Lady Gaga is a singer, Hmmmm… yes! At least we almost agree on that. In fact, I think she is more than just a regular person who gets up on a stage and sings. There are probably two main reasons why people follow Lady Gaga:

• Her songs (including voice and show)
• Considering herself as "a prodcut", she is a box full of surprises, one day she can be drinking blood, and next day wear an exclusive meat dress. She has an idea and works towards it.

Let's jump back to 2008, that year Lady Gaga launched her first album “The Fame”. I thought –here we go… another CD, another singer . And I was wrong saying “another”. Since the first time I watched her “Bad Romance” video, I realized that she was going beyond expectations, and evoking my advertising vein.

I began asking myself: How is it possible that the same product can jump from indifference to amazement? Like a garment of clothing that goes from being the cheapest one out there to the most "sought out" one... How? As a branding effort?  Lady Gaga has strongly worked her image to achieve what she is now. 

So, what does she sell? Maybe it's “pop music”. I don´t think so, she sells a package full of wishes and fantasy. It is amazing how this lady built a one woman empire from scratch. 

Lady Gaga is the sum of events, products, aimed towards rebelliousness, indifference, sex and eccentricity. She is an icon for young people, because, as I said, she represents their rebelliousness, because being "weird" is cool... And she reflects that in her concerts, in the way she dresses...

In fact the way she spreads her influence transcends media.

Some people may think she is a remarkable personal brand effort with solid basements. Also, she spreads the same message in everything that is associated and linked with her. People can´t ignore what she does, whether it is fashion, video or life show. She achieves what most brands want to accomplish; she manages to stay under the radar of her audience at least once a week, whether the news is good, bad or even crazy, she manages to stay there. 

On the other hand, she can also be today’s boom and tomorrow’s withering smoke. Much like what Marilyn Manson once was, another eccentric person, with his mometn of glory that now has faded away.

However, talking from a Branding point of view, some doubts do make their way into my mind:

• Is her promise sustainable over time? 
• Is she realistic, even though she proposes a fantasy?
• Is Lady Gaga believable?
• Is she a brand or just an icon? Or an advertising boom record company’s?

Whatever the situation may be, I think she is a product with an amazing packaging which, instead of calling us, screams and yells out for our attention… And if she yells too much, maybe she could suddenly lose her voice.

What do you think about Lady Gaga?

What does she sell?

Images: tommytoy.typepad.com, tokyofashion

Recently, with the Spanish saving banks reform we are attending the creation and deployment of new financial institution brands. What is the aim of these changes? Changing a name is actually quite different to changing a brand. Logos had changed, but what about the internal structure? Does it respond to a concrete strategy? A brand has its value; create a new one has costs. The following chart shows a rough cost of each step supporting the change of a brand:

Spanish financial system is known as one of the most serious in Europe. This consideration leads me to ask:

• Is such change indispensable? Considering the crisis, is this the right moment?
• Since it is not a legal obligation, was it necessary to change the brand? Couldn't they think of umbrella brand systems, like 'Star Alliance'?
• Does it communicate confidence to investors and clients? And to employees?
• Couldn’t be better to explain to clients the change from saving bank to bank instead of changing the brand?
• Is it possible to come together seven brands into a unique one? And the culture?
• With such names, can the enterprises expand all over the world?

Maybe saving banks had rushed too much. The new names are lacked of originality and/or rather similar, like Bankia, merger between seven saving banks, and Rankia, community of finance interested persons. Others didn’t thought either about the sense of the word they were going to use as a new name: existing brands, animal name, etc. being deep in a small crisis.

Now that the implementation of those brands has started, the aim for new bank entities and their communication department is to convince their stakeholders before to take the company public in a maximum of one year; they have to get renown.

• Do you think they can do it?
• What do you think about the new brands?
• Do you consider it will have a positive effect on the bank business?
• How can new banks transmit this confidence that Spanish financial sector needs so much?
• Will they be influent in an international way? Is it possible?

Coca-Cola is one of the most recognized brands in the world, not to say the most recognized one. 

It has been over 50 years since Coca-Cola began to be “the spark of life (Latin America)”. 

During the 60’s and 70’s “The spark of life” took Latin America by storm.

Later, in the 70’s it changes to “ Coca-Cola will give more life to your life” (Coca-Cola le da más vida a tu vivir)… and times goes through, and the slogan keeps changing and it goes from “make it real”  to “the happiness factory”, and so on…

Lately, the brand is associated with moments of happiness, getting a unique position in the mind of consumers. 

Coca-Cola is synonym for happiness and well-being. If you drink Coca-Cola, all the bad things will disappear. It is like the whole world stops and lets you enjoy it.

Today we have a new commercial “reasons to believe in a better world”.

After watching the commercial:

• According to you, what experience are they trying to convey? Do you think they chose the right path?.
• How do you feel after watching it?
• Although it is a great concept (because they want us to believe in the world) but, don’t you think they exaggerated a little bit?
• What about the comparisons?
• How can a teddy bear be stronger than a tank?
• Are the mats free of walls?
• Do you think it generates the right experience?

Ok, let´s face it, human beings are very complex, and we all want peace, but many countries still buy weapons.

We dream of a better world where people can help each other, but it’s hard for us to help.

Internet is infested with comedy videos, but we only watch tragedies in the news, because a tragedy is “the new”.

Nowadays, is increasingly hard to please the consumer, because they are more knowledgeable than they have been in the past. Before they believe in something, they search for information, and then draw their own conclusion…

In short, yes we have plenty reasons to believe in a better word, for example my reasons are:

• Each time I see International support for those who are fighting for freedom.
• Each time a person decides to volunteer and help others.
• Each time we provide a home for homeless children
• Each time companies think about our grandchildren and care about the planet.

Going back to Coca-Cola… Perhaps the question is:

Could Coca-Cola’s communication affect the brand and its values?

What do you think about it?

Fuente e Imagenes: Centennial_Coca-Cola