday night informing him he had been ”unfortunately” removed from the lineup of performers for the show due to his “concerning online behavior”” (Aswad 2022). Kanye West is one of the most successful artists in history and potentially throws all his credibility out the window with these social media rants. For Kanye to keep his brand strong, he must quit the social media rants. If he has issues with Kim Kardashian or Pete Davidson, he should hash it out with them offline, not on a platform where everyone can see how crazy he is. Kanye’s brand will continue to flourish if he sticks to what works and does not go crazy on social media.
Works Cited
Aswad, J. (2022, March 21). Kanye West barred from performing at Grammys due to 'concerning online behavior,' rep confirms. Variety. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://variety.com/2022/music/news/kanye-west-grammys-concerning-online-behavior-1235209759/#recipient_hashed=62dfc0b27ad1de67d64a0c44fb55f17fe8a7cd610e9d3f50edf2cced899812f7
Helm, B. (2014, April 23). Beats: How dr. dre's headphones company became a billion-dollar business. Inc.com. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.inc.com/audacious-companies/burt-helm/beats.html
Pener, D. (2021, November 8). Jennifer Lopez to Dwayne Johnson: Hollywood's next billion-dollar-brand builders. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 27, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/whos-heading-the-next-billion-dollar-brands-top-10-hollywood-entrepreneurs-1235036752/
Kylie Jenkins part 1
ReplyDeleteBig name celebrities are not only just people, entertainers, or athletes, they are also like their own businesses. A very popular celebrity often does more than what they are famous for. When it comes to a celebrity with the strongest overall brand, my mind automatically goes to not just
one person, but a family. The Kardashians are a family that have a very well known, successful brand, so successful that many people consider it an empire. The Kardashians dominate all forms of the media, as well as the business world. According to Vanity Fair, “using internet math, the Kardashians are more popular than any network or streaming service. In total, the family has more than 1.7 billion followers across social media”(Wagmeister). One of the reasons their brand is so strong is because they are a household name, and people of many different demographics know who they are. According to an article from Visual Capitalist, Kylie Jenner and Kim Kardashian both make the top 10 in their list of the 50 most overall followed social media influencers, with Kylie Jenner having 333 million followers overall, and Kim Kardashian having 319 million followers overall. The Kardashian empire is also so vast and widespread because they have many different businesses in many different industries. According to an article from the U.S. Sun, “Perhaps the most famous Kardashian, Kim is still making money from her sex tape with ex-boyfriend, Ray Jay as well as her mobile game, Kim Kardashian: Hollywood. Currently, Kim focuses her time on her shapewear brand, SKIMS, her makeup line, KKW Beauty, and KKW Fragrance. Each of these brands are worth over one million dollars and she has collaborated with her sisters for different collections, fragrances, and campaigns”(Fields). Kim has companies in the beauty and clothing industry which helps her reach an audience that might not follow her in the media, which allows her to widen her reach. Companies also reach out to the Kardashian to have them advertise their products, which reaches even more people, therefore solidifying their brand further.
Kylie Jenkins part 2
DeleteOne celebrity’s brand that I think needs to be revamped is someone related to the Kardashians, the one and only Mr. Kanye West. As we know, Kim Kardashian and Kanye West were married and are now going through a very public, tumultuous public divorce. Kanye has been posting very ominous, threatening social media posts against Kim’s new boyfriend, Pete Davidson, and it is not a good look for Kanye’s brand. It is clear that he is just posting whatever he wants and not listening to his management. Also, in the past few years Kanye has not shown his best side to the media, and overall, he needs to work on regaining the public’s trust and to also stop threatening Pete “Skete” Davidson.
Fields, Julia. “What Brands Do The Kardashians Own and Promote?” The US Sun, The US Sun, 3 June 2021, https://www.the-sun.com/entertainment/3008806/kardashians-jenner-brands-companies-kuwtk/.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “'Money Always Matters': The Kardashians Tell All About Their New Reality TV Reign.” Variety, Variety, 9 Mar. 2022, https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/kardashians-hulu-kris-kim-khloe-1235198939/.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
The celebrity that I think has the strongest brand overall is JoJo Siwa. After getting her start on Dance Moms, JoJo Siwa has remained one of the most well branded celebrities of her generation. Though most people overlook JoJo Siwa as a celebrity with a strong brand, her branding within a younger demographic has shown to be a main contributor to her success. Not only is JoJo Siwa famous for being a dance but she also is a touring artist, a TV show producer and host, Youtuber, and businesswoman. JoJo Siwa also has strong branding based on the way she dresses and presents herself to her fans.
ReplyDeleteThere are so many celebrities who currently dabble in many different industries. According to The Hollywood Reporter, “celebrities are rushing to create their own consumer product brands like never before” (Pener, 2021). This brings forward one of the main indicators of a strong brand for modern celebrities. Several huge names in the industry including Selena Gomez, Kim Kardashian, and Rihanna have all put aside their main careers to push out products or lines under their name. For these three celebrities, makeup and clothing lines have pushed them to strengthen their brand. The Hollywood Reporter point out both Rihanna and Kim Kardashian for these brand extensions when they said, “Rihanna was declared a billionaire thanks largely to her Fenty cosmetics line” and “Kardashian clan continues to mint cash, with Kim Kardashian West, founder of the hugely successful Skims shapewear line” (Pener, 2021). However, JoJo Siwa still stands out to me as having the strongest brand because of how consistent her branding is among all of her extensions. Her signature bow and bright colors that she wears stays true through each of her extensions and that is why her personal brand has remained so strong over the years.
A celebrity who I think needs to revamp their brand is Camila Cabello. After the breakup with Shawn Mendes and the backlash from the movie Cinderella, Camila Cabello can definitely afford to revamp her brand. Aside from the issues with her personal relationships and some questionable career choices, Camila Cabello was also under fire for racist remarks and racist practices with her dancers (Yang, 2021). With her last album being released in 2019 and a new album coming out within the next few weeks, she should work to make her brand more consistent and hopefully gain more fans as a result. One thing that does not comes to mind when I think of Camila Cabello is brand deals. Aside from having a successful personal brand, many successful celebrities also have brand deals that strengthen their image. According to Startup Talky, “brand endorsements have always made celebrities wealthier than any of their movies, shows, or concerts” (Srivastava, 2021). Camila Cabello partnering with a brand can help to revamp her personal brand. For example, if she partnered with Morphe to create a makeup pallet, this extension would strengthen her brand.
ReplyDeleteDegen Pener, E. (2021, November 8). Jennifer Lopez to Dwayne Johnson: Hollywood's next billion-dollar-brand builders. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/whos-heading-the-next-billion-dollar-brands-top-10-hollywood-entrepreneurs-1235036752/
Rachel Yang July 25, 2021 at 09:20 P. M. E. D. T. (n.d.). Camila Cabello responds to backlash over dancer darkening his skin for her performance. EW.com. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://ew.com/music/camila-cabello-backlash-dancer-darkening-skin/
Srivastava, P. (2021, December 28). Top 10 highest paid celebrity endorsement deals of 2021. StartupTalky. Retrieved March 28, 2022, from https://startuptalky.com/highest-paid-celebrity-endorsers/
The celebrity with the current strongest brand is Kim Kardasian. The Kardashian family is most likely the richest and most well-known family on the planet. Kim, individually, has multiple businesses that range from gaming to beauty and fashion. According to Glamour Magazine, “She’s built a global empire that spans multiple industries… amassing billions of dollars of revenue and over 700 international trademarks,” (Winter, 2022). Having these businesses in various industries works as a tool to spread and enhance Kim’s brand. Kim’s brand refers to her personal brand as a celebrity, but also includes her businesses’ brands as they are sects under the umbrella of Kim’s brand. Aside from her business models, Kim also utilizes social media to continue engaging her fanbase and to stay relevant. This is a strategy used by the Kardashian family as they are the most followed family on the internet. According to Variety, the family has more than 1.7 billion followers across social media platforms, (Wagmeister, 2022). The combination of businesses, social media presence, and the upcoming “The Kardashians” show on Hulu, Kim K has one of the strongest celebrity brands in the world.
ReplyDeleteA celebrity who needs a brand revamp is closely connected to the Kardashian sisters, and this is Travis Scott. The musician and businessman has faced immense backlash following the deaths at his festival, Astroworld, in 2021. Prior to this incident, Scott was known for his music, but most of his revenue actually comes from his other brands. In March of 2021, Scott launched his most successful brand, Cacti, which is a spiked seltzer drink that comes in three flavors and has a high ABV of 7%. According to the Hollywood Reporter, Scoot made $1.8 billion in revenue in 2020, and was projected to increase revenue by 35% in the following year, (Pener, 2021). Along with his own business, Scott also has partnerships with major brands such as McDonald’s, Dior, Nike, and Playstation, (Pener, 2021). Unfortunately, since November of 2021, Scott’s brand has deteriorated significantly in the eye of the public. During this time, Scott’s annual festival, Astroworld, was so unorganized and crowded that it led to the death of 10 people and injured hundreds, (Ryder, 2021). A crisis expert, Eric Schiffer, states, “ It’s been a brand disaster,” for Scott, (Ryder, 2021). Based on footage and witness testimonies, it appears as though Scoot knew the severity of what was taking place, but continued to perform on stage. Scott then waited a whole day after the event to release an underwhelming statement via Instagram stories. This perpetuates the idea that Scott does not care about the injuries and deaths that took place at his own event, which not only damages his reputation, but also his fans’ trust. Scott has taken a break from social media and public appearances, but when he does come back he should have a strategy to work through his brand’s issues. In reality, I do not think people will forget about Astroworld, but if he takes the right steps he can do his best to amend his brand, if it is not too late.
Ryder, T. (2021, November 24). Travis Scott’s brand damaged amid Astroworld tragedy, says expert. Yahoo | Mail, Weather, Search, Politics, News, Finance, Sports & Videos; Yahoo Entertainment. https://www.yahoo.com/entertainment/travis-scott-kylie-jenner-astroworld-concert-160645611.html
Wagmeister, E. (2022, March 9). Why The Kardashians Moved to Hulu - Variety. Variety; Variety. https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/kardashians-hulu-kris-kim-khloe-1235198939/
Winter, L. (2022, January 28). Every single one of Kim Kardashian West’s businesses - from Dash to Skims - ranked. Glamourmagazine.Com. https://www.glamourmagazine.co.uk/gallery/kim-kardashian-businesses
By Jennifer Greene
DeleteA celebrity who I believe has the strongest overall brand is Rihanna. She has had a long career in music and has successfully expanded into the fashion and beauty industry in recent years through her company, Fenty Beauty. According to Madeline Berg’s article in Forbes, “She is creating a brand outside of herself. It’s not just about Rihanna. Even if you don't like her music, she’s created a real style in the fashion and beauty space” (Berg). Rihanna’s brand is so strong because she is inclusive of all different skin tones, body types, and shades to meet her fans and customer’s needs. Rihanna has hit the billionaire mark, an accomplishment that can be primarily credited to Fenty Beauty, which she owns 50% of. The singer has over 100 million followers on both Instagram and Twitter, providing her with the foundation to reach her fans' beauty needs and also stay connected. She has also ranked 9/50 on most total followers on social media with 332 million followers across all platforms (Wallach).
ReplyDeleteBeing authentic and connecting your brand image to your identity will often make or break a celebrity’s career in the media. A celebrity that has proven to be inauthentic and is in need of brand revamping is Ellen Degeneres. Ellen built her brand by advocating for gay rights, kindness, and maintaning a nice and down to earth personality when the cameras are on (Cohen). It came to a point where Ellen’s guests and staff began speaking out about how she treats people when the cameras are off. The Ellen Show’s former producer, Hedda, shared her experience, “She has “no emotional connection with staff — there was no eye contact, staff walked on eggshells, and her expression was often ‘sneer-like, and very dismissive and everyone was terrified about getting fired everyday”(Cohen).
Ellen is facing a major brand crisis because her current public image does not align with the personal brand identity she is projecting to the public. Fans feel fooled by her false values of being kind and making this the backbone of her show. Ellen is facing reports of a toxic work culture, discrimination, and sexual harrassment tarnishing her reputation. It has been proven that the nice image is simply just an image (Cohen). Because Ellen has built her success based on a false narrative, she is going to have a very difficult time salvaging her reputation in the public eye.
DeleteMoreover, a celebrity's brand is reliant on how authentic they remain on and off camera. Rhianna has maintained a solid brand through her music career, which has now transitioned to a billionaire beauty influencer and business woman. She was able to accomplish this through her social media presence and determination to make Fenty beauty inclusive to people of all different skin tones and shapes. On the other hand, Ellen has tarnished her personal brand by leading the public to believe that kindness is her priority, when that has been proven to be a lie. Ellen is not an authentic celebrity and is facing a lot of scrutiny from the public.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
Berg, Madeline. “Fenty's Fortune: Rihanna Is Now Officially a Billionaire.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 6 Aug. 2021, https://www.forbes.com/sites/maddieberg/2021/08/04/fentys-fortune-rihanna-is-now-officially-a-billionaire/?sh=77f3cddf7c96.
Cohen, Stacey Ross. “Brand Rehab: Can Ellen DeGeneres Mend Her Image?” Thrive Global, 23 Aug. 2020, https://thriveglobal.com/stories/brand-rehab-can-ellen-degeneres-mend-her-image/.
Corinna Caimi (1/2)
ReplyDeleteTaylor Swift is an artist with the strongest overall brand, not necessarily because she’s consistent, but because she’s given herself away not to be. With most celebrities, the main focus has to be on staying consistent in who they are, their tone of voice, and what they do because any jarring change would cause them to lose a large chunk of their original fan base. However, as Swift has gone through her career, she has branded each of her music and headspace changes as an “era,” making it something her fans love instead of being surprised by. On her tours, it’s a big deal to decide what Swift-era you will dress up as. Will it be Reputation-era? Lover-era? Folklore-era? She and her team have wholly marketed the ability not to be stagnant, which is a feat in and of itself. She garners just about 361 million followers on Instagram and remains in the top 5 most followed influencers (Wallach). Another way she keeps her brand going and fans engaged is by understanding social media to a tee. “Taylor Swift is known for dropping clues all over her social media accounts — simple things like putting in seven palm trees, putting photos of a surprise mural for her song,” and leveraging the excitement of her fans in the best way possible (Sindu).
One person I think could really benefit from a strong branding effort is Joshua Bassett. Unfortunately for him, the only people who knew who he was for a while were children and pre-teens tuning into High School Musical: The Musical: The Series, and then all of a sudden, he was a hit with massive and intense hate after Olivia Rodrigo released her hit “Drivers License” and the album Sour detailing their break up. Since then, Bassett has released his own music about the situation and opened up to People Magazine about what the year entailed for him, including a stress-induced trip to the hospital, more stress than a person should ever have to handle, and a lot of therapy (Tracy). I think he needs a rebrand because even after it all… people love Olivia Rodrigo. He is a background character in her narrative.
His music is good. His acting is good. He seems like an overall good, relatable person. But his career thus far has been tarnished by someone that the public likes more. So now that things have settled down about Sour (although they may reignite with the release of the documentary Driving Home 2 U: A Sour Film), it’s time for Joshua Bassett to be Joshua Bassett instead of that guy Olivia Rodrigo wrote all those songs about.
Corinna Caimi (2/2)
DeleteSindhu, Janya. “Taking Control of Your Brand the Taylor Swift Way.” Medium, Better Marketing, 4 Mar. 2021, https://bettermarketing.pub/taking-control-of-your-brand-the-taylor-swift-method-6111fa501af.
Tracy, Brianne. “Joshua Bassett on Surviving Childhood Abuse and a near-Fatal Health Crisis: 'I Felt My Heart Failing'.” PEOPLE.com, 23 Mar. 2022, https://people.com/music/joshua-bassett-on-surviving-childhood-abuse-a-near-fatal-health-crisis-i-felt-my-heart-failing/.
Wallach, Omri. “The World's Top 50 Influencers across Social Media Platforms.” Visual Capitalist, 17 May 2021, https://www.visualcapitalist.com/worlds-top-50-influencers-across-social-media-platforms/.
Jody Gallinger
ReplyDeleteThere are so many celebrities who have overall strong brands. When I first read this question, I automatically thought of the Kardashians. They are some of the most famous and well-known celebrities in the world. They have all created names for themselves in many different ways. They got their start from the popular reality show “Keeping Up With the Kardashians”, which is now turning into a new show called “The Kardashians.” This has become more popular than any network thanks to their following on social media. The whole family has over 1.7 billion followers across their social media (Wagmeister). Over the years they have all created businesses that has led them to even more success than just being reality stars, “They’re so famous, they’ve changed fame” (Wagmeister). They have all established themselves as businesswomen with all of the businesses, Kim with Skims and KKW, Kylie with Kylie Cosmetics, Skin, Baby, and Swim, Khloe with Good American Apparel, Kourtney with Poosh lifestyle brand, and Kendall with 818 Tequila. Without their fame from their reality show it is questionable if their businesses would have been as successful as they are today (Wagmeister). That is what makes their brands so strong, it is all based off their online personality. In my opinion Skims has been one of the more creative brands that we have seen from the Kardashians. Shapewear is a very unique thing to sell and can be useful to many people. They have innovative styles, accessible pricing, inclusive sizing, and diverse shades (Robert). Having these qualities as a brand in today’s society is very important. Kim has also found a way to modernize shapewear that no brand has done yet (Robert).
A celebrity that I think needs to be revamped is Travis Scott. Everyone knows about the AstroWorld tragedy that happened and really took a toll on his career. Before that he was very successful with his music and decided to release a spiked seltzer beverage, called Cacti. At first the drink did very well and sold out online and in shelves within the first 24-hours (Pener). Many liked the seltzer, but many did not like it at all. The product was advertised as having “100% premium blue agave from Mexico”, but an advertising lawsuit challenged Travis Scott to how much real agave is in the drink (Pener). He has been in the press for lots of bad things recently that does not help his overall brand. I think he needs to reevaluate what he values in his brand. AstroWorld is a part of everything that he does, it is even connected to Cacti. Maybe even creating a whole new brand will be best for him since AstroWorld will always be connected to bad press from now on.
Works Cited:
Degen Pener, Editor. “Jennifer Lopez to Dwayne Johnson: Hollywood's next Billion-Dollar-Brand Builders.” The Hollywood Reporter, The Hollywood Reporter, 8 Nov. 2021, https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/whos-heading-the-next-billion-dollar-brands-top-10-hollywood-entrepreneurs-1235036752/.
Robert, Yola. “What Kim Kardashian West Got Right with Skims.” Forbes, Forbes Magazine, 3 Oct. 2019, https://www.forbes.com/sites/yolarobert1/2019/09/24/what-kim-kardashian-west-got-right-with-skims/?sh=b7bef2058258.
Wagmeister, Elizabeth. “'Money Always Matters': The Kardashians Tell All about Their New Reality TV Reign.” Variety, Variety, 9 Mar. 2022, https://variety.com/2022/tv/features/kardashians-hulu-kris-kim-khloe-1235198939/.
Lachie Harvey
ReplyDeletePt 1
In today’s society, the biggest celebrities function as their own conglomerates. They no longer buy into other companies, they start their own and grow it themselves, sometimes tying their business into their art or given area. This isn’t always the case, but can help certain celebrities whose identity is based around their looks. For example, influencers and models are far more likely to buy into beauty related products than alcohol or recreational related products. So who does it best? One candidate is actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson. According to an article by the Hollywood Reporter, Johnson was the highest paid actor two years in a row (2020 and 2021). Johnson’s income beyond his films includes his tequila company Teremana, which sold 1.4 million cases over a 16 month period, an absurd amount for the tequila industry. He also has a pre-workout/supplement brand called Zoa. This brand obviously ties into Johnson’s muscular and gym oriented appeal. He also boasts a whopping 275 million followers on Instagram, all of whom are exposed to his promotions of his films and brands. It’s certainly safe to say he has a lot going for him. Another candidate is Ryan Reynolds. While Reynolds may not have as specific of a brand as Johnson, he has made an extremely intelligent move investing in cheap phone plans and coverage. According to Investor Junkie, Reynolds’ phone service provider Mint has over 15 million users. This is a very sizable clientele and is unlikely to go down due to notoriously low price and ease of use. Mint also has a lot of room to grow. If by some means it is able to expand to other territories beyond the US, it could see serious growth. Expansion into Canada or Mexico could be seriously profitable for Reynolds.
Lachie Harvey
DeletePt 2
So if Johnson and Reynolds are success stories, who is failing to capitalize? One name that jumps to mind is actor Henry Cavill. In the last 10 years, Cavill has starred two major film franchises, the DCEU portraying Superman, and the Mission Impossible series portraying August Walker. He has also starred in the hit Netflix TV show The Witcher as the main character Geralt. Despite all this success, Dkoding estimates Cavill’s net worth at only 40 million dollars. While this is no small figure, it is a far cry from many others in his industry partaking in similar caliber roles. According to Forbes, Johnson earned a whopping 270 million in 2021 alone. With the right investments, there is no reason why Cavill can’t achieve similar success. His brand encompasses a lot of different groups. He is a great candidate to start a gaming or comic related brand, he has proven through multiple roles. He is also a great candidate for health related products. Similar to Johnson he is renown for his physique by both men and women. Speaking of which, Cavill can certainly branch out into more female oriented films or television content. He has such a large female following that he could likely start his own production company based entirely on rom coms starring himself. While this is a more outlandish idea, and very uncharacteristic of Cavill to do, it likely would work. Building around ones brand is how these celebs will go from Cavill’s position to Johnson’s.
Ludwig, L. (2021, April 13). Mint.com Review 2022. Investorjunkie.com. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://investorjunkie.com/reviews/mint-com/#:~:text=With%20more%20than%2015%20million,seconds%20to%20add%20new%20accounts
Pener, D. (2021, November 8). Jennifer Lopez to Dwayne Johnson: Hollywood's Next Billion-Dollar-Brand Builders. The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/lifestyle/style/whos-heading-the-next-billion-dollar-brands-top-10-hollywood-entrepreneurs-1235036752
Priyadharshini, O. (2021, April 1). Henry Cavill's Newly Updated Net Worth Will Surprise You! DKODING. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.dkoding.in/trending-today/henry-cavills-newly-updated-net-worth-will-surprise-you
Voytko, L. (2022, March 6). The Highest-Paid Entertainers 2022. Forbes. Retrieved March 29, 2022, from https://www.forbes.com/sites/lisettevoytko/2022/02/09/the-highest-paid-entertainers-2022/?sh=7e9aa3ad331a