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But how much relevance does Madonna still have in the age of
Lady Gaga? Diageo thinks she is timeless. "She stands for
originality," said Michelle Klein, Smirnoff's VP for global content
and communications. "She's always creating cultural movements,
whether it's in dance or music or fashion. She is a trend
setter."
In one respect, Madonna is still at the top of her game,
recognized by 98% of U.S. consumers -- which is 20% more than Katy
Perry -- putting her on par with Tom Cruise, Denzel Washington and
Bill Gates, according to the Marketing Arm's Davie Brown Index
(DBI), an independently conducted survey that marketers use to
determine a celebrity's ability to influence consumer brand
affinities and affect purchasing decisions. Madonna's influence
score, while decent, is a bit more pedestrian, ranking No. 478,
which puts her in the same neighborhood as Jada Pinkett-Smith and
Bette Midler, according to the index.
The Nightlife Exchange Project asks fans to submit ideas on one
of Smirnoff's 50 localized Facebook pages about what makes their
home city's nightlife unique. Smirnoff will then use the
suggestions for an event Nov. 12 in which cities swap party ideas.
Last year, for instance, British food and music was featured in
Miami, while Smirnoff brought South Beach to London, recreating a
beach at an indoor venue.
This year Smirnoff will hold events in 50 countries, up from 14
last year. Madonna will go to one event -- Diageo is not yet
disclosing the location -- to pick her new dancer in person among
10 finalist chosen from online video submissions. Agencies working
on the campaign include Smirnoff's global creative agency of
record, JWT, New York, as
well as the brand's new lead global digital agency, Profero.
Smirnoff is the world's top selling vodka and dominates in the
U.S., commanding nearly 21% of the market with $231.8 million in
sales, ahead of No. 2 ranked Absolut, which has 9% share as of the
year ending June 12, according to SymphonyIRI, which does not
include liquor stores, bars or Walmart.