In the past week Beyoncé surprised fans with the release of new music. Only Beyoncé would have enough confidence in her fanbase to make an announcement on Superbowl Sunday and know that she would grab headlines.
image credit @beyonce (Instagram)
With new single TEXAS HOLD'EM taking inspiration from her southern background, the superstar has successfully infused her sound into the country genre. However, according to multiple news reports, including The New York Times, some country radio stations in the US are refusing to play her music. While this speaks to much deeper issues, what is interesting to note from a PR / brand perspective is how Beyoncé's fans turned the tide with one particular station, based in Oklahoma, in a matter of hours.
After a fan posted online that the station in question had refused to play the track, Beyoncé's legions of loyal fans took notice. Four hours and 3.2M impressions later, the station posted that they had the song queued up to play. Just like that.
What's incredibly interesting here is that neither Beyoncé herself or anyone from her brand / team, had to say or do anything. Such is the dedication of her fanbase that her audience did the job for her. An incredibly enviable position to be in and something any brand would kill for.
When it comes to building audience loyalty, there are countless approaches and strategies that can be employed. The approach varies depending on the customer, the industry, and numerous other factors. However, what is universal for brands is the desire to build such substantial loyalty that their audience becomes advocates.
It is fair to say that in the past decade, celebrities have transformed fame into billion-dollar businesses. While Beyoncé is an artist and world class performer, she is also, in essence, a brand. Her approach to brand building has been a mixture of mystery, allure and an ability to connect with a sprinkle of relatability. A balance that she has delivered consistently for decades in the music industry. She continues to be at the top of the game because she and her team know what her audience wants and how to deliver it to them.
There are many lessons in this for brands, big and small. How social media is such a crucial tool, an example of the power of audience advocacy, and of course, the perfect example of consistency being crucial to engaging a loyal audience.
Obviously, Beyoncé has had a long time to perfect her brand, but brands have to start somewhere. Identifying a tone of voice, characteristics, and how these things connect with target audiences is the first step to building long-term loyalty and eventually audience advocacy.
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