Therapy @ Lady Gaga

Now I know that Lady Gaga does not appeal to everyone, so I am not going to comment on her music or her personal style here.  But I am going to comment on her brand.

As I have been known to say in some of my speaking engagements, Lady Gaga is one of the first true "brands" in the music industry.  I mean "brand" in every sense of the word.

She has a clearly stated mission to help the underdog, and everything she creates center around that.  Just like a brand would have a mission to benefit to their target audience and would then center everything around it.

The latest demonstration of her brand activity is something I believe is pretty unique to the music industry.  Her Foundation, The Born This Way Foundation, is offering free counseling during "tailgate" parties at each of her shows.  The "Born Brave Bus" will offer anyone from 13 - 25 a chance to gather together and either in groups or individuality talk about bullying, depressions, relationships ... anything that these "kids" are dealing with.

I can already hear all the critics jumping all over this.  Is this for real?  Is this credible?  Who does she think she is?

All right, all right, all right.  But it's a HUGE start toward helping solve what is becoming quite an issue, and quite honestly always has.  I say BRAVA to Lady Gaga and her brand ... may you fight for every underdog under the sun.  With a beat.

What's your experience?  Jim.

Jim Joseph
President, Cohn & Wolfe NA
Author, The Experience Effect series
Marketing Professor, NYU