A Brand Called Michael: Another Look on Branding

 

 

by: Giancarlo G.

June 26 2009 – I was one of the millions of people who typed “michael jackson – dead” into Google’s search engine, only to find the rumors true… The King of Pop is no more! We can all learn something from Michael Jackson. His influence to music and culture was highly remarkable. He broke down the barriers of racial difference in the music industry (i.e. One of the first African American to gain coverage in MTV thus leading the way for many African America artists). He developed a new style in pop music. He influenced many of popular song writers of our time.

He was the King of Pop, a musician and a legendary entertainer. But, what made him really famous and popular? Was it his moonwalk? Was it his singing talent? Was it his looks? His nose? No. Michael Jackson knew that he was brand on its own. He created in the mind of everyone the perception that there is no other “product” on the market quite like himself. He used it. Exploited it. He built a powerful name that he used to market himself. He knew that people will come because he is Michael Jackson. He was a walking, talking, dancing and singing brand. He knew that there is only one Michael Jackson. He knew that no one could dance, sing, entertain the way he does.

So, what is a brand? In the world of creative arts, advertising and marketing, branding is somewhat similar to the branding that happens in a ranch. It helps isolate or identify your cattle from the others in the ranch.

By definition, a brand is a trademark which is designed to differentiate your product from other products. It is based on the concept of singularity which is key in creating in the mind of the consumer the perception that there is a no other product on the market quite like your product.

I may not be a die hard Michael Jackson fan but, in my eyes he is a genius. From a creative professional’s point of view, I think he is brilliant. In this article, I wish to share with you how important branding is. That is why companies hire us designers, we help create an image of their brands for them. Brands that would be remembered and which will have immediate recall.

However, there are a couple of things that we need to consider when we thinking about brands.

Branding is not marketing. Rather marketing is brand building. When you build a good brand, selling would not be difficult at all. When Michael Jackson announces to the world he is holding a world tour at so-and-so place, his tickets gets sold in a flash. As what happened when he announced his London Concert tour, his ticket was selling 5 per second! So, if you build a powerful brand, you will have a powerful marketing program. Branding is just a more efficient way of selling things.

Narrow your focus. As mentioned, a brand is based on the concept of singularity. For consumers, if you do not stand out in the crowd, they will most likely forget about you. With Michael Jackson, he focused on dance pop. He did not venture into singing in Broadway but rather kept himself in the pop music category — hence the title, The King of Pop. It is easier for consumers to remember one name than having several names. For example, coffee is to Starbucks. Cola is to Coke. Healthy food on the go is to Subway. Toothpaste is to Colgate. Good things happen when you narrow your focus.

Create publicity by being the first. Today, there is an over abundance of commercials each seeking our attention. To successfully sift through all that information, a brand must stand out. To stand out, you need to be the first. By creating the image that your brand is the first will help save you tons of advertising money. Michael Jackson made popular one of the best known dance techniques in the world — the Moonwalk, which later became his signature dance move. He may not have been the first to dance the moonwalk but he was the first in incorporating it in his music videos such as Billie Jean. In addition, did you know that Michael Jackson patented his anti-gravity lean in his music video, Smooth Criminal? It has a US Patent 5255452!

Own the Word. If you can manage to create the imagery of referring to your brand like “Can I have these Xeroxed?” or “ Can you FedEx this Japan?” or “Wipe your nose with Kleenex.”, then your brand has owned the word. The only way to do this is to niche market your brand. For some reason, every time I hear the word “thriller” my mind automatically sings the Michael Jackson Thriller song. Apparently, Thriller and has been named the most successful music video ever by the Guinness World Records.

Shapes are not created equal. Imagery is crucial to branding. A brand design should fit the eyes. Both eyes. Branding is somewhat synonymous to trademarking. Your brand should be easy on the eyes of your market. Michael Jackson mastered the art of trademark in his fashion. From his gold plated military styled jacket to the white gloves and arm band. He knew his unique fashion sense would strengthen his branding image.

Today, it is difficult to dissociate our imagery of Michael without thinking of his fashion style. However, we have to be careful of what branding image we want. When the King of Pop started wearing a mask, people speculated that his nose was falling off. Far from the truth. It was Michael’s way of reinventing himself after tough legal times. Did it work? It did create a publicity buzz that he needed to spur his career forward after a long break.

Branding is consistency. The essence of branding is consistency. Although the market demographics may change, it does not mean that your brand should change as well. Michael Jackson was not just liked by those born in the 80’s. His music and his talent was universal that millions just adore him. However, it was not easy sailing for him. The King of Pop’s did not become popular overnight. He tirelessly worked for four decades to develop his style, his voice, his move and everything about him so that his fans will continue to want more.

Therefore, for us creative professionals, whenever a company approaches us or whenever we take on a task that involves branding, let us learn from one of the best brands in the world — Michael Jackson. In late 2007, Jackson said the following of his work and future influence, “Music has been my outlet, my gift to all of the lovers in this world. Through it, my music, I know I will live forever.”

Giancarlo Gallegos is a writer, communications designer photographer, entrepreneur, and a post production professional based on New Zealand. He is the official photographer for a little pink pig’s travel blog called The Adventures of Spider Pig. You can view his work on www.giancarlogallegos.com. On his spare time, he travels, cooks, drinks coffee and mind maps new ideas.

UPDATE: There are always more than one way to look at things and that is exactly what Jason Greenwood did in an article he wrote titled “Michael Jackson, and lessons for brand building“. He takes a nother approach at how Michael Jackson’s death effects the Michael Jackson brand. Make sure you read it on hos blog at http://greenwoodsgrind.blogspot.com

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