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Lady Gaga gives fans chance to get sneak peek at the cover to Marry the Night

Last night I was involved in a fabulous #SocialChat on Twitter and at one point we were discussing how companies could learn how to better embrace their advocates by watching how rockstars engage with their fans.  We were discussing how brand advocates WANT to take ownership in their favorite brands, but so few brands actually reach out and give them that chance.

I mentioned how Lady Gaga and Harley Davidson both embrace and love their fans.  I took a second to check Gaga’s twitter page, and as luck would have it, I saw this tweet:

Love it.  This tweet is going in my next version of the Think Like a Rockstar deck.  Here’s why I love this tweet:

1 – Gaga gave her fans ownership.  She reached out to them and empowered them to have something positive happen, if they acted.

2 – She communicated WHAT they needed to do in order to see the cover early.  Gaga’s fans would want to see the cover to her new single before it’s released.  Gaga knows this, so instead of just giving it to them, she makes them earn it.  Robbin had a great post about this point, and how movements need to be structured so that those involved have some skin in the game.

3 – She communicates to her fans that what THEY want is ABOVE what her LABEL wants.  Love that.  She’s telling her fans that ‘If it comes down to me choosing between what my label wants, and what you want, then you win.’

And her fans came through, and got to see the cover:

What is your brand doing to embrace and reward its biggest fans?

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About Mack Collier

My name is Mack Collier and I am a digital marketing and content strategist located in Alabama. Since 2006 I've helped companies of all sizes from startups to global brands such as Adobe, Dell and Ingersoll-Rand, create customer-centric programs, content and experiences. A long-time internet geek, I've been online since 1988 and began using social networking sites in 1991 when I joined Prodigy. Today, I help companies understand how new technologies like web3, crypto and artificial intelligence can integrate with existing marketing strategies to lead to exceptional customer experiences.

Comments

  2. Jure says

    You made it so clear Mack! Hope brands start learning that community is not about brand but about fans / customers. Brand without community is like clock without mainspring 🙂 Was really nice chatting with you last night! You ROCK!

    • Mack Collier says

      Thanks Jure, I agree, there’s SUCH a disconnect between how most rockstars WANT to connect with their fans, versus how most brands want to keep their fans at arm’s distance. It kills me because, as you can see above, rockstars can connect with their fans and it HELPS them. Brands could have the same thing, if they were only willing to connect with their fans and empower them. Ah well, maybe someday 😉

  3. Scott Schablow says

    Good thoughts Mack. It’s no accident that Lady Gaga was a marketer before she became a rock star. In fact, it’s using her marketing knowledge that helped her successfully remake herself. Which strengthens your point all the more.

  4. Bobby Rettew says

    Great stuff Mack! This is exactly why Lady Gaga is such a pioneer across all industries and disciplines. She takes the time to listen, engage with community, and use that to her advantage. She knows…without the fans, there is no money to be made.

    Do you think the reason why so many do not follow her lead comes down to time and resources vs. protecting the message? Thoughts?

    ~BR

    • Mack Collier says

      Bobby that’s a good question. I wonder if it’s a case of artists letting their labels handle their marketing, which would definitely lean toward a more ‘controlling’ messaging. Could be that some artists simply see interacting and embracing fans as a ‘marketing’ function, and if they don’t like marketing, they think the label should handle that.

  5. Mary says

    You make a good point; what if your product is spaghetti sauce?

    And I actually did get some good ideas of how to implement your idea for my own product.

    I’m still wondering about spaghetti sauce though (I’m really ticked that my favorite brand started adding high fructose corn syrup and now I can’t buy it).

    • Mack Collier says

      Hey Mary, not sure I understand your question. If you’re asking how could a spaghetti sauce connect with its fans, normally those fans will try to connect with them. They’ll be the people emailing and writing them, sometimes they’ll be thanking them for their product, other times they’ll be customers like you that may be offering advice on how they could improve the product by removing the high fructose corn syrup.

      I think it’s a good idea for brands to do two things when it comes to connecting with their fans:

      1 – Find ways to better connect with their existing fans

      2 – Find ways to connect the existing fans to each other

      What will happen is that by connecting the fans to each other, that will accelerate the process of the brand connecting with new fans, since the existing fans will be promoting the brand to other customers.

      Does that help, Mary? I’m not sure if I answered the question you were asking.

  6. Tyson Greaves says

    This is an excellent example of how individuals can use social media to advance their brand. She endeared herself to her fans when she sided with them over the record label. She empowered them to take an active role in the promotion of her new single, which gives her followers a heightened sense of ownership and accomplishment. Most importantly, she followed through on her promise quickly and in a very accessible way. Individuals and corporations alike can learn a great deal from Lady Gaga; it makes for a wonderful case study.