Small Business Branding Lessons From Lady GagaWe have talked a lot about small business branding. “Okay, Iconic Digital, we get it. Branding is important, blah blah blah. We already have a logo.”

Ah, but there is so much more to small business branding than a logo. Here’s your lesson for today: Channel the Lady Gaga.

“Lady Gaga?! What on earth does branding have to do with Lady Gaga?!” Think about it. Lady Gaga has turned herself into her own living, breathing brand. You would do well to think about your brand in these terms.

Here are two things that make Lady Gaga’s branding so legendary:

She has a consistent image that stands out.

It’s crazy, but the blonde wigs, hair bows and heavy eye make up have become iconic. As crazy as her outfits get, she keeps her look the same. Lady Gaga can easily be pulled out of a crowd… in fact, she would be hard to miss.

Lesson for small business branding: Keep your look (your logo and your materials) consistent. That said, it’s important that you set yourself apart from the masses. Your value proposition is part of your brand, and if it sounds like every other value proposition, you will get lost in the shuffle.

She exists in branding mode… all the time.

Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, aka Lady Gaga, is rarely seen in street clothes. No, she brands herself as the girl with the crazy attire, and she always lives up to it. Crazy wigs, giant heels, dresses made by the hottest artists and designers, giant false lashes and stenciled brows… would you even recognize Lady Gaga if she were walking down the street in jeans and a tee sans make up? Probably not. Stefani has worked hard to make Lady Gaga become a character.

Lesson for small business branding: In the same way that Stefani has become Lady Gaga, you and your employees need to become the living, breathing representation of your brand.  Stefani is her own person, but when she steps out on the street she becomes Lady Gaga. When your employees go out into the community, are they representing your brand?

She makes her fans feel loved.

Lady Gaga knows that her fans are her customers. They buy her albums. They attend her shows. She has assigned them an identity: Little Monsters. She even tries to connect with them on a more personal level by stripping away the layers of Gaga and allowing fans to get a peek of Stefani via her social media efforts.

Lesson for small business branding: Make your customers feel loved. Assign them an identity to better understand who they are as a target market. Show them the human side of your business on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, etc. A loved customer eventually becomes a loyal brand advocate.

Take your small business branding to Lady Gaga’s level.

Small business branding can be tough in competitive markets. Taking lessons from icons like Lady Gaga can help. Questions? We’d love to hear from you. Comment or drop us a line.

 

START A PROJECT