THE JAY-Z BRAND AND EMPIRE

Jay-Z is unlike any entrepreneur the world has ever seen. He left violence and drugs in his past and put him in position for a future with minimal limitations. Jay-Z built an empire from a wide range of information technologies including: his personality to reach out to those in need, his innovative nature to use social media and search engine sites to expand his networks, and lastly, his unwavering desire to influence entertainment through music, literature, culture, and sports. Jay-Z’s success is mainly attributable to what is described as “lifestyle marketing.” This term is mentioned in the course reader as well as in the trade journal, written by Ronald Richman, titled, “Lifestyle marketing; reaching the new American consumer.” Lifestyle marketing is defined as a technique used by companies to tap into a person’s lifestyle and interests through customizing their marketing strategies to meet the everyday activities of the potential customer (Richman, 2003). Jay-Z has been an entrepreneur that has found extreme success in anticipating what people want, before they even know they want it. Jay-Z demonstrated lifestyle marketing methods through implementing his products in combined efforts with search engines and social media sites, which has brought him extreme wealth.

Steve Forbes describes Jay-Z as a legendary entrepreneur such as Steve Jobs, Warren Buffet, and Bill Gates, as he encompasses the passion and ability to imagine what doesn’t exist, and then the pure self-discipline to make it happen. Forbes later compares him to Thomas Edison as his work requires “one percent inspiration, 99 percent perspiration” and the desire to control his own destiny. From street corner to corner office, Empire State of Mind tells it all.