Check out this new interview from Billboard with marketing guru Steve Stoute where he talks about Chris Brown’s comeback and turning Lady Gaga into the new Samsung. Gaga is the new Gwen Stefani????
So what do you do with the rebound? Chris Brown, for example, I know he’s recording again. He’s gonna make a go of rehabilitating his career. Are you gonna play a role in that? Can a brand play a role in that?
No. It was a relationship between Wrigley’s and Chris Brown to create the song ‘Forever,’ which I think is one of the best integrations period, if you ask me. To create a song that didn’t exist called ‘Forever’ and find the nuance that Doublemint had, which was ‘Double your pleasure, double your fun.’ Spend the money to make the song. Do you know how hard it is to convince a packaged good company that you’re gonna make a song in February, release it and you’re not gonna actually say that that song is your song for six months. Suppose that song isn’t a hit. Do you know the gamble spending the money to hire the talent, make the song, make the video, shoot the video, do all of that, release it in February, and we’re telling Wrigley’s, ‘Don’t worry. The record’s gonna go. And when the record goes and we do the reveal, it’s going to be amazing and the world is going to lose their mind.’ And they say, ‘Ok, let’s do it.’ And six months later, Pharrell is No. 1 in four countries and we dropped the campaign. That is the best version of integration I’ve seen when the record company is subsidized by Wrigley’s company to pay for the video, pay for the song and the song goes all the way.
When you have an artist like T.I. or Chris Brown, who have had these kinds of bumps in their career, to say the least, are they done to brands? Does Chris just have to go away and if he’s able to restart his career?
I don’t know. It becomes much more risky obviously. I was asked this question before, and you start bringing up examples like Kobe Bryant. We don’t even remember what this man went through anymore. We don’t even think about it. I use this example, and some people don’t get it, but Vanessa Williams. Whoever knows the Vanessa Williams tragedy when she had the naked pictures and to know that she’s selling products for Procter & Gamble, which would never sign somebody who was in Playboy magazine and market her to moms and kids. You can do it. There’s a natural healing process and there’s a bunch of other magic that happens to make you that fortunate but you can never count somebody out when there’s celebrity involved.
Tell me about some other upcoming Translation partnerships.
That was a good lead-in. We just signed Lady GaGa, and we’re treating her like a brand. We’re treating her exactly like we treat Samsung, like we treat Target. We’re treating her exactly the same way, building her brand story, finding the right partnerships, etc.
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Stoute recovered after that Diddy Smack.
Good idea @branding GAGA.
She’s for sure the next biggest pop star!
Total package: Odd Ball Looks, Nice Body, Solid Voice,
Very Creative and so on.
She’s kinda pushing the “pop envelope” if you will.
I just hope she doesn’t orbit into that whole “I’m so different, unlike the other much “polished” pop stars”.
Just continue making great pop dance records and stay
revelant, without selling out.
Didn’t know Stoute did the Wrigley’s deal for C.Brown.
This dude is great, wonder if he works with Rihanna.
GaGa is not new Gwen.I think Gwen rouind her life couse she borned a baby.
I know media latches onto something and harps on it until everyone seems to be sick to death of every hearing about what ever it is again. The item of the minute seems to be Lady GaGa. I’m watching the Grammys now with the big intro act of GaGa and Elton John. It made me wonder if she has paid for a huge marketing campaign, which I suppose has worked. She is a good singer, but certainly, not anything spectacular. She uses mega props, whoo whoo. I guess time will tell if it is just marketing or if her supposed talent will endure.