Luciano Pavarotti was the ultimate brand manager and
executer. He turned around a dying category (opera) despite warnings of its
inevitable demise. Not only did Pavarotti make opera popular with opera lovers,
he expanded the category of opera to an entire new universe – pop music lovers.
Classic critics dismissed him as not serious enough, about
music nor keeping his weight down. It was true – Pavarotti grew larger than
life and larger in life at the same time.
How did Pavarotti do it?
He stayed true to his voice. When he started singing in
1961, advisors told him to hurry up because opera would be dead within ten
years. Critics had no idea what was about to hit them… a Pavarotti tsunami.
Steve Jobs once famously said, “It’s really hard to design
products by focus groups. A lot of times, people don’t know what they want
until you show it to them.”
Pavarotti showed newbie opera fans and music critics alike the
colors of opera. According to a New York Times obit after his death in 2007,
Pavarotti was able to showcase his powerful voice in “elegant, brilliant
colors.” His pristine sound was the voice for a new generation of pop-opera
fans.
Of course, whenever you do something new, you are going to
upset the establishment. And Pavarotti did. Critics were savage about his dedication,
his ability to read music and his weight. He shrugged off critics who contended
that he was not serious enough with charm and a smile. As Master P says, “Shake
off them haters.”
Pavarotti was an unparalleled social media strategist – he did
not sing at audiences. He engaged audiences. He did not just have
fans. Through his talent and the warmth of his personality, he developed brand
fanatics who loved him and defended him so he didn’t have to defend himself.
Do you have Pavarotti’s voice or talent? No. You have your
own. So does your brand. Use it. If your brand is not authentic, you will know.
If you know, your audience will know.
There will be a lotta drama in your brand opera. Stay true
to your voice.
As Pavarotti said, “You couldn’t confuse my voice with
another voice.”
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