Is Jay Z's Brand Suffering Due to Lack of Authenticity?

While 2013 marked a successful year for Sean Carter in terms of business, some argue that it might have not been too beneficial for Jay Z as a brand according to Business Insider. While many applauded his business-savvy Magna Carta deal with Samsung that yielded $5 million in sales and a platinum album the moment it was released, a research from brand marketing expert Jeetendr Sehdev showed it was the second least popular celebrity marketing deal of 2013 among consumers aged 13-31 (Justin Bieber’s partnership with OPI was the most hated). The demographic cohort also revealed that Jay Z himself was voted one of the least influential to their purchase. Moreover, the study, that encompasses 1,000 people in the age bracket, shows that Jay Z scored 70% lower in the categories of trustworthiness and honesty than did celebrities like Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lawrence. His constant references Sehdev said that on Magna Carta… Holy Grail alone, Jay Z referenced eight different luxury brands more than 20 times.

“Millennials questions his approach to loyalty, whether it be to a business deal or his fans,” Sehdev said. “His motivations to just make money can be viewed by this audience as self-centered, even if they may be business savvy. We rarely see this true side of him,” Sehdev said. “I believe Jay Z is going to need more exposure of his true self, meaningful partnerships, and true philanthropic efforts to get back into the good books of Millennials.”

While his status as one of the greatest rappers of all time remains out of question, the article does raise some interesting points. Feel free to share your thoughts on this in the comment section below.