Here is my attempt to intertwine my two favorite topics – Lady Gaga and technology. It’s not a secret that concerts are becoming more and more expensive and company sponsorships are playing a big role before, during, and after the concert. Earlier this month, San Jose was graced with Ms. Gaga’s presence two nights in a row. Virgin Mobile is the major sponsor backing Lady Gaga’s Monster Ball tour.
Outside the seating area near the vendors, multiple booths were set up for fans to take pictures (Polaroid, Virgin Mobile). Polaroid let fans take pics with a metal orb structure like the one from the “Bad Romance” video. Very chic. Fans then have to go to the Polaroid website to buy, yes buy, the picture. Touche for these companies driving traffic to their websites and the same time fans love posing for pics.
So why is Virgin Mobile a good sponsor? Well, fans with phones now make the concert an interactive experience. Who best to connect folks, but a telecommunications company. Before the concert, fans could text messages and upload pics that show up on the globe-o-tron. During the concert, all you see is a sea of cameras taking photos or video of Ms. Gaga doing her thing on stage. If you go to YouTube the night of the concert (search “lady gaga san jose concert 2010″), you can re-live the concert through someone else’s lens. Technology at its best.
Fans can also win contests during the concert. For instance, my friend got alerted via text (midst concert) that she won a live phone call from Lady Gaga, a call that Lady Gaga makes in the middle of her show. When Ms. Gaga called my friend on the phone, you couldn’t miss us because we were plastered on the globe-o-trons chatting away with her. The contest award also included upgraded seats (lower level row 3) and a backstage meet and greet (after the concert, for a minute). Let’s just say that I’m a huge Lady Gaga fan and now a Virgin Mobile fan. Best night ever!
Now, let’s talk about Lady Gaga leveraging social media. She knows have to use it well. The top celebrities on Twitter garner over 5 million followers with Ms. Gaga as #1 with 5.8 million followers. Also, she has the most Facebook fans with 16.5 million fans and had the most watched YouTube video (“Bad Romance” music video) with 267 million views (think Justin Bieber just beat her). This is not by chance. Her marketing team knows how to cater to the fans. Exclusive and controlled content is delivered through these channels and the fans want it. It’s a win-win situation. How can you apply the same strategy that makes sense for your business?
PS – If you have been to a Lady Gaga concert, please leave a comment about what you thought. Share with us!
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