Endorsements are
an important part of the financial gain for an Artist. As technology emerges,
more Artists are forced to rely on their intellectual property for creating
their brand name product line. Pop Queen, Rhianna demonstrates the power of
product sales when her Rhi Rhi Woo lipstick is sold out on the first day. The
first product to launch will be RiRi Woo, a lipstick inspired by her
favorite MAC red, Ruby Woo. Its release will coincide with Rhianna’s
Diamonds Tour concerts on May 4 and 5 at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, where
MAC will open a pop-up shop on the first night to showcase the line.[1]
As early as
2007, sponsors begin to notice the difficulty consumers had with getting Rhianna’s
lyrics out of their head. Kristy Stary
said, “Once you hear Rhianna’s
Grammy-winning "Umbrella," good luck getting those lyrics out of your
head.” [2]
As the category director of
rain products for Totes-Isotoner Corp, Stary jumped on the opportunity to
attract a new and younger demographic by signing Rhianna onto a major contract
deal with the company. This showed great foresight on the part of Stary, as Rhianna
would go on to win a Grammy with that song. According to the report by
Marketing 50, "the Rhianna umbrella line makes up 15% of our online
sales, which is tremendous given it's such a niche product."[3]
Rhianna made
headlines with the announcement of a major loss of Endorsement, Nivea. Seen below the artist states,
“Nivea is dead to me.”[4]
Product Manager’s Field Guide teaches the important of developing five core
components to achieve success in products sales. Those necessary abilities are listed below.
·
5 CORE COMPONENTS
- drive business results
- deliver results through people
- ensure market-driven direction
- guide product “fit” and function
- manage multiple priorities
·
(Product
Manager's Field Guide 6) [5]
It is clear that
Team Rhianna was forced to rely on developing these core competencies. The
proof positive in their ability to do so is demonstrated when she bounced back
from the major loss of her Nivea endorsement. Rhianna ended her year of 2011
with smashing hits and matching product lines. The artist successfully singed a four -year contract with Max Factor. The signature
piece of the lineup, RiRi Woo, will be sold with all four collections. The
summer collection also includes two additional lipsticks, a Luster Drops shade
and a powder blush duo. Fall's 16 sku's include four lipsticks, a deeply
pigmented Lip-gloss version of Ri-Ri Woo, two multi-shade eye shadow palettes
and false lashes.[6]
Artist
Managers can look to such brands that are able to ensure a market driven
direction for clear pathway on how to push products.
A product must be expressed with a voice of the customer in mind. It is important to ensure customer priorities and product specification. According to Colin S. the
Branding Guinness, “By branding well, you start
your customer experience off right.” [7]
It is important to guide
product fit and function. To do so, Artist Managers are challenged to be clear
on the details of target markets an artist appeals to. Marketers for all size
organizations are demonstrating excellence through maintaining standards. Seen in the video clip below
is a
stunning event presented to recognize the contenders who have proven to be the best
in this business. The teams behinds some of the best marketing campaigns can be
seen celebrating their success in serving as a driving force in product sales.
For Artist Managers who seek to build a team and further develop competencies
in understanding marketing, more information on leaders in the industry can
be found at this website, www.cimawords.co.uk.[8]
[1] Mac Joins Forces With Rihanna. (2013).
WWD: Women's Wear Daily, 205(36), 6-1.
[4] Tmz,
Rihanna – Nivea is Dead to me – YouTube, Published August 13, 2012 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJ3zI4P4OBE
[6] Mac Joins Forces With Rihanna. (2013).
WWD: Women's Wear Daily, 205(36), 6-1.
[7]
Colin S, Guinness: Being ‘Made of More’ with Your Brand, October 18, 2013. http://www.linkedin.com/today/post/article/20131018100010-284615-guinness-being-made-of-more-with-your-brand?trk=cha-feed-art-title-204
[8]TheCIMTube,
Highlights of the 2012 Marketing Excellence Awards ceremony, Published on March
20, 2013
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