Despite the backlash Miley Cyrus has received over the past month or so, as a marketer, it makes me think that Miley Cyrus might actually be a marketing mastermind. I know what you’re thinking, but stay with me for a minute (well, a few minutes), there’s a point to my seemingly absurd statement.
One goal of every marketer, regardless of the industry, is to create brand awareness. Miley Cyrus is a brand, and these days you can’t go on any social network or entertainment news site without seeing the mention of Miley. She is in the minds of her target audience, and has been there prominently since her VMA performance with Robin Thicke. While it seems she is getting a great deal of negative press, there are still many who believe in Miley and what she’s doing.
Source: Teen.com
Through her performance and her actions following, Miley has certainly kept her brand on the tip of everyone’s — including her own — tongue (even my MOM has made comments about her). So, Miley, I applaud you for staying relevant, regardless of my views of your actions.
Miley Cyrus is growing up, completely shattering her “good girl” image (granted she’s been doing so for a few years now). Let’s think about this for a minute: when Miley was younger, her audience was young girls looking for a role model, but those girls are all grown up now (or in their late teens). They aren’t watching Hannah Montana anymore, they are growing up and maturing into young women, young women who are testing the boundaries and trying out new things.
Source: fanshare
Breaking out of her “tween” star persona to delve into her music career, Miley has chosen the pop/hip-hop route. With that, her target audience is no longer young/tween girls, its young people interested in pop music and culture. And although we may be slow to accept the change in her target audience, Miley knows what her audience wants and delivers.
Although some may argue, Miley is on to something when it comes to marketing herself. Not only is she putting herself in a great position from a branding standpoint, but the amount of press she is receiving will likely result in increased sales for her latest album, Bangerz, which will be out in stores on October 8th.
In the past month, Miley has graced the cover of Rolling Stone; released a controversial music video for “Wrecking Ball” (the song is currently #3 on Billboard’s Hot 100); debuted a documentary on MTV titled, “Miley: The Movement”; and she will be co-hosting Saturday Night Live, tomorrow, October 5th.
So you tell me, is Miley a marketing genius or is this just coincidence? We can’t stop (pun intended) talking about her. Is this all part of her marketing strategy? If she sells any copies of her latest cd, or any VMA performance-inspired Halloween costumes, while continuing to flood Facebook and Twitter feeds, her strategy was a success. I guess time will tell, but it seems as though Miley Cyrus is here to stay, despite her haters.
Featured Image Source: Billboard