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The BET Award Show was LIT!

From the moment the 2016 BET Awards show opened with Beyonce to the after party where DJ Khaled released his new video, this awards show will be remembered as one of the best productions that BET has produced in many years. Even with all of the fun that was being had during the entire awards show experience, the bottom line is that this show was about business and each of the artists and actors that were on the show used the global platform to promote the projects that they had coming next.

We will explore The BET Award show from the business aspect.

The PreShow

Typically, you see newer acts perform during the preshow.  Acts that perform here are trying to break from being considered a newbie. So, although you have an act signed by Puff Daddy, they still have to work their way on to the main show. Diddy understands promotion and marketing on a level that many have been educated in marketing still do not get to this day. His act performed, he made an appearance in the audience, and he shared it out in social media.

The lesson for entrepreneurs here is not to be afraid to use a testing ground before you hit a ‘MAIN’ stage.  This will allow you to do some preliminary research before you release to the masses. But, when you do testing like this, its best to bring your A Game.  Testing out your B Game is a complete waste of time.

The Opening

 

Beyonce has not graced a BET Awards Show stage in many years, but this year she used her presence to the fullest. Sisters Chole and Halle Bailey, one of the first signees to Beyonce’s Parkwood Entertainment, were able to have a prime time for performing during the show.

The lesson here for your business is to always think about how you can negotiate to the benefit of your business. BET is going to benefit heavily for at least the rest of the year from Beyonce’s performance. So, in return, she has the right to also gain a little extra for her time to prepare and perform on the show. The searches that their website will get, the buzz that is created because of her performance, the boost to the BET brand is all things that Beyonce can bring to the table and deliver on.

What you have to do is to understand what you are bringing to the table to use as leverage as you negotiate for your business?

The After Show

DJ Khaled, who has a highly engaged Snapchat following, was allowed to perform at the PreShow and also promote the fact that he was releasing his new video that features JayZ and Future. What you have to remember is that DJ Khaled is a DJ, not a rapper, but he has a HUGE rap album with a mega collaboration being released.

There is a lot of business behind this act from numerous directions. The first element is that DJ Khaled can now be considered an influencer on Snapchat. The idea that he will be promoting the BET Awards show and the release of his new album on his Snapchat channel is a WIN for BET.

Secondly, DJ Khaled is touring with Beyonce on the Formation World Tour. JayZ looked at this as an AWESOME way to THANK DJ Khaled for stopping what he was doing to tour with his wife.  But, it really was a WIN-WIN-WIN for all involved.

Think about ways that you can collaborate with other business owners that can make for a mutually beneficial situation where everyone wins.  These collaborations have benefits that go beyond that of the actual act.

 

The Business of Being ‘On The Run’

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For those that are Beyonce and JayZ fans, the ‘On the Run’ tour has been epic. The marketing, the build up, and the actual show could not have been planned any better.

Let’s start with the trailer that introduced the concert.

Originally, this was never intended to be turned in to a real movie. But, it was done so well that fans have actually ‘demanded’ that the duo create a full movie out of the idea that was created in the trailer. Don’t you wish your random ideas would turn into something profitable where you never intended to earn a profit. Currently, this video has received almost 8.9 million views on YouTube.

Next, the apparel….

Photo Credit CNN  The ski mask worn in the trailer are now carried out as a theme throughout the show. As a marketer, the consistency of the look that they have developed throughout the entire show is the key to branding.  People have a tendency to want to veer from the brand look and feel, but when you stick to that which you have created the results can be epic.

The dollars and cents…

Mr. & Mrs. Carter have not only generated a lot of money for themselves, but they have also created a lot of cash flow for the cities that they have paid a visit too. In Atlanta, there were 50K+ people in attendance.  That means many of the people went out to dinner, purchased new outfits, and bought other items that they may not have normally purchased if a concert of this size was not coming to town.  Also, because the concert was not going to all major cities, you had a lot of people in hotels.  There was money spent by concert goers inside and outside of the city limits.

The rumors….

Many say that the Cater’s marriage is one the rocks.  Who knows if this is true or not, but it sales a lot of magazines and causes people to tune in to news segments that theymay not normally tune in to.  I have to admit that I am guilty of paying attention to what is being said about the Carter’s. All in all, they had some flirty moments during the concert and I am hoping that it means that none of the rumors are true.  But, Beyonce did have a lot of passion when she was singing the song below.

The marketing nuggets…

There are always some take a ways that you can apply to business.  From this, I would suggest the following:

1. Market your own way – The trailer to the concert was such a huge hit that it is now set to become a movie.  How cool is that!?!?

2. Consistency in your brand – From beginning to end, you know when you are seeing something from the OTR tour.  Mimic that approach in your own business.

3. Strive for reaching new levels – It was decided early on (against the suggestions of many naysayers) that this tour would be a stadium tour only.  They stepped their game up from arenas and moved in to stadiums.  Take your business to stadium status this year! Don’t waist anymore time being mediocre.