I suppose that I get what I deserve for watching the MTV Video Music Awards, but I have to say that Britney Spears's so-called comeback performance significantly under-delivered against my already crazy-low expectations. Bearing in mind that both Top 40 radio and the blogosphere were jittery with anticipation -- not to mention the fact that she is literally trying to resurrect her singing career -- you might have thought that she would have pulled out all the stops.
Instead, we got really bad lip-synching and even worse dancing. And if you missed it but don't want to take the word of a cynical marketing wonk like me, check out what the MySpace and Live Journal crowds have to say. Harsh!
Now, just as I unsurprised as I was that Britney's performance was (ahem) not good, you should be unsurprised that as I watched the show I was thinking about what lessons it holds for marketers. And actually, this one is pretty simple -- although it certainly warrants the telling.
Even if people already have low expectations, it is still possible to disappoint them and one surefire way to do just that is to simply go through the motions. Consumers can spot a fake from miles away and if you're faking it (whatever it may be for your particular product or service) people will not only notice but also call you out and let others know just how bad you really are.
Interested in other interesting marketing lessons inspired by musicians? Did you catch my Frank Zappa School of Marketing post? Check it out.
