Digitally speaking Lady Gaga, who prefers to be called just ’Gaga’, is the 2009 top-selling digital artist with 15.9 million units sold.  This digital figure is nearly twice that of the non-digital top-selling artist, the late Michael Jackson.  The are approximately 80 million Google hits of which nearly 20% are images; she is also a Top 10 Twitter hit as of 9:30am.  The reports of her death prior to the Grammys are obviously greatly exaggerated.  She is very much alive and in control of a powerful brand that offers practical guidance for entrepreneurs in any industry.

Building Blocks: Passion/Drive + Helping Hands

Seeds need soil, water, and light to become a full plant.  Gaga writes her own material, picks out the wardrobe collage, and puts in long rehearsals planning each performance.  However, she doesn’t do it alone.  There are a lot of people involved to help accomplish a specific series of goal; producers, publicist, brands Polaroid and Estee Lauder, Interscope Records (sorry Def Jam), manager Troy Carter, and of course family Germanotta.  A trusted group of advisors is perhaps the greatest asset to any entrepreneur.  The founder may be able to lead but there are only so many hours in a day and only so many things at which a single person can be an expert.  The right mix of persons, (employees, consultants, board of directors) can help to avoid common mistakes and bring a cohesive plan to fruition.

Even Bill Gates had a team in Albuquerque back in 1978.  http://www.microsoft.com/presspass/features/2008/jun08/06-25iconic.mspx

Branding Excellence: Holistic Approach, Targeted Delivery

Lady Gaga starts with raw talent and sprinkles in a fearless approach of letting it all hang out.  She sings, dances, designs, performs, opens eyes and closes some others.  Most importantly she takes her unique vision and applies it across the broad spectrum of performing arts.  At the same time of casting a wide net, her strategy is also very successful in being extremely targeted.  With the help of her primary producer RedOne she creates songs that are ‘lyrically simple and easy to sing along to, even for people in the world who don’t speak English’.  This ensures mass appeal.

Further, Gaga harnesses the hugely efficient machine of generation digital.  Almost all of her downloads are iTunes and many fans received her music free via YouTube and MySpace.  A comparison was made to Susan Boyle who is the No. 2 selling album of 2009 with 133,000 plays.  Lady Gaga online plays are over 320 million.  She has also endorsed ‘Heartbeats’ earbuds in coordinateion with Dr. Dre (months ahead of P. Diddy doing the same).  It’s all about the Gaga experience delivered in the most efficient way – viral and directly to the fans.

Expansion: A Hopeful Future Lesson in Transcendentalism

At age 23, Gaga is already being compared to Madonna.  She is a superstar for sure.  Nevertheless it is still too early in the lifecycle of this iconic startup to know whether or not she will transcend.  She already leads in a way that makes us appreciate that she carries a message.  The true test will be if she can elevate others and leverage her brand for the greater good.  Bono comes to mind as do Oprah, Arnold Schwarzenegger, George Clooney, Tiger Woods and Ronald Reagan.

Fresh off four No.1 hits from her debut album, a duet with Elton John, and two Grammys, entrepreneurs should keep a close eye on her encore for other smart business lessons.

Source: John Jurgensen, WSJ ‘The Lessons of Lady Gaga’, January 29, 2010.

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704094304575029621644867154.html