The interwebs were aflame last night as the two current leading ladies in rap went toe to toe or in this case Instagram to Twitter in a 5 hour social media blow up that had fans gripping their mugs and sipping slowly.
While the ‘Barbz’ and ‘Bardigang’ sat, eyes peeled to their phones and laptops, egging their favorite artiste on, we were busy taking notes on what brands can learn from these two record-breaking artistes.
At the end of the day, musicians are people, yes, but they are also brands because they are marketed, positioned, and packaged to deliver their artistry in a way that is most profitable to them and their stakeholders.
So we can’t get too caught up in the drama and miss the valuable business insights that were subtly displayed for the entire world to digest yesterday.
Brands listen up:
1. Don’t ever get too comfortable
This ongoing feud is fundamentally the old age war between new entrants and incumbents. Eliminate all the he said, she said and what ‘knot’ and that is at the heart of the matter. Nicki is an incumbent and Cardi is a new entrant. As an incumbent, you can never get too comfortable in your market leadership. Unless you have full monopoly of a market you should be consistently working to expand your market, improve your products, innovate and adapt. New businesses rise up daily and if you are not always in good form (ahem) and ready to compete you can’t be surprised when the market suddenly starts swaying in a new entrant’s direction because they look bright and shiny.
2. Balance your Emotional vs Functional benefits
There seems to be consensus that Cardi is currently at the top of her game, because the internet gobbles up her personality like ice-cream. Very few people, however, would put their life down for her lyrical prowess. Nicki, on the other hand, it’s safe to say, has demonstrated more prolific rap skills over the years. So Cardi pulls on emotion (personality) and Nicki pulls on functionality (talent). As a brand you should never lean too much to one side, because, at the end of the day, you want your customer to rally behind you because your product or service works and also because they love what you stand for. That way you are less likely to be perturbed by competing brands.
3. Leveraging your strengths
A critical aspect of the dialogue that ensued last night was how each rapper chose to call the other to resolve the feud. Cardi asked for a physical battle and Nicki asked for a rap battle. Why can’t we be on the same page even on how to end this? Because each of them wants to leverage their strength to reach resolution. They both suggested confrontations in which they expect to be relatively better-equipped. As a brand, you need to be clear on what your strengths are and leverage them to differentiate your business from the pack. Are you more efficient in product development? Do you have cost-cutting mechanisms that competitors don’t? Do you have intellectual property? Whatever your strengths are, be clear on them and milk them dry.
4. Find your niche and own it
Sometimes there is room for everybody. While the industry and fans may be pitting these women against each other and fueling the fire more than it need burn, we do need to acknowledge that there is room in the world for 2 female rappers to simultaneously be great. They may have some similarities but they are also different people. Carve out your niche as a brand and avoid feeling threatened every time your competitor makes a move. Find your sweet spot, stay in it and deliver to your loyal customers. You don’t need to strive to be in first place for every single target segment.
5. Not everything requires a reaction
If one of these women had chosen not to respond to the baiting, (might we add Beyoncé would never!) perhaps they would both have preserved their dignity at the end of the day. As a brand, especially with the proliferation of social media and trolls flourishing, you cannot afford to be flammable by feeling the need to respond to every single attack or complaint. Pick your battles and make sure you win the ones you choose.
The tea was hot last night and while Cardi and Nicki managed to end on a positive note, brands may not always have the same luxury.
Stay ahead of the competition by implementing our suggestions above and share any others you have in mind with us.
Elizabeth is a marketing and business strategist with specific interest and expertise in the digital and media technology space. She has previously worked for award-winning agencies in Nigeria, New York, Atlanta and St. Louis.