Publicity – isn’t it what every business craves?  Let’s face it, without publicity it’s difficult for any business to make it.  But, does publicity come at a price?

Public spectacle or human story, there is little doubt Michael Jackson’s very public memorial yesterday was ‘the greatest show on earth.’   Fans of the iconic pop star wouldn’t have missed his ‘send-off’ for anything.  Following his untimely death, whipped-up media frenzy over his funeral was inevitable…

With over a billion television viewers and countless watching the live internet stream, Michael Jackson continued to smash records even in death.  It was a global broadcast, as indeed Jackson’s life was.  He literally lived and died in the spotlight.  And, like Marilyn Monroe, Elvis and Princess Diana, whose lives were also tragically cut short, Michael Jackson’s legacy will live on. The insatiable media circus will make sure of that.

As a business, the ‘Jackson’ name will continue to inspire a generation of music lovers.  Of course, the tragic irony of Michael Jackson’s death is that sales of his music will undoubtedly shoot through the roof, as fans clamber to get their hands on Jackson memorabilia.  And, in what will be a bitter twist of fate, Jackson’s debts are certain to be paid off.  More poignantly, his family have to pay the ultimate price…

Business comes first

Just how did this poor, working-class family elevate itself to mass stardom?  And what can businesses learn from their success?  It’s common knowledge the Jackson children followed a punishing work regime.  Their parents’ drive and ambition resulted in The Jacksons becoming child Motown stars. Of course, the children were talented.  But, with a constant media machine behind them, they couldn’t fail.

Throughout Michael Jackson’s 40 year career, the commitment to ‘be the best he could be’ and reinvent himself – literally – ensured he was never far from the public eye.

Be online or be left behind

As The Jackson phenomena shows, you have to work hard to achieve success.  And, you need to use the publicity tools at your disposal to get noticed.  Now more than ever before, businesses have an extraordinary chance to court free publicity, via the internet.

With a social networking explosion through sites such as Twitter, Facebook and LinkedIn, businesses simply cannot afford to ignore these online social platforms.  Blogging is another business boom which SMEs should embrace.  Put simply, online networking has the potential to drive new leads to your business. Time invested in this now will pay off in the future.

Whether you like it or not, we live in the information age… Giving information away, sharing ideas and connecting with people is THE way forward.  Think what steps you can take today to help get your name on the business map.  And, start marketing…

For Jackson, he seemed to lose touch with reality, seemingly trapped by his own success. Staying in touch with trends is one of the most important challenges facing any business.  So, to ensure your business survives, you need to communicate with your audience, adapt your business to the market-place and maintain an online presence.  I can’t promise world domination …  but I can guarantee you will be more successful.  As Jackson sang, ‘You wanna be startin’ something.’