” Stardom, Gradual Evolutionary Approach

Two recent biographies-Madonna, by Andrew Morton (St. Martin’s Press, 2001) and Goddess, by Barbara Victor (HarperCollins, 2001)-chronicle the lifestyle that grabs headlines and entices people to engage in her performances in a wide variety of media. Both books, Ann Oldenburg wrote in USA Today, “portray a driven, ambitious woman who had star quality from childhood and a sassy, brassy star who falls in love easily, only to become insecure and needy in her relationships. Both books paint a picture of a disciplined creature who prizes organization and being in control and who has put her quest for stardom before just about anything else.” Stardom doesn’t come easy for anyone, including Madonna, who has thrived primarily due to her raw ambition rather than raw talent.

Her discipline serves as a reminder to even the most experienced marketers that laziness can lead to obsolescence, diminished awareness, and a tarnished position among competitive brands. Competitiveness, diligence, and brilliant execution, on the other hand, lead to staying power. And Madonna definitely has proven that she has that.

One of Madonna’s most lethal weapons in the war to remain relevant has been continual brand reinvention. The changes she undertakes to redefine herself every five years or so go beyond the gradual evolution many other bands undergo. Madonna’s brand sustenance is complicated by the fact that one of her brand promises is to be on the cutting edge of newness in the areas of fashion, expression, exercise, and other lifestyle trends. Because of this positioning, a gradual evolutionary approach to change, which fans of many other bands prefer, would disappoint Madonna’s fans; they expect her to change the way she looks, sounds, and lives. Joel Denver, founder of AllAccess.com, one of the industry’s leading sources on music trends and information, has watched performers rise to and fall from stardom for decades.