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Burning Man - Billie L.

Burning Man is an annual weeklong music and arts festival held in Black Rock Desert, Nevada. The festival has been an example of the anti-brand since it started in 1986 and has been described by many as an experiment in community, art, radical expression and self-reliance. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man) The brand associations people make with Burning Man are as follows: freedom, community, experimentation, self-expression, self-reliance, sustainability, etc. On the Burning Man website it states that, “There are no rules about how one must express oneself at this event; rather it is up to the participant how they will contribute and what they will give to this community” (http://www.burningman.com/whatisburningman) People ultimately define their own Burning Man experience. Its brand essence or core essential defining quality thereby could thereby be boiled down to “free”.

This freedom is what ultimately sets Burning Man apart from all other festivals; it differentiates itself by allowing the individual participant to define his or her experience, not the brand. Unlike other music and arts festivals, Burning Man allows the attendee to physically and mentally escape from the branding and marketing that surrounds him or her in everyday life.

Burning Man follows an “anti-trend / anti-establishment” trend and functions as a counterculture-like vessel for people to escape the monotony of every day branded life. The festival relies on decommodification; there are no commercial sponsorships, no advertising and no cash transactions. Instead of using cash at the festival, people are encouraged to rely on a “gift economy”; one of the main festival rules is to “resist the substitution of consumption for participatory experience”. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Burning_Man) Burning Man is one of the last anti-trend trends. Essentially all music festivals today have some sort of sponsor or advertising campaign or, in some cases, are started by sponsors or brands themselves (ex. Budweiser Made in America Festival) Burning Man truly sets itself apart through by rejecting brands, advertising and even cash.

Because Burning Man is so anti-brand, one would assume its touch point to be solely its attendees, and its ticket sales to be driven mainly by word of mouth. However, in the current social media centric world, Burning Man had to succumb to two super brands to connect with fans: FaceBook and Twitter. Burning Man now has an extremely prominent online social media presence. These touch points, along with the Burning Man website, have now become integral parts of the previously brand free Burning Man fan experience.

Red Bull - Billie L.

Red Bull - Billie L Red Bull is far more than a mere energy drink company. It is a highly successful global media brand and lifestyle. Since its launch, the Red Bull brand has grown exponentially – from its new innovative marketing techniques to its multiple line extensions such as Red Bull Zero and Red Bull Sugarfree. CEO Dietrich Mateschitz defines Red Bull’s brand essence as “gives you wings”, which means that it provides skills, abilities, power, etc. to achieve whatever you want to. It is an invitation as well as a request to be active, performance-oriented, alert and to take challenges. When you work or study, do your very best. When you do sports, go for your limits. When you have fun or just relax, be aware of it and appreciate it.” (fastcocreate.com/1679907/red-bull-ceo-dietrich-mateschitz-on-brand-as-media-company) Red Bull’s brand positioning can be defined as a unique and off the radar subculture. It is positioned as hip, risk-taking and young; its target audience is young, urban males aged 16-29. Red Bull’s brand persona could be described as athletic, risk-taking, innovative, attractive, confident, unpredictable, free, etc. Red Bull is in the energy drink product category, however Mateschitz wanted to make sure it was highly differentiated – from both product and marketing standpoints. Because packaging is one of the first things a consumer notices about a product, Mateschitz decided to design cans that had a distinctive look and were a unique size and color. By making the cans thinner and taller than most, he was able to make Red Bull stand out from the myriad energy drinks it was placed next to. Furthermore, Mateschitz wanted marketing to be an integral part of the Red Bull brand, but he didn’t want to follow traditional marketing and media standards. He therefore decided to make Red Bull into part beverage company, part media company. Red Bull sponsors both traditional and extreme sports athletes, hosts its own athletic and music events (from Red Bull Signature Series to Red Bull Thre3style) and even has its own online television channel - Redbull.tv. Red Bull goes beyond differentiation in its marketing strategies; it has created an entirely new product category. Even though Red Bull’s marketing strategy is arguably one of the best in the world, it still must have a product it can stand behind - a product with benefits. Red Bull’s tangible benefits are as follows: it increases performance, concentration and reaction speed, it improves vigilance, stimulates the metabolism and makes you feel more energetic and thus improves your overall well-being. (http://www.redbullusa.com/cs/Satellite/en_US/Red-Bull-Energy-Drink/001242989766321). Its intangible, or higher level emotional benefits are that it “gives you wings” and provides you with a performance-oriented, active zest for life. These tangible and intangible benefits are reasons to believe in the Red Bull brand; Studies prove that Red Bull energy drink actually does what it promises: it improves performance, concentration, reaction speed, energy, vigilance and your metabolism. If Red Bull continues to follow CEO Dietrich Mateschitz’s vision, it will become one of the first brands to transform into a Global media network - including television, print, mobile, music and new media.

Check out this interview with Dapper Dan, the man behind Eric B. & Rakim's Paid In Full Gucci Tracksuits. This takes brand hijacking to another level --Dapper Dan would take the luxury brand logos, make them jumbo sized, and then attach them on them clothing. No luxury clothing brand was doing this at the time, yet this style defined early hip hop wear and inspired people like Mark Ecko to create their own hip hop brands. Dapper Dan was in our reading this week so I thought you would all find it interesting. Peace!

-Eli

Wiz Khalifa the Stoner Prince of Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh based rapper Wiz Khalifa got his start in 2006 when he released his debut album “Show and Prove." Now six years later Wiz has established himself as “this generation’s Snoop Dog” and might be known as much for his weed smoking as he is for his music. His mix-tapes feature songs where he raps about weed, women, and the good life. Wiz Khalifa’s real mainstream success came with the release of his hit single “Black and Yellow,” a shout-out to his hometown colors, which was picked up by the Steelers as the song for their Superbowl campaign. “Black and Yellow” has really become the Pittsburgh anthem after all its success and Wiz Khalifa has really become the first Pittsburgh branded rapper. Almost every song he has put out mentions Pittsburgh or the 412. His loyalty to his hometown is a huge part of the brand that he has created for himself.

In a phrase Wiz Khalifa’s brand is “Taylor Gang or Die” Taylor Gang is usually associated with Chuck Taylor shoes, which Wiz is famously known for wearing, or Taylor Allderdice, the high school where Wiz started his movement. When you ask Wiz himself what is Taylor Gang? He will tell you that it is a lifestyle, it’s about being comfortable with yourself and what you are doing, and it’s a movement. A movement that includes Wiz and his crew but also his fans, the people who believe it really is “Taylor Gang or Die.” The brand essence of Taylor Gang and Wiz Khalifa is “loving life.” His rap music is positive, its not about being a badass rapper its just about the good things in life. Wiz is associated with being high and feeling good about yourself and your life and his fans appreciate the positive feeling they get from his music.

During this generational trend of frat-rap and stoner-rap Wiz Khalifa has risen above other rappers in his genre and differentiated himself by touring at small colleges instead of playing major markets and building a strong fan base who can’t wait to pick up his next mix-tape. He has also differentiated himself by not trying to be something he is not. Wiz Khalifa doesn’t pretend to be a hardened rapper from the streets with a story to tell, he’s a stoner, hipster who loves to rap and make music and he’s ok with that reputation.

Having a lot of touchpoints as an artist is extremely important but can be difficult to accomplish. Obviously his mix-tapes and albums as well as concerts and merchandise are all touchpoints but what about beyond that? With the success of “Black and Yellow” almost every Steeler game is now a touchpoint for Wiz Khalifa. As is Pittsburgh gear, like the fitted baseball caps with the Pirate’s “P” that Wiz Khalifa always wears.

Wiz has been successful in building the “Taylor Gang” brand and creating a fan base of people who believe in the brand and its loving life attitude. However I do think he has some work to do moving forward with his personal brand especially now that he is going to be a father. I think it may be hard for him to maintain the stoner care-free lifestyle he promotes with a new family on the way and am curious to see how these life changes will affect his brand.

Mervis, Scott. "Black and Yellow Fever Top 15 Hit, Waken Baken Tour has Everyone Buzzing about Rapper Wiz Khalifa." Pittsburgh Post - GazetteDec 16 2010. ABI/INFORM Complete; National Newspapers Premier; OxResearch; ProQuest Central; ProQuest Criminal Justice; ProQuest Education Journals; ProQuest Health Management; ProQuest Research Library; ProQuest Social Science Journals. Web. 17 Oct. 2012 .

http://wizkhalifa.org/

Posted by Kira Dix-McCabe

Choosing your toothpaste isn't actually a choice, Pepsi owns Taco Bell...and about 200 other shocking facts revealed.

Alex Martinez - Branding Assignment #2: 2 Chainz

2 Chainz, formerly known as Tity Boi in the hip-hop duo Playaz Circle (“Dufflebag Boy”), is a legendary example of re-branding. Realizing that it would be extremely difficult to go mainstream by having the word “titty” in his rapper alias, he has since changed his image up entirely turning himself into a street executive with a unique style of rapping and a distinctive voice that allows him to stand out from the oversaturated industry.

The brand essence of 2 Chainz, as stated before, is: street executive who has come from nothing to something and going from the business, or executive, side of the “streets” to the business side of the music industry. All of his raps For example, in “Ghetto Dreams,” off of the latest album Based On A T.R.U. Story, he states, “(I) used to dream about a bigger couch, woke up in a bigger house,” and in “I Feel Good,” he says, “Motivated. I woke up, li, ‘I’ma make it’” and “I drop the work and make it back-flip. I’m a walking poster child for Saks Fifth.” Essentially, he has gone from finding ways to make a fortune both the “street business” way and the music business way. He accentuates this through every touchpoint, whether it is radio interviews and freestyles, online content, pictures, videos, songs or performances and remaining very consistent in making sure each aspect is covered. The associations made with his music are clear, as well. When people hear 2 Chainz, they think about his “TWWOOO CHAAIIINZ” catchphrase before every verse, his “YEAAAH” adlibs, his numerous gold chains and rings and drinking lean.

Judging by the lyrical content that comes from 2 Chainz, listeners may not find anything too different from what all other rappers are talking about. But, the way in which he differentiates himself is less in the content and mostly in the voice, flow and image departments. Just as the other top hip-hop acts of today, including Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Jay-Z, Lil’ Wayne, 2 Chainz voice is like no other and has a distinctive quality to it that sets it apart from the abundance of music online. Combine this with the consistent “flow” that you hear in every single song of his and it makes him even more of a one-of-a-kind factor. Finally, although it may just be a trend, he has structured his image to include always wearing multiple chains, wearing classic “street executive” styles such as top hats, big, dark sunglasses, pinky rings and so on, which has led to almost all other rappers sporting multiple chains and referencing his name in their own songs.

J. Cole --From Mixtapes to Gold Records in 4 Years

J. Cole went from a typical ‘mixtape rapper’ who barely broke above the hip hop blogosphere clutter with his first mixtape “The Come Up” in 2009 to inking a label deal with the Jay-Z and his wildly successful label and management company in 2010 and selling 800,000 records by 2012. What set J. Cole apart?

From the beginning, J. Cole was breaking through with his diversified and extremely high functioning skill set of songwriting, rapping, producing, and singing while also maintaining a very consistent and (to many) relatable identity: the educated college student with huge dreams and propensity for several female companionships. His Differentiation from other rappers trying to be successful was that he wore many hats musically while maintaining a consistent release of dependable material with a coherent image of who he was –-fresh out of college, yet still in that unsullied and ambitious collegiate mindset of conquering worlds.

He wasn’t the first to play to the college student identity trend –college kids have long predicted musical trends with their own tastes and bands or artists have long played to their image and ears. But he’s done it better than more recent examples by only making college life one element of his Brand Essence, which is essentially “Moving Up” or even ‘Growing Up’. Other examples of college rappers, such as Asher Roth, failed to apply a greater meaning to their appropriation of state school party life.

J Cole is much more than ‘College Sports,’ but that is a huge element of his brand. His Touchpoints of mixtape names are refelctive of school athletics, with titles like “The Come Up,” “The Warm Up,” and “Friday Night Lights.” These later led to his post fame E-True-Hollywood-Story-interview-inspired album title debut “Cole World: The Sideline Story,” which maintains an school athletic ethos. This is furthered by his album art: cole donning a letterman jacket in a locker room. His arguably best song (It’s rumored that Jay signed him after hearing it), “Lights Please,” is a perfect amalgamation of his college identity –one that balances the conflict between pursuing education and developing broad world views with the primal love for fast women and getting faded. Even his altruistic Dreamville foundation logo is the stereotypical college font.

Any college student listening to J Cole has a very real and encapsulating personal association with Cole’s rigorous schedule of harmonizing dreams with gaining knowledge with relieving stress. As a college student far from home, like Cole was, it gets even more personal. I can tell you personally that Home For The Holidays from “Friday Night Lights” was the strongest association I’ve ever had from a song: I had downloaded the mixtape and was listening to that very song on my way to LaGuardia to fly home for Thanksgiving. The result was overwhelming nostalgia –thoughts directed towards my ex girlfriend who still lived at home, my mom’s home cooking, years of thanksgiving and tradition at my grandparents. It was charging and my excitement to get off that plane had never been higher. that song and its release was a well-timed touchpoint that gave the personal and timeless association with the feeling of heading home.

A kid that is not of college age will hear Cole’s sound and his story of debauchery in and after college and looks forward to “moving up” and “growing up” which brings us back to his most basic brand essence. Everything in his career, from the mixtape names to the song’s contents to the album art to the fonts reflect back to Cole’s own genuine journey of growing up and where he is today, which is why he’s connected with such large audiences and has sold 800,000 copies of his debut.

-Eli Evnen

Queen Latifah

Dana Owens is not a household name. However, her stage name Queen Latifah is. Her name holds connotations of regality and maturity. Queen Latifah is a female entrepreneur. Her brands associations are unlike her image from the 1990's of the tomboyish woman. In this current day and age, she is associated with power, class, glamour and an undiminished sense of authenticity. What differentiates her from other acts that have blurred the lines between rapper and actor is her image and acceptance of such. She is one of three hip-hop artists to receive an Academy Award nomination in an acting category. Her acting role in Chicago changed her brand association from the hip-hop game to the acting business. I called my little brothers to ask them who Queen Latifah was and one's immediate response was "the actress from 'Bringing Down the House'. Her name conjures her acting career rather than her music career in ventures of hip-hop and jazz.

She understands that she does not look like many other women in the female rap game, the acting or singing business therefore, she does not act like any of them filling a brand gap in the market for successful and reliable spokespeople. She is the spokesperson for the Queen Collection, a sub brand of Covergirl. This is a make-up collection that is made specifically for women of color. She has also started her own clothing line, featured and sold on HSN in which sizes are extended to include women of all sizes. Queen Latifah's touchpoints are also a part of what differentiates her from other entrepreneurs. She is wary of social media, despite her close to four million followers on Twitter and 800,00 likes on Facebook. She rarely tweets except for promotional purposes. In an interview with Upscale magazine, she states "Real life and social networking are not the same. I’m in a hotel room right now looking out at Central Park. The people out there are living life, playing soccer. Do I want to kick the ball? Or take a picture of it? I want to kick it". She understands the division of real life and social network. Instead of reaching out to the consumers of her brand via social networking, she reaches out to them via products. She shows them that she understands her consumers lives and the struggles they endure. For example, a woman of color that may have trouble finding her complexion of foundation would turn to Covergirl's Queen Collection. A woman who is average-sized, though considered plus-sized to society would turn to Queen Latifah's clothing line on HSN. Her overwhelming authenticity and commitment to "keeping it real" give consumers reason to believe. She endorses Curvation ladies underwear, Pizza Hut, and Jenny Craig. If Queen Latifah endorses it, it is because she actually uses it.

Without a doubt, her brand essence is female empowerment. Queen Latifah authored a book entitled "Ladies First: Revelations of a Strong Woman". It is a memoir and book on self-esteem, to allow women to find confidence within themselves to succeed. She has helped to pioneer the trend of female empowerment. Women do not need to feel boxed in by limits already decided on by society. She is an example of that, transitioning from rapper to singer to actress to executive producer. She is the picture of the imperfect woman and is clearly proud of it. Her body image and sexuality are always in question, and she never folds under pressure. She represents a gap in the market herself as a plus-sized women of color with specialized needs that cannot be met with the market's offered goods. Her branding and connection with consumers via endorsed products and authenticity is what maintains her $51 million net worth and the brand loyalty among her fans.

Works Cited: http://necolebitchie.com/2010/06/15/queen-latifah-addresses-rumors-feelings-on-social-networks/#more-77597

http://movies.msn.com/celebrities/celebrity-biography/queen-latifah/

By: Shareese Bembury-Coakley

Queen B

First, an ultra brief music history lesson:

The early 2000s were an interesting period for female artists. Britney Spears brought new life to the solo female superstar, and female artists were rising to the top left and right as pop and R&B princesses were born. A plethora of female artists (J.Lo, Ashanti, Brandy, Monica, Christinas Aguilera and Milian, Mya, P!nk, Alicia, Jessica, Amerie, Mariah, Janet, etc.) were enjoying shared success on the charts. It was fempop paradise. Then, in 2003, all hell broke loose.

Fresh off of the Destiny's Child breakup, Beyoncé stormed onto the scene in 2003 with a fiery lead single ("Crazy In Love"), and the most dynamic stage presence the industry had seen since Michael Jackson. Hurricane Beyoncé had hit, and female artists began to drop like flies.

Fast forward to now. Beyoncé is one of the most respected artists in the industry. Despite coming to the forefront with musical group Destiny's Child, much like MJ, Beyoncé has essentially cut off all brand association with the group, as her own brand has eclipsed that of the group's. Since 2003, Beyoncé has managed to differentiate herself from the slew of female acts simply by being the best performer. There is no denying her skill as a live act, and even her most vehement (and often delirious) haters will still give her credit when it comes to the stage.

This consistancy and dedication to perfection has become Beyoncé's brand essence. While other stars like Taylor Swift and Katy Perry are applauded for a string of on-key notes, (and Britney Spears is practically praised for simply being awake) the world has come to expect perfection from Beyoncé. She is held to the highest standard among performers and never disappoints.

What is interesting about Beyoncé is that she tends to avoid blatant musical trends. She doesn't work with the hot producers of the moment, and her sound often strays from the expected top 40 sound. This was specifically evident on her latest album, 4. As her music is her core product, with each album Beyoncé strived to further establish her brand identity. The first album, Dangerously in Love, was introducing her brand as a solo artist. As an album, the hard hip-hop beats on B'Day were primarily meant to be performed. I Am... Sasha Fierce was meant to demonstrate Beyoncé's proficiency and versatility in different genres, and establish her as an icon, and 4 was meant to showcase her musicality and her ability to make critically acclaimed, unique music.

Another reason to believe in Beyoncé, aside from her immense talent and incredible stage show, would be her accomplishments. Throughout the past decade as a solo artist, Beyoncé has scored four (out of four) #1 albums, five #1 singles, and millions of records sold worldwide. But these are just numbers. She sang at President Obama's inauguration, performed at the Oscars three times, won sixteen Grammys, and was named Billboard's top female artist of the 2000s.

Due to her incredible career, Beyoncé has a tremendous amount of brand loyalty. Her fans are incredibly loyal to her, and she constantly gives them reasons to stay loyal - with frequent music and video releases, as well as personal photos and videos via her new Tumblr. This rabid fanbase includes legends and musical artists of every genre. I've joked before that Beyoncé is "your favorite artist's favorite artist." And with admitted fans like Michael Jackson, Prince, Tina Turner, Adele, Mariah Carey, Britney Spears, Sir Paul McCartney and Lady Gaga, that's probably true.

This industry respect is becoming one of the main touchpoints of brand Beyoncé as she continues to make music, slay performances, and become the legend she was born to be.

Lupe Fiasco: The Self-Branding of a Politically Conscious Rapper

Releasing his fourth official studio album Food & Liquor II: The Great American Rap Album Pt.1 last week, Lupe Fiasco is not our typical rap artist in this electro-pop music climate.The Lupe brand is much more than what comes out for artists from behind the closed doors of management meetings. In the previous year, around the time when Lupe released his LASERS studio album, reports were made on his disagreements with label Atlantic regarding his artistic freedom and music creation. Lupe Fiasco, as an artist placing emphasis on the lyrics and messages of his music, has developed a brand essence for himself: intelligent, politically and socially conscious, never "dumbing it down". In his new release, an album cover which contained no words or any image apart from being submerged in black, the minimalistic design featuring black as the main color are all compliant with his political concepts and ideals - "listen to Johnny Cash's Man in Black" he says, and you'll understand the meaning behind the black. Apart from his lyrics, Lupe utilizes his other touch-points well to create such an image for himself: his music videos, absent of bling and lavish, exploiting documentary type footage to tell stories; his website and facebook page; his tweets, encouraging fans to tweet back about their views on Islam; his political commentary on radio shows and interviews, including his controversial comment made that he would not vote in the upcoming elections, and calling Obama a "terrorist".

Lupe Fiasco's huge involvement with social and political thought, his humanitarian, anti-establishment views is what that greatly differentiates him from any hip hop artist. He guarantees a thinking out of the box and a mental awareness. In terms of his craft, he has established as a skilled "wordsmith", as demonstrated in his mixtape song earlier in his career "Failure" where he made every line of his song contain two alternate layers of meaning. Having featured on Jay-Z and Kanye West songs also earlier in his career, Lupe had been associated with the higher echelons of the hip hop game, while associating himself with other causes outside of music itself: the Occupied Wall Street movement, which he actively participated in, with tweeting, performances, and even a poetry entry for the Occupied Wall Street Journal. He also climbed Mt. Kilimanjaro in 2010 with other stars such as actress Jessica Biel to raise awareness for the millions of people in the world who lack access to sanitary drinking water. While having his own colorway for a Reebok and Converse sneaker venture, Lupe Fiasco rarely associates himself with large corporations, having endorsement deals and etc, aligning himself with his political stance.

^Lupe and fans vs. Atlantic Records

Despite his image as a rebel against the mainstream, Lupe had ridden over various trends: including his song "Solar Midnight" and video shot for the Twilight movie, and the heavy electro-pop music production for his album Lasers. Perhaps mostly initiated by his label, Lupe was still able to keep his lyrical enthusiasm and rich lyrical content, as well as originality in these songs.

And he said it himself in his song "The Show Goes On": "L.U.P the man 'cause the brand that the fans trust/ so even if they ban us they'll never slow my plans up." Lupe Fiasco is not just a hip hop artist, but is writing his music for a greater cause that he believes in. Lupe's branding is a self-creation, sculpting his image via his direct engagement with the fans and the public.

Larissa Lai

Rick Ross - The Biggest Boss That You've Seen Thus Far

Eli Libman

Rick Ross is one of the biggest players in Hip Hop right now. Voted MTV best MC in the game of 2012, he has seen 5 of his last 6 albums reach number one on the Billboard top-200 chart. His success stems not from musical or lyrical skill. A-list producers such as J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League provide his songs with musical value. He is infamous for shamelessly rhyming “money” with “money” and “atlantic” with “atlantic”. Rick Ross’ rise to the top can be attributed to his powerful brand; a brand strong enough to emerge from a public exposure of its gaping brand gap unscathed.

Rick Ross’ brand essence can be summarized in one word (which happens to be his nickname): Boss. Not any kind of boss, but a criminal kingpin boss, rich off of rap music and more importantly, drug trafficking. He makes sure this is evoked in all of his lyrics. For example, in The Boss, (where T-Pain calls him “boss” 20 times in 11 seconds) he quite literally says, “I made a couple million dollars last year dealing weight” (Rolling Stone). His lyrics attempt to describe the lavish lifestyle of a millionaire criminal kingpin from all angles; whether its possessions, women, drugs, rivals or straight-up cash. These descriptions are often criticized as a bit silly. The lyrics of My Bitches read: “Am I really just a narcissist, ‘cause I wake up to a bowl of lobster bisque?”

As we know, the majority of successful hip hop artists have constructed brand images around criminal activity, drugs, wealth, excess, women and supremacy amongst their peers. What differentiates Rick Ross from the rest is the entertaining yet absurd extent to which he exaggerates all of these things. His lyrics, the primary touchpoint, boast of a personal lifestyle that is simply untrue and ridiculous by any standard. He raps about being a billionaire, though his net worth will never come close. He likens himself to infamous gang leader Larry Hoover and mobster John Gotti, claiming in All Birds, “I got my own army”. He even suggests the super-elite status of secret society membership on Free Mason, where he “raps feverishly about ancient symbols, codes and pyramids” (The Village Voice). Rick Ross’ over-the-top “Boss” brand image comes out in other touchpoints as well. A scene in a music video shows him being pulled over in his maybach, jumping in the ocean and escaping from the police on a speedboat with P Diddy and bikini-clad women. Also noteworthy is his personal appearance, which includes a chain with a diamond-encrusted depiction of his own face. He recently got the Cazal eyewear brand logo tattooed under his left eye.

Rick Ross’ musical and lyrical style is supported by a hip-hop trend that has recently achieved mainstream appeal: southern style with a heavy emphasis on a big, orchestral production sound. Other artists that have capitalized on this trend include Wacka Flocka Flame, Gucci Mane, French Montana and Juicy J.

Rick Ross’ brand is leveraged by associations with other brands, both musical and not. He has been featured in a Nike ad and has recently signed an endorsement deal with Reebok. As a Def Jam recording artist, Rick Ross gains the prestige of being signed to what is arguably the most successful and legendary hip-hop label. Becoming a client of P-Diddy’s Ciroc Management Group has also helped place him amongst hip-hop’s elite.

Sources:

The Village Voice

Rolling Stone

Woodstock With Glowsticks: Camp Bisco

Camp Bisco is a three-day annual electronic music festival held in upstate New York and hosted by the acclaimed electronic jam band The Disco Biscuits. The festival is currently in its eleventh year and enlists performers from a variety of genres including house, disco, electronic psychedelic, dubstep, and trip hop. Camp Bisco has found success as a smaller and more intimate music festival due to its adherence to its brand essence, its differentiation from other electronic music festivals, and strong social media presence.

In recent years, there has been a trend of upstart electronic music festivals budding up throughout the country. Usually, electronic music festivals are housed in large stadiums or arenas. Festivals like Electronic Daisy Carnival, Electric Zoo, and Ultra Music Festival require attendants to find accommodations in the surrounding area. These festivals almost exclusively play house, trance, and dubstep music. To differentiate itself, Camp Bisco seamlessly merged the outdoor aesthetic and psychedelic nature of Woodstock with the rampant energy of the current EDM festivals. They chose the sparse and barren Indian Lookout Country club so concertgoers could camp out for up to four nights. In addition, Bisco is more affordable than the festivals that it competes with. Electric Zoo costs $340 for three nights, compared to Bisco, which is only $180. Lastly, although Bisco include a variety of traditional EDM (electronic dance music) acts, they supplement them nicely with up-and-comers of emerging and alternative genres. For every Dada Life or Skrillex, there is a Mux Mool or Emancipator.

Camp Bisco’s brand essence resides in its name: Camp. The festival aims to form associations in avid concertgoers minds of a sleep away camp without counselors or rules. In short, you can do things at Camp Bisco that wouldn’t be deemed socially acceptable in your everyday life, and there are no consequences for such behavior. You can make a fool of yourself, and it’s okay, because everyone around you is probably doing the same thing. Each of the refreshment areas is designed to resemble canteens from sleep away camps. Bisco also organizes a one-day Color War, where people can participate in activities such as relay events, tug of war, and dodgeball. For the most part, attendants are left to their own devices. Bisco rents out the Hells Angels, an intimidating motorcycle gang, for security, but they serve as more of a paternal and precautionary presence than an enforcing one.

Camp Bisco’s most effective and active touchpoint is their Facebook page (58,000 likes). The page is updated consistently throughout the year with photo recaps, set lists, and funny anecdotes from “campers”. When announcing the festival, Bisco released a short, energy-infused trailers to spark excitement. They built anticipation through releasing each day’s itinerary on its own, instead of altogether. Each post is an event, evoking emotions in the followers.

Every concertgoer wants a seamless experience. Camp Bisco is a well-organized playground for teens and twenty-somethings to indulge, socialize, and enjoy electronic music with likeminded peers.

Posted by: David Weiss

Janet Jackson | Pop Royalty

By. Justin Adams

With 6 #1 albums, 10 #1 singles, 150 Million+ albums sold and $350 Million in box office revenue, Janet Jackson has spent the better part of her 30+ year career defining what it means to be a true triple threat entertainer.

Jackson's Brand Essence lies in her status (or former status depending on who you ask) as a "crossover sex symbol", a term defined by Rolling stone as "a black girl who's not so overwhelmingly Nubian that white people don't appreciate her beauty;a tasteful sex symbol who's giving you R&B-flavored pop hits and state-of-the-art videos, tours and movies, too.". Jackson's brand differentiation lied in her ability to be controversial enough to garner your attention while avoiding becoming a polarizing force like Madonna. In addition, unlike the former, she had the ability to cross between genres with authenticity. From collaborations with Elton John to Q-Tip, Jackson's genre fluidity in the trifecta of R&B, Pop and Hip-Hop remains one of her strong cards.

As the youngest member of the Jackson Family, Janet has a brand association with the Jackson 5 and the golden years of Motown as a well as her obvious connection to arguably the greatest artist brand of all time, Michael Jackson, her older brother. The two siblings spent the better part of the late 80's and 90's innovating and setting trends when it came to the then fairly new medium of the music video. If Michael set the visual standards for future male stars like Usher, Justin Timberlake and Chris Brown, Janet did the same for female acts like Britney Spears, Ciara, Rihanna and Beyoncé, especially when it comes to video choreography.

In terms of a corporate brand associations, like many artists from her era, Janet has mostly distanced herself from corporate brands, noting that it was once taboo for an artist to endorse anything beyond soft drinks until the late 90's/early 2000's explosion of celebrity clothing lines, fragrances and lifestyle brands.

Like big brother Michael, Janet became a Pepsi spokeswoman in '98 in European,Asian, Latin American and South African markets. In 2010, she joined the likes of Diana Ross, Lena Horne and Ray Charles as the face of Blackglama's 'What Becomes A Legend Most" campaign and has been the first of its celebrity endorsers to front 2 campaigns. In 2011, Jackson became the latest in the trend of female singers as spokeswomen for a weight loss brand, by becoming the face of Nutrisystem.

In 2004, Jackson's brand took a major hit with the Super Bowl XXXVIII half-time show controversy, in which her breast was exposed by Justin Timberlake in a costume reveal gone awry. Once a chart darling, the event made it difficult for Jackson to garner the radio play she once commanded and as result she has not had a Top 10 single in over 10 years.

Janet's touchpoints remain her consummate live performance skills, her state of the art music videos and her ability to tap into social commentary via her music. However, thus far she has failed at connecting to fans utilizing social media and expanding her brand with additional corporate relationships.

Written For NYU: Basics of Branding 2012 Sources

Rolling Stone

Billboard

NYTimes

#Janet Jackson

Assignment #2: Jay-Z

Jay-Z is the Warren Buffet of hip-hop. He’s been at the helm of a slew of successful business ventures (including Rocawear Clothing, which Jay sold to Iconix Brand Group for $204 million in 2007), sponsored some of the biggest brands in America (Budweiser, Duracell, etc.), and accumulated a net worth of nearly $500 million in the process. He’s also a Grammy-winning rapper who’s widely considered among the ranks of Tupac, Notorious B.I.G., and Kanye West. But with his hand in so many cookie jars, how did Jay-Z manage to keep his brand consistent and focused?

Jay-Z’s brand essence is American ambition. This is clearly evident in Jay’s decision to portray himself as a success story of the American dream. By frequently citing his drug-dealing past in songs, he is able to authenticate this claim with a genuine rags-to-riches story, while also differentiating himself from other rappers that attempt to portray a similar persona (a trend typical of today’s rap music), but offer no real-life experience to back it up.

As Americans, we are deeply invested in upholding the concept of the American dream, thus we canonize those who illustrate its successes. Jay-Z’s clever alignment with this concept has secured his brand’s perceptual success as he continues rises up the corporate ladder, as his success serves as proof that the American dream is still alive and well. Building a brand on top of this concept means Jay-Z can do no wrong in the eyes of his consumers. His success is relatable.

Jay-Z’s brand associations illustrate the brand-building benefits of aligning with like-minded corporations. His association with Budweiser (who recently sponsored Jay-Z’s Made in America music festival) (Billboard) is a perfect example of the synergy that can manifest from two like-minded brands joining forces. The two-day event was a huge success, attracting over 45,000 attendees (Forbes). The Made in America festival succeeded in creating a tangible experience around the Jay-Z brand by pairing a handpicked lineup with touch points from Budweiser (beer). This experience only served to strengthen the brand’s American-made persona.

But the recent birth of Jay-Z’s daughter along with an announced hiatus from music making seems to suggest that the Jay-Z brand is destined for change. As Jay-Z reaches his mid-40’s, his brand is maturing as well – away from the ruthless ambition and aspiration that drove his earliest successes and towards the power, maturity, and contentment of a man who’s ready to sit back and enjoy life. "I really just want to hang out with my daughter," Jay-Z told Billboard recently. "I want to enjoy this time for what it is." (Singersroom)

What does this mean for the future of the Jay-Z brand? I believe that Jay’s personal transition will be accompanied by a shift in his brand’s identity – towards the maturity, power, and contentment that he now personifies. This will have a profound influence on the products and companies that Jay chooses to associate with in the future. Perhaps we’ll be seeing a premium line of Jay-Z golf clubs, or tailored suits? One thing’s for sure - there’s always money to be made, and Jay-Z certainly isn’t stopping yet.

Frank Ocean -- Erin Ahmed

If you hadn’t been keeping close tabs on pop culture in the past year, Frank Ocean may have slipped under your radar. Born Christopher Breaux, the 24-year-old singer, songwriter, and producer first gained traction as a member of hip-hop collective OFWGKTA in 2010. Since then, he has ascended to the upper echelon of R&B and hip-hop, penning and singing the hooks on “No Church in the Wild” and “Made in America,” two ubiquitous tracks from Kanye West and Jay-Z’s collaborative album Watch the Throne (2011)—effective associations and an indirect endorsement—as well as releasing two solo albums of his own, nostalgia, ULTRA (2011) and channel ORANGE (2012). If you did not see him at Coachella or Lollapalooza, or even his performance at the 2012 MTV Music Video Awards, certainly you spotted the waves he made in July, posting an eloquent declaration of his unrequited love affair with another man and formally coming out to the world, a nearly unprecedented feat in mainstream R&B and urban music.

While public response has been overwhelmingly positive, Ocean’s confession has in a way restructured his developing brand, not only calling for reevaluation of previous work but also separating him from it. Because, in addition to his ability to transition seamlessly from expressive croon and falsetto to charged hip-hop and rap projects, his self-described “act of courage” differentiates Ocean from the field.1 He is part of the rising trend of acceptance and toleration in pop music, in the vanguard of his genre; the explicit hyper-heterosexuality (and sometimes homophobia) implied in contemporary rap, R&B, and hip-hop is progressively being regarded as more and more offensive with each generation.

Through his confession and the subsequent restructuring of his young brand, Ocean has framed himself and his work as sensitive, soulful, emotional, and personal but not private, and every touchpoint reflects this—his website (http://www.frankocean.com/) is simply his personal tumblr, and he runs his own twitter account (@frank_ocean). His performances are personal, his lyrics are personal, and because he is his own brand personality (not some contrived persona) he is able to move fluidly between projects without heavy calculation. His brand essence is just that, “fluidity,” not only referring to his flexibility as an artist, but also in his allusions to sexual variability.

Frank Ocean is in the beginning stages of what is sure to be a long and prosperous career, and his associations with the stars that openly support him—Jay-Z, Kanye West, Beyoncé, Russell Simmons, and the members of OFWGKTA to name a few—as well as his hallmark soulfulness and authenticity will surely attract potential partnerships with corporate brands in the future. Though Ocean had a small falling out with Target (they decided not to stock channel ORANGE after the exclusive first-week sales were given to iTunes as a digital download), it was only a small stumble in what will certainly be a lucrative trajectory for himself and the future of R&B.

Works Cited:

1 http://ezproxy.library.nyu.edu:2148/docview/1029955194?accountid=12768

Other Sources:

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/23/hip-hops-anti-gay-tone-frank-ocean_n_1824494.html

RiRi by Kiah Victoria

Whether she’s donning a Supreme cap and booty shorts, or a floor length Jean Paul Gaultier gown and Christian Louboutin shoes, Rihanna resides on the cutting edge. From her scandalous outfits to her sex driven lyrics, to her graphic music videos, there is nothing prude about Rihanna and her ever expanding iconic brand. The Barbadian beauty and her relentless team of marketing and production experts have managed to create one of the most recognizable names in pop. If you’re not hearing her perpetually chart topping hit singles, watching her on the silver screen or wearing her newest fragrance Rebelle, then you’re probably drinking her island water a.k.a. Vita Cocoa. Needless to say the woman is everywhere. And each move Riri makes is carefully glossed (well more like doused) in a sheen of sex, the starlet’s brand essence. With that comes edge, rebellion, glamour, and exoticism but the aforementioned is most definitely at the core of the mega-star’s ethos. Her wide-ranging associations only add clarity to her remarkably cohesive brand. When you think of Rihanna you think islands, sweat, couture fashion, street fashion, edgy make-up (a la her endorsement with Cover Girl Cosmetics), high heels, higher skirts, Vogue, red hair, long hair, short hair, EDM –(the list goes on)- and inevitably domestic violence (which has somehow only strengthened her as an artist and pushed her to explore new frontiers her sexuality). While sexy pop stars are nothing new to the mainstream market, no one quite does it like Rihanna. With a production team like Stargate behind her and hip-hop moguls Jay-Z and Kanye West throwing her on every other track, there are clear points of differentiation that only bolster the Good Girl Gone Bad’ s global appeal. She wins Grammy after Grammy and sits front row at the most exclusive fashion shows in the world. To top it off she’s from Barbados- accent and all! (only accentuating her exotic and sensual demeanor). Each touch point you encounter on the way to Rihanna’s brand whether it be her music, her live performance, Instagram photos of her rolling a blunt, rap lyrics about her on various hip-hop tracks, ads, videos or photo spreads in Vogue magazine- it is undoubtedly communicated (and moreover felt by the consumers and fans) that she is sex-symbol an international superstar, and moreover a BAD B*TCH (for lack of a better term). She is riding smoothly on the wave of current trends from colorful stiletto nails to bandanas to the explosion of EDM, while never being afraid to talk a little dirty and show a little skin. She may be bad, but she is most certainly good at it.

Branding Assignment #2: Rihanna

By: Karishma Patel

Rihanna has seen great success in her career thus far, since signing to Def Jam Records, a sub-brand of Universal Music in 2005. Although being a global pop star, her brand essence is this “good girl gone bad” image, which also happens to be the name of one of her albums. Part of her success as a celebrity is that the public is just as interested with her personal life, if not more, than her professional singing career. Her brand associations include being young & sexy, unfiltered, fun, and relatable. Her core demographic includes herself, where she sees herself as the same as her fans, not on a pedestal or superior to them (Rihanna, Oprah Interview).

She values being able to communicate with her fans through a variety of mediums, creating multiple touchpoints for her personal brand. These touchpoints include her website, Twitter, Facebook, Instagram (most unfiltered glimpse into her daily life), and YouTube. Forbes has ranked her at the top of a list of Social Networking Superstars, with over 26 million Twitter followers and over 2.5 million Instagram followers. What is an important take away from her successful use of social media is that not only will there be promotional content urging fans to buy her albums or singles, and watch her videos, but also a personal touch offering fans a glimpse of her life, whereas many celebrities choose to keep their personal lives mysterious. Her fans believe they know her, they can relate to her tweets and pictures, and have built a strong connection that will enforce them to support her and her music.

She has differentiated herself from other female “pop” stars by being one of the fans, in essence, living carefree, making mistakes, posting pictures with her friends, partying, and showing off her fashion, as well as valuing communications with her fan base.

As a Barbados born singer, Rihanna has brought up a trend of being comfortable with one’s self to the point of putting her life in the open for her fans. She openly embraces her sexuality, body, party habits, fashion statements, and her personal nature, whereas other pop stars take an approach of creating a superficial persona to present to their fans (i.e. Nicki Minaj, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry), which is another point of differentiation.

Def Jam has put together various innovative, integrated branding campaigns, including engaging her Facebook fans to like the “Rihanna: Unlocked” tab, which featured fan “missions” to unlock exclusive content. Given her over 60 million fans on Faceboook, this strategy was successful in engaging those fans prior to her “Talk That Talk” album release.

She was a brand ambassador for Armani Jeans, Vita Coco, Nivea before being deemed too "sexy/raunchy", and many others. When partnering herself with these brands, she brings herself to the company, which could be overwhelming for a company like Nivea, but Vita Coco embraces her island heritage, and Armani Jeans brings out the "sexy, fashion icon".

References:

Forbes article

Rihanna's Twitter

#Rihanna #Karishma Patel #Branding

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