Good Sizzle, Brand

Madonna, he says, is a master at reinvention. “She zigs when you expect her to zag,” he says.”She taps the direction of society and relects that in her music, concerts, visuals, and appearance-in her overall brand.” Madonna has mastered a chameleon like approach to staying true to the foundation of her brand. She doesn’t walk away from a brand promise based on sex and sexuality; she just redefines sexy according to her current life stage. In her words, “I’ve grown. I’ve discovered things I had no idea of when I was in my twenties.” Among them is the value of inner peace, and the fact that fashion trend setting is best left to those with more youthful blonde ambition, according to a 2003 People description of Madonna.

Her experiences as a master marketer reveal insights and lessons on: S Harnessing the power of controversy S The power of sex, sexuality, and sexiness in gaining consumer attention S The role of brand authenticity-being the real thing-in connecting with fans S The risks of going too far in sexual branding and alienating customers S How to evolve and remake brands over time Madonna is the shining example that sex sells. Even after years of hard work by women’s organizations to further women’s rights and squelch the degradation of women, society can’t deny that sex still intrigues customers. Initially, one might see using sex to sell a brand as easy and by some standards a cop out to formulating a more substantive branding strategy.

Achieving significant long term sales and keeping fans interested in a brand with a sex oriented sales pitch is not easy, however. First off, maintaining a sexy image becomes more difficult as a brand ages- especially if that brand is a person. But even for products, what is sexy and cool one moment becomes average and humdrum the next. Second, sex can sell on a limited basis, but product and experience quality build loyalty over time. The classic example of the sizzle selling the steak is true-but there needs to be a steak, and it has to taste good in order for someone to order it a second time. As Denver points out, “Something has to connect with fans to move a record from passive, where fans enjoy listening to the song on the radio, to active, where they go buy the CD or attend the concert. It takes more than just sizzle to do that, but Madonna’s image and positioning over the years has been pretty good sizzle.” A brand message that features a sex angle needs to fit the natural characteristics of the brand. After revamping its line of shampoo and conditioners, Herbal Essences was unleashed on the market in the late 1990s. The sexually charged television ads grabbed peoples’ attention.