Are Kanye West’s Tweets damaging his career or just a vehicle to promote his next album?

Kanye West
Kanye West

Recently hip-hop artist and fashion designer Kanye West re-emerged on Twitter.  The outspoken rapper has remained quiet on social media for almost one year until now.  Many have known West to have temper tantrums, be outspoken and stir headlines.  His latest press have alienated his public perception more than ever after praising US President Donald Trump in his tweets.  While many predict he is on the verge of a major breakdown, here are three reasons why I think Kanye is in promotion mode.

He is an artist

Mr. West’s body of work cannot be overlooked. He is a 21-time Grammy award winner and has provided countless hit songs and albums as a producer and an artist himself.  His artistry branched off into the world of fashion with his Yeezy line, including his partnership with adidas, who helped the three stripes brand over take Jordan Brand as the number 2 shoe company in the United States.  As an artist, he expresses his thoughts in music and his visuals through his clothing. With Twitter, he’s using the platform to create a dialogue and engaging others whether his opinion is popular or not.

He is creating a buzz for his new album

Kanye was not happy with the album sales of his 2016 effort, The Life of Pablo.  A lot of it stems from the album being only exclusive to TIDAL.  He has since had a falling out with the JAY-Z owned streaming service, which many claimed hurt his bottom line sales in term of availability to the rest of the Spotify’s and Apple’s of the music industry.  So what better way for people to get Kanye talking about him and his music through Twitter?  While his thoughts are free speech, what he’s really doing is to help build a promotional vehicle for his upcoming album Love Everyone, which is scheduled for a June 1st release.


Not even John Legend can stop Kanye.

He likes to feed his own ego

Nobody loves Kanye West more than himself.  He is a confident personality and is looking for approval.  What we know about ‘Ye is that he is a creator, a producer and designer by trade.  He believes in his own ideas so much, that he’s willing to defend them no matter how controversial they may be.  Even his own close friends disapprove of his alliance with Donald Trump, but he wants people to express their opinion just like he has.  It’s ok to agree to disagree with Kanye West. He has built a career on sheer talent.  And while his artistry cannot be questioned, he accepts that his own antics are always met with bi-polar results.

End Point

People tend to jump to conclusions and question why people do what they do.  What are they motivated by?  What causes them to react and behave the way they do?  Kanye West is no different.  Even if he never released any more music, he’ll be considered as one of the greatest music artists of all time.  Despite his current climate of controversy, Kanye is going to  be Kanye.  You can consume all the hype that makes him who he is…you can continue to buy into all the crazy stuff that he tweets.  Or you can see the bigger picture.  He’s here to create anticipation for his next album.  He is releasing product in his own way and is ok to trip and fall regardless of public perception.  A free thinker will take chances despite what others say because its their path and its their story to tell. This is the life of Kanye.

Kanye West  / Charlamagne Tha God interview (05-01-18)

Live Streaming has arrived and it’s only going to get Bigger

Live Streaming
Image courtesy of Ur Loved

Live Streaming is just getting started.

An emerging trend in digital media that caught waves this past year is Live Streaming.  We have seen companies like Periscope, Meerkat and Facebook Live tap into this growing phenomenon.  While this medium is still in its infancy, I believe it will be a larger player in 2017 as a popular story telling platform to watch out for.  In our current society, we want things done in real time…where we can absorb and digest visuals with minimal thinking. Live Streaming serves this purpose for the business user and personal end.

Live Streaming is a great businesses tool for a variety of reasons.  It allows consumers to see some of their favourite brands from a behind the scenes point of view.  Whether they are on location at a trade show for a product launch, companies give viewers unprecedented access, making you feel like you are part of the brand.  Using live video keeps users hooked into the product and up to date with all the latest happenings.

Live Streaming covers everything.

From a personal standpoint, we have seen just how popular Live Streaming can get.  The 2016 U.S. Presidential debate was the first of its kind to include this technology.  This past fall, Facebook Live alone garnered unprecedented 55 Million views in the war of words between Donald Trump and Hillary Clinton. Live video just isn’t about celebrating birthday parties or showing your babies’ first walking steps with your followers.  All realities of life are broadcasted. This was highlighted by Diamond Reynolds’ horrific post visual of her boyfriend Philandro Castile being shot four times by a police officer, raising the problems of racial tensions in America.

Overall, I believe we will see an increased amount of Live Streaming in 2017.  More companies will emerge through this platform and take advantages of the benefits it can offer.  It is a growing medium for companies to generate product awareness, potential video ad revenue and reach new audiences.

How to keep up with all these trends?

In terms of how I will stay relevant with constant changes in the digital sphere, I intend to stay glued to my smartphone.  Mobile has taken over desktop, and it is truly the central hub on how we connect with everyone.  Whether it’s checking the weather at breakfast, Shazaming that song on the radio, or simply connecting on multiple social media platforms, all the latest apps simplify my time when I’m on the go.  Believe it or not, I will also rely on the Facebook Trending Topics section of their site. Since I’m on there all the time, I am also getting information on what’s going on with the rest of the world.

I will also continue to stay engaged with influential blogger and established websites, who continue to keep me up to date with the latest developments in technology.  Content marketing still interests me, and reading up on the latest happenings is a major key.   In terms of Live Streaming, I definitely see the value in it and will push to become more comfortable in using this platform.  While we can take 12 pictures of ourselves and select the best one to publish, live video is one continuous shot, so all angles of you are off limits!  With that being said, check out my infograph below that I created with Canva on how to stay on top of emerging digital trends.

Best Practices on Staying Relevant with Digital Trends

Resources

DeMers, Jayson. “7 Online Marketing Trends That Will Dominate 2017.” Forbes. Forbes Magazine, 14 Nov. 2016. Web. 29 Nov. 2016. <http://www.forbes.com/sites/jaysondemers/2016/11/14/7-online-marketing-trends-that-will-dominate-2017/#5a3bf928dec8>.

Gaenzle, Anthony. “Staying on Top of Digital Trends to Stay Relevant to Students – Content Science Review.” Content Science Review. Content Science Review, 08 Nov. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://review.content-science.com/2016/11/staying-on-top-of-digital-trends-to-stay-relevant-to-students/#>.

Harris, Jodi. “23 Things to Consider When Creating Video Content.” Content Marketing Institute. UBM, 11 Apr. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://contentmarketinginstitute.com/2016/04/video-content-examples/>.

Hobson, Joshua. “How to Keep Up with Trends in Digital.” Statement. Cognitiv, 5 Feb. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <https://www.statementagency.com/blog/2016/02/how-to-keep-up-with-trends-in-digital>.

“Trend Report: The Rise of Live Video Streaming.” Feedly. Feedly, 30 Apr. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <https://blog.feedly.com/trend-report-the-rise-of-live-video-streaming/>.

Wilbert, Max. “Top 7 Live Video Streaming Trends for 2016 – DaCast.” DaCast. DaCast, 15 Sept. 2016. Web. 28 Nov. 2016. <http://www.dacast.com/blog/7-live-video-streaming-trends-2016/>.