3 Branding Success Secrets Entrepreneurs Can Learn From Beyoncé Take notes.
By Nina Zipkin
It's been an exciting few months for Beyoncé fans. In April, music superstar became the first black woman to headline at Coachella. The performance over two weekends was considered to be masterclass, and "Beychella" was so meticulously documented as to have its own dedicated Wikipedia page.
At the beginning of June, she and husband Jay-Z launched their 43 date On the Run II tour. And in the middle of their June 16 London show, the Carters announced that their joint album, Everything is Love was now available.
Over the last few years, fans have learned that Bey is an unrivaled master at the surprise rollout. You never know when new music is coming. Starting from when she released the visual album Beyoncé in December 2013, up to Lemonade and now Everything Is Love, she has a knack for keeping her efforts top secret until she's ready to unleash them. Even if you aren't a fan of her music, you have to respect the sheer amount of logistics and planning that go into secretly filming an intricate music video that essentially is a short film in The Louvre. So how does she do it?
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"Every single detail is very intentional," says Ashley Small, the founder of Houston,TX-based PR and digital marketing firm Medley, Inc. Small says one of the key things that brands can learn from Beyoncé is thoughtful restraint. The press and public rarely if ever factor into her timetable, and when she does reveal something, it is only on her terms.
"So many of our PR clients feel they have to be reactive all the time. I tell them we don't have to respond to this right now. When we're ready and we've developed our messaging and when we have a plan of actionable items, that's when we'll get push something out there," Small tells Entrepreneur. "I think she's a great example of a way to manage your press profile without making your brand be too vulnerable."
Read on for three more strategies that you can pull from the music superstar's playbook.
Get a trusted team
Small says that if you want to have product roll out like Beyoncé, you need to know that everyone on your team buys into your vision. "You never see leaks of her campaigns. She has a team that understands how important it is that every campaign is executed strategically and thoughtfully. When you want to roll out a new program exclusively, [make sure] the whole team is on board with that."
Timing is everything
Small notes that brands often feel like they have to be in the public eye all the time, but that isn't the case. "That goes back to the whole idea of quality over quantity. You never see Beyoncé performing because 'I've got to be here because I told them I'd be here,'" says Small. "And if she is intended to do a one or two song set, it's always a mini concert. Be strategic about your timing and then whenever you do decide to launch, go big or go home."
Don't chase trends
You know it when you see it. A brand tries to stay relevant by making sure to include the latest and greatest thing in their campaigns even if it is immediately apparent that it isn't authentic to who they are as a company. If you're looking at the Beyoncé playbook, you look to the future without losing who you are. "She's always giving us a little glimpse into the latest trends but never losing sight of her roots. When I see her I always see a Southern woman, R&B singer, soul diva. But in her new song you see she's rapping a little bit. She stays on trend but she's not trendy. You don't lose those qualities and those signature performance details that we've come to love ever since Destiny's Child. You get a little bit of who she is at her core in everything she does."
