Jay Z has long embodied a sort of unattainable cool that makes him one of Hip-Hop’s most compelling figures. But for some young consumers, many believe that the veteran MC and business mogul’s brand lacks authenticity according to a recent survey.
Business Insider released a report on Jay Z and his image and the results of the survey, citing that “millennials ” – people born between 1980 and 2000 roughly – simply don’t trust the Brooklyn rapper for a variety of business reasons.
From Business Insider:
According to research from celebrity branding expert Jeetendr Sehdev, Jay Z’s partnership with Samsung 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).
In fact, the 1,000 millennials surveyed said the rapper himself was among the people least influential to their purchase decisions among the 80 celebrities Sehdev asked about, a group that included a range of personalities spanning from Tom Brady to Hillary Clinton.
Sehdev was careful to state the Jay Z is still popular but that consumers question just how authentic he is in the deals and image he presents. As the piece states, millennials look for honesty and a focus on social aims when supporting celebrities. In fact, Jay Z scored 70 percent lower than Morgan Freeman and Jennifer Lawrence in the categories of trustworthiness and honesty.
Hov’s focus on making money by any means necessary and his relentless product placement of expensive and often unattainable items also put a few chinks in his brand armor.
“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.”
Jay Z certainly owns a great share of media attention, no doubt bolstered by his marriage to R&B superstar Beyonce. Time will tell if he’ll find a way to leverage the people’s trust in his direction again.
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Photo: Instagram
