Why Akon beats recession

The last I wrote about Akon was when I tried to point out that brands that break consumer trust find it difficult, post break-up, to communicate to them. Akon sang about doin' time that never really did. Despite what Smoking Gun called a fabricated story, Akon's music is one among a handful that did well last year. Amidst the recession.

The reasons are interesting.

One, like I mentioned before, Akon sings pretty well. His songs make great listening. His fabricated lifestyle doesn't seem to have stopped listeners from taking to his music. Surely if you did know that Akon's not really a gangsta, maybe the song loses its sheen, but its still great listening. Two, Akon's a smart businessman. He's taken his music beyond its artistic confines to turning it into a business. He had a business plan for his music brand and he's stuck to it with great success.

Goes to prove two things. Despite bad publicity if a brand can deliver on its core value, that's great songs for the Akon brand, consumers will keep at it. Not drift away. Two, beyond what's visible and heard, the brand mustn't forget the fact that its ultimately a business. It isn't just about music. Its about knowing how to sell it. Sell it successfully. Akon's done that extremely well where other talents have fizzled out. Got to hand it to him for that. Kudos.