I Witnessed an Icon

My "friends" know that I talk about this woman a lot. She's in my book, I cover her when I do speaking engagements, and I was just interviewed over the weekend for a feature article about her as a brand.

Lady Gaga. I went to her concert at Madison Square Garden last night, and I witnessed an icon.

Sure, her music is good but that's not what I am talking about. Lots of people make lots of great pop music. Honestly hers is not that different, although boy the girl can sing!

It's all in who she is, how she defines herself, and how she presents her craft. It's all about her brand.

Lady Gaga has positioned herself as the role model of the underdog, the under-served, the shy and inhibited. Even has a manifesto that encourages us all to put our inhibitions aside and do what we want to do. She certainly has and she consistently talks about it in every move she makes.

Lady Gaga also knows her fan base, serves her fan base as a matter of fact. Has a name for them, Little Monsters, complete with a hand signal. Gives generously to her "cause" -- helping gay and lesbian youth who have been pushed out of their homes for being who they are. Talk about underdogs!

At one point in the show, she called a fan on their cell phone in the audience and upgraded their seats to be closer to the action. Just a simple example of her media strategy -- mobile and social media has built her fan base and her brand.

Partnerships and strategic alliances galore, all tied back to her brand called "House of Gaga" -- surrounding herself with talented writers, musicians, videographers, fashion designers and other brands who all share her same mission to encourage people to come out of their shell and do what they want to do.

I witnessed an icon last night, the likes of which I have never quite seen before. And when she sits down at the piano and sings her torch song, it's an experience you will never forget.

What's your experience? Jim.