She's got the juice: How Lizzo’s brilliant branding has helped her achieve stardom

A couple of months ago, the name ‘Lizzo’ wouldn’t have rung a bell for many. Now, you can’t listen to the radio without hearing at least one of her catchy, bass-driven songs.

But what sets Lizzo apart from other artists? How has she been able to rise to stardom almost overnight?

It’s not just her sassy lyrics, vivacious dance moves, or wild flute solos. By coming across as honest and consistent in all of her music, branding, and messaging, Lizzo is able to inspire her listeners in a way few other artists have ever been able to accomplish.

Rise to Fame

Even though many of the singers’ songs have been used in popular movies over the last 5 years, the artist remained low profile up until the start of 2019. Lizzo’s most popular song, “Truth Hurts” dropped in September of 2017. Two years later, in September 2019, the song hit number one on Billboard’s top 100.

Lizzo’s been dominating the music scene for the past couple of months. With flashy performances at the MTV Video Music Awards and the BET Awards, she’s assembled a fan base of millions all over the world. Lizzo’s rise to stardom has been unhurried, genuine, and absolutely brilliant. A variety of different marketing and branding efforts have helped launch Lizzo’s music onto the charts.

Building her Brand

She quickly became a viral sensation when users on the new video sharing app, Tik Tok, got a hold of her songs “Boys” and “Truth Hurts”. Snippets of both songs were shared millions of times, which helped Lizzo gather the attention of younger audiences. She even made reaction videos responding to fans who participated in the viral challenge. By interacting with her fanbase on social media, Lizzo has been able to maintain her humility and establish genuine, authentic relationships. The song was then featured in the trailer for Netflix romantic-comedy Someone Great, which went viral on Twitter and propelled Lizzo to where she is today.

Unique Marketing Campaigns

Her marketing team recently partnered with Spotify to release a “DNA Test”, based after the lyrics of her hit song “Truth Hurts”. After filling out your name and email, users take a quiz to determine what percent “that b***h” they are. When opting-in to take the quiz, Spotify accounts will automatically follow Lizzo’s artist page and two playlists handmade by the queen herself. By tying together her lyrics and brand messaging, Lizzo’s team has created a shareable, customized social campaign that thousands of fans have now participated in.

Users are then subscribed to her email newsletter, “Lizzo’s List”, where they receive breaking news about upcoming tour dates, music, and more.

By using digital strategies across a variety of platforms, Lizzo has acquired a massive fan base, spanning from Gen X’ers to Gen Z’ers. No matter what gender, race, size, or shape you are, Lizzo makes sure to make listeners feel confident and she’s been able to establish a dedicated fandom by empowering those around her.

When asked about how she navigates stardom in a Rolling Stone interview, Lizzo emphasizes the importance of being honest. “When I have to make decisions, I always choose honesty and I always stay true to myself, because I know at the end of the day that is what’s going to remain,” she says.

Maybe the truth doesn’t hurt after all.

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