Sunday, March 30, 2008

Madonna: Ruler of The World




I love Madonna not only for her music (and I find her hilarious) but also because she's such a savvy business woman and a marketing genius. No other pop star out there is as smart as her. This is why the woman has staying power, because she's well edumacated and as I've said over and over again. Madonna is a genius.

The Telegraphs features an article about Madonna's marketing ability and the lucrative contracts she signed with major companies including Vodafone, Uniliver/Sunsilk and Fuji. You can read the whole article here. Here's an excerpt:

In a move that is likely to infuriate some fans, the eagerly awaited video for 4 Minutes, with Madonna and Timberlake, will make its debut online rather than on MTV.

John Reid, the president of Warner Music Europe and vice-chairman of Warner Music International, Madonna’s label, said: "It’s not about upfront payments, it’s about selling the product. She is a very smart businesswoman who wants to sell a lot of albums.

"These companies want their customers to know about their links with Madonna. They are going to promote the deals and her music online and in extensive television, radio and press adverts."

He added: "If it all goes to plan then there is no reason why other acts shouldn’t strike similar deals."

Madonna is not the first artist to make her work available to advertisers, but past commercials have tended to feature songs only after they have been released.

Claire Beale, the editor of Campaign, the advertising industry’s trade paper said: "These deals prove that Madonna is the most marketing-savvy musician in the world. She’s a case study of what great marketing is.

"Using advertisements to promote a new single in advance of its release is very shrewd indeed."

Stuart Clarke, the talent editor of Music Week, said: "When you first hear about 4 Minutes being used for a Sunsilk campaign you think ’how tacky’. You then see the advert and you realise what a brilliant idea it is.

"It is as much an advert for her and her music as it is for the product she is supposed to be selling. No one else could get away with that."

The song 4 Minutes has already entered the UK charts at number seven on downloads alone. It is expected to enter the top five today, even though the video still has not been seen and the record has yet to released.

Gennaro Castalodo, a spokesman for HMV, said: "Madonna knows it’s not just about reaching her own fans, who are going to buy the record anyway."

Source: Drowned Madonna

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