A brand endorsed by almost every consumer outlet (from Lipsy
to Quick Trim) is the bodacious Kim Kardashian.
Since 2007, Kim Kardashian has been the self-styled queen of the social media revolution, utilising social media outlets to #breaktheinternet. Her publicity, personal contacts and brute power make her the ideal selling platform.
The Kim Kardashian image, is of particular interest to me as I am a young, female, image-conscious twenty something, Kim’s main target consumer. The Kim Kardashian is a relevant contemporary brand as it is a phenomena created and exemplified by the mass media and its consumers alike - E! give her untold amounts of publicity and her fans buy into her existence.
Since 2007, Kim Kardashian has been the self-styled queen of the social media revolution, utilising social media outlets to #breaktheinternet. Her publicity, personal contacts and brute power make her the ideal selling platform.
The Kim Kardashian image, is of particular interest to me as I am a young, female, image-conscious twenty something, Kim’s main target consumer. The Kim Kardashian is a relevant contemporary brand as it is a phenomena created and exemplified by the mass media and its consumers alike - E! give her untold amounts of publicity and her fans buy into her existence.
The cultural cues that Kim Kardashian taps into are that of 'nouveau femininity' as represented by a voluptuous female shape with an
ambiguously tanned skin colour - exotic yet still American.
Glamorous enough to entice the opposite sex yet authoritative enough to assert her independence (e.g. I’m in control of my own sex tape!). There is also the cultural cue of backlash and rebellion associated with Kim Kardashian’s body, as the trend for large breasts and buttocks came shortly after the size zero phenomena. The Kim Kardashian body is rounder and less angular, paradoxically connoting that it doesn’t let the media tell it what to do.
Glamorous enough to entice the opposite sex yet authoritative enough to assert her independence (e.g. I’m in control of my own sex tape!). There is also the cultural cue of backlash and rebellion associated with Kim Kardashian’s body, as the trend for large breasts and buttocks came shortly after the size zero phenomena. The Kim Kardashian body is rounder and less angular, paradoxically connoting that it doesn’t let the media tell it what to do.
I feel that it would be fair to say that Kim Kardashian brand is a
super brand, it is a brand endorsed by other brands, a marketing tool in itself
to say the least. Kim Kardashian has endorsed at least 23 image and lifestyle
related brands, including (but not limited to) DASH, the Kardashian’s clothing
store; Tria At Home Laser Hair removal kit; Skechers Shape-ups; an OPI nail
polish range amongst others.
I predict that her career as a freelance promoter is the start of a future evolution of the celebrity super brand, her consistent self-promotion and her ability to be a relatable caricature of the all-American woman (superficially spanning across all ethnicities given her half-Armenian heritage) means that she is the perfect super brand for all other brands to invest into.
I predict that her career as a freelance promoter is the start of a future evolution of the celebrity super brand, her consistent self-promotion and her ability to be a relatable caricature of the all-American woman (superficially spanning across all ethnicities given her half-Armenian heritage) means that she is the perfect super brand for all other brands to invest into.
Ultimately it seems that the more brands that utilise Kim
Kardashian's power, the less importance is given to her celebrity non-status. She’s
exceeded the expectations of the B-list, and has worked her way up the ranks
(via marriage) into the A-list. This in itself suggests that celebdom is fluid and dependent
on an intrinsic mix of the consumers that buy into you and the brands that you
endorse.
Just remember this Kimmy K, you are what we make you...
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