What Beyonce’s Homecoming Documentary Can Teach Us About Market Research
By now, most of the world has danced along with Beyonce’s “Homecoming” documentary. Debuting midnight, Wednesday, April 17th the singer released a documentary on Netflix chronicling the preparation and performance of her historic appearance at the Coachella Music Festival last spring. As the first Black female headliner of the festival, Beyonce’s performance paid homage to historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) - the drumline, the costumes and dancing all were reminiscent of the Black college experience, a unique experience to many in the Coachella crowd.
Although the music festival attracts crowds from all walks of life, the assumed audience are White millennials and gen-zers, consumed with their world of entitlement and privilege. What some pop cultural critics have coined as the Blackest performance Coachella has seen, Beyonce’s show surprised many of her fans and critics alike. Why wouldn’t she perform a “safe” performance, acceptable for all audiences regardless of race and preferred music genre? Why wouldn’t she play by the rules? The answer is Beyonce used her brand to connect with audiences in a truly innovative way. Here are a few things brands, businesses and researchers can take away from Beyonce’s groundbreaking Coachella performance and the “Homecoming” documentary:
· Preparation is Essential for Success – In the film “Homecoming,” fans are given access to Beyonce’s tireless preparation for her Coachella performance. She and her team prepared for nearly 9 months composing the music, choreographing the dances and designing the costumes. This meticulous care illustrates not only illustrates Beyonce’s dedication to her craft, but it also highlights how a product or experience requires careful planning to be effective. When launching or developing a new product, thoughtful planning and understanding how your product will be received from all perspectives is vital. For Beyonce it was ensuring the lighting, sound and costumes were aesthetically aligned with her vision. For brands and organizations, it means ensuring your campaign’s messaging is aligned with your company’s vision, and also considerate of diverse audiences. Failure to do so could result in an unintentional neglection of ensuring inclusive language, messaging and imagery. A rushed product lacking efficient preparation and market research could prove to be detrimental to one’s brand.
· Sometimes it’s okay to take a chance – Beyonce’s commentary throughout the film discusses the significance of the platform she had as the first Black female headliner of the Coachella festival. Instead of assimilating to the flower headband, hippie culture of the festival, Beyonce highlighted an element of her culture that shaped her career as a performer. She understood that a performance of this magnitude had the potential to expose audiences to an aspect of Black culture, rarely seen on the mainstage. Although you may have a specific target audience in mind, don’t be afraid to expose them to an experience or product that is equally enlightening and engaging, yet different from their norm. Having a solid understanding of diverse audiences allows your brand to highlight aspects from various perspectives, thus giving you a greater chance of impacted a wider audience.
· Providing a Safe Space for Marginalized Voices – Black culture has been a commodity for many with a limited amount of Black people profiting from its mass consumption. Very rarely are Blacks given the creative freedom to orchestrate such a grand display of Blackness as seen in Beyonce’s Coachella performance. She not only gave her dancers, musicians and creative team a space to display their various experiences of Blackness, but audience members also felt as if their positionality within mainstream culture was valid and relevant. Viewers familiar with HBCU culture connected with her performance and ultimately displayed a sense of pride they often aren’t afforded. As a culturally sensitive and inclusive brand, when you illustrate an understanding of diverse cultures and incorporate that understanding in your engagement, marginalized audiences will have a greater appreciation for your product or initiative.
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