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| JT likes Taco Bell but not for the Gorditas... |
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| ...while Beyonce was at Walmart but not to shop (Smile for those camera-phones in the background!) |
JT AND QUEEN BEY USE PERSONAL TOUCH TO RESHAPE MASS MARKETING
Justin Timberlake broke new marketing ground last Wednesday when he walked into a local LA Taco Bell with three People's Choice Awards he won earlier in the evening and posted photos on Instagram. http://usat.ly/1ciV3oB And on December 23, Beyonce announced on the intercom at the Walmart in Tewksbury, MA that she was giving a $50 gift card to each shopper in the store as a Christmas present. http://lat.ms/1hTtWsg
Entertainment heavyweights JT and Queen Bey are at the forefront of a new type of celebrity promotion that manufactures 'surprise' encounters directly with the public at popular locations resulting in monumental social media and mass media coverage for their projects. Velvet ropes are used to create separation for the privileged few and to emphasize exclusivity. By removing the velvet ropes in these situations, these celebrities create a personal bond with fans in a familiar setting that reaps huge returns in personal likeability for their down-to-earth values.
When Beyonce mingled with guests last month during her album launch party at a Dave & Busters restaurant in Times Square, she changed the traditional role of conventional media in covering celebrity appearances. http://huff.to/1eGdV63 And that's the key in these situations. Whether at Taco Bell or Dave & Busters or Walmart, it's fans on site who tweet and post and blog about their lucky link to stardom with coverage that is overwhelmingly positive. And these rare direct connections between celebrities and fans often go viral, reaching millions of users in a very short time.
These celebrity-controlled situations are in stark contrast to the usual coverage of celebrities in public places by paparazzi often in unflattering poses -- at Starbucks, after a workout, in arguments. Here's a heated one with JT and a paparazzi that may have prompted his new tactic: http://bit.ly/L7ZPzO
These celebrity-controlled situations are in stark contrast to the usual coverage of celebrities in public places by paparazzi often in unflattering poses -- at Starbucks, after a workout, in arguments. Here's a heated one with JT and a paparazzi that may have prompted his new tactic: http://bit.ly/L7ZPzO
Celebrity handlers are busy creating 'random' encounters for their clients because they generally produce positive coverage by favoring initial distribution through social media channels over traditional mass media outlets. It was Beyonce who pushed the envelope further via an Instagram video she posted December 12 announcing the debut of her new album on itunes. http://lat.ms/1j5x84B In a single brilliant stroke she eliminated the traditional marketing role that holds that successful launches must build excitement for an upcoming album over months prior to a scheduled release date. Said the artist, "I felt like I didn't want anybody to give the message when my record is coming out," I just want this to come out when it's ready and from me to my fans."
Call them 'surprise,' 'stealth,' 'random' or 'spontaneous' events, celebrity marketing and by extension product branding is changing and traditional media will need to adapt to this exciting new landscape.
Call them 'surprise,' 'stealth,' 'random' or 'spontaneous' events, celebrity marketing and by extension product branding is changing and traditional media will need to adapt to this exciting new landscape.
