Madonna - Strategy Success and Business Development

Brand Inventory

How does Madonna reach us?

SWOT

The Important Stuff

Brand Exploratory

• Requires consumers to retrieve her brand when they think of pop music, or what songs they want to download to listen to on their iPod. (Keller, 2008).
• Madonna has achieved an exceptionally high level of brand awareness. Due to a number of factors
• the span and consistency of her popularity
• the length of her career
• her image and persona changes
• Her sustained popularity has also meant high levels of exposure spanning different generations of pop music fans and resulting in a more recognizable brand

Conclusions

Key Marketing Challenges

• Recommendation 1: ensure that her words and actions remain carefully aligned with her brand associations and positioning strategy.

• Recommendation 2: focus on the older loyal fans and continue to expand her brand into other areas

Presents

Celebs Behind the Brand

Madonna

Strategy Success

and

Business Development

Madonna's Portfolio

Owner of the Brand

Positioning

• “The act of designing a company’s offer and image so that it occupies a distinct and valued place in the target customer’s minds.” (Kotler & Keller, 2006).
• Constantly repositions and reinvents her brand
• NO single brand positioning strategy
• Most pop stars target a narrow age demographic,

---> Madonna's target audience age is much broader.

• "The queen of reinvention." (BBC, 2008).

• Born in Michigan, USA on the 16th August, 1958 from Italian - France parents
• Her entire name is Madonna Luise Ciccone
• Her career began in the music industry in 1986
• She is:

- singer (12 Album, 9 World Tour)

- song writer

- actress (22)

- author

- director (12)

- dancer

- pinup

- entrepreneur

Products/Services

Brand Elements

MUSIC

• Song,
• Album (11),
• World Tour (9)

Films

As Leading Role (19)

• 1979 A Certain Sacrifice
• 1993 Body of Evidence
• 1993 Dangerous Game
• 1996 Evita
• 2002 Die Another Day
• 2000 The next Best thing

www.madonna.com

• Other products associated with the brand include:

- clothing lines

- gym franchise

History of the Brand

• "Those trademarkable devices that serve to identify and differentiate the brand." (Keller, 2008).
• They should be:

1. Memorable.

2. Meaningful.

3. Likable.

4. Transferable.

5. Adaptable.

6. Protectable.

• Madonna has been very successful in ensuring that all of her brand elements meet these criteria.

• In 1978 she dropped out of college and relocated to NYC
• First Rock band "Breackfast Club"
• Her debut single "Everybody" in 1982
• Her debut Album "Madonna"

The English Roses

• 1980 STREET - KID STYLE
• 1990 HARD CORE SEXUALITY
• 2000 MADONNA WITH CHILDREN

Pepsi Advertising

Merchandising Product, including: iPhone apps, books, calendars, posters, accessories, collectibles, home decor, iPhone/iPod/laptop skins and DVD/Blu-Ray videos.

1984

1986

1989

1992

1994

2000

2003

2005

1983

2008

1985

1987

1990

1993

1998

2001

2004

2006

During the 80's Madonna’s style was mimicked by many and her style became a fashion trend

• selling 21 million copies of her first single alone
• Best-selling female rock artist of the 20th century

2012

• In 2008, Billboard Magazine ranked Madonna at number two, on the 100 All-Time Top Artists
• Inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2008
• In 2012 she was crowned the 'Greatest Woman In Music' by VH1
• Sold more than 300 million records worldwide

Value of the Brand

Kylie Minogue

Britney Spears

Competitors

Nicki Minaj

Lady Gaga vs Madonna

• Estimated personal net worth of $US500+ million (Forbes Magazine, 2012)

5+7=

(cc) image by anemoneprojectors on Flickr

M. Jackson vs Madonna

Ansoff Matrix

Distribution

• Four main areas of distribution for her brand:
• Music – iTunes, Amazon, Music Videos, Tours/Concerts
• Social Media – Madonna Website, Facebook Fan Page, Twitter, Youtube Channel
• TV and Movies
• Clothing and Fitness - Material Girl, Truth or Dare by Madonna, Hard Candy Fitness

Strengths

• Large, diversified and loyal fan base.

• Significant market share.

• Strong & unique brand associations.

• Strong brand equity.

• Current collaborations.

• Well established brand name

• Respected brand name

Opportunities

Radicalism

•Collaborations with other, younger artists

•Collaborations with older artists so to not lose her older fan base

• Expand into markets such as perfume targeted for a mature and young audience

•Placing a larger emphasis on non-conventional advertising such as promotion on Twitter and Facebook

•Sponsorship: Sponsoring young and upcomming artists or large scale gaming events

Weaknesses

• Age

• Finite nature of positioning strategy

• Diminishing ability to gain new fans

• Interchangeability of Madonna the brand and Madonna the person

• Alienating a fan base when she continually reinvents herself for the younger target market

• New contemporary artists are taking her brand position and more relatable

Threats

Brand Associations

• From early in her career, Madonna made reinvention a part of her brand image.
• Madonna has strong brand associations to radicalism, reinvention and innovation in the minds of consumers.
• Her brand associations are not unique to her but she has taken ownership of them.
• Other brands who attempt reinvention or radicalism strategies are often likened to her or accused of copying her e.g. Lady Gaga (NME, 2012).
• Her ownership of her brand associations gives the benefit of unique brand associations, this increases her brand equity. (Pitta & Katsanis, 1995).

•Competitors (younger imitators)

•Artists that are more relevant to the target market – especially the teen market

•Other fashion brands in the market

•New young and upcoming performers

Innovation

Key Associations

Reinvention

References

Brand

Recognition

Brand Awareness

Brand Awareness

• British Broadcatsting Corporation (BBC News) (2008), retrieved from: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/7361646.stm
• Brown, S, 2003,’ Material Girl or Managerial Girl? Charting Madonna’s brand ambition’, Business Horizons, 46,4, pp. 2-10, Business Source Premier, viewed 19 May 2012
• Casserly, 2012,'Madonna's Mighty Menopausal Comeback', last accessed May 12 2012, http://www.forbes.com/sites/meghancasserly/2012/03/27/madonnas-mighty-menopausal-comeback-still-sexy-or-still-selling-sex/
• Keller (2008) Strategic Brand Management, 3rd edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Kotler & Keller (2006) Marketing Management, 12th edition, Upper Saddle River, NJ: Prentice-Hall.
• Madonna (2012), retrieved from: http://www.madonna.com
• Madonna Issues ‘Dare’ to Industry’ 2011, WWD: Women’s Wear Daily, 202, 94, pp.1-6, Business Source Premier, viewed 19 May 2012
• New Musical Express (NME) (2012), retrieved from: http://www.nme.com/news/madonna/61438

Brand Recall

References cont.

• NY daily news (2012) last accessed 9th May 2012 retrieved from http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-04-17/news/31357167_1_whiskey-cologne-smell
• Pitta & Katsanis (1995) Understanding brand equity for successful brand extension, Journal of Consumer Marketing, Vol 12, Iss 4, pp 51-64.
• Pr Newswire (2012) last accessed 9th May 2012 retrieved from http://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/madonnas-second-hard-candy-fitness-center-now-open-for-workouts-in-moscow-136221038.html
• Rosman, 2012, 'Madonna Looks to Facebook, Twitter to Sell New Album ‘MDNA’, last accessed May 12 2012, http://blogs.wsj.com/speakeasy/2012/03/26/madonna-looks-to-facebook-twitter-to-sell-new-album-mdna/
• Stack, 2012, Entertainment Weekly, Glee' Exclusive: Madonna is on board! Is Adam Lambert next?, last accessed 9th May retrieved from http://music-mix.ew.com/2009/10/21/glee-exlcusive-madonna-is-in-is-adam-lambert-next/