Quick positioning lessons from popculture #1
Addison Rae from tiktok dancer to alt pop princess
She shot to fame 2019 and amassed 80M+ followers (real or no its still a lot), mostly from dancing to trending audios, became one of the highest paid creators on the platform.
She stopped taking some influencer deals and focused on what would a famous person do. (where want to be >> where you are)
Started to associate in an almost seemingly forced way with more traditional celebs like the Kardashians and Hailey Bieber.
Drops a single, flops.
Goes to the Met gala, flops.
Starts acting, flops.
People could not change their perception of her because she was only a "talentless tiktok star".
Years later in 2024, she has rebranded.
- Seen with friends from more alternative and fashion circles,
- Features on Charli XCX's album of the summer Brat, goes viral
- Goes to the VMAs in daring fashion, goes viral
- Leaks two of her singles on Tiktok probably on purpose (debated), goes viral
- Releases her single *Diet Pepsi *that shoots into global top 100
- Drops a new song+video working with niche inconic directors, stylists, choreographers, goes viral
She repositioned herself by strategically tapping into an edgier, more alternative, audience.
All parts of the rebrand: association, features, collaborations, style, apprearences are insanely calculated yet come off as authentic.
I do find it interesting how grabbing every aspect of herself and making it strategically aligned with the queer community is how she became a pop princess. We have seen this recipe work before many times (lady gaga, kylie minogue, even charli) so it makes sense it worked out lol.
Lessons:
- act based on where you want to be positioned not where you are
- associations mean a lot
- details that align with the target audience are crucial to feel authentic and get acceptance
- exposure to adjacent audiences in your target market give legitimacy
- there has been longer periods without output, silence intentionally is golden
Her case is one of the most impressive pieces in brand marketing in a while. Carefully planned and executed, she has selected her team professionally, everyone is aligned as they dance this delicate dance with culture.
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