You Can’t Touch This

“You talk about the Hammer when you’re talking ‘bout a show 
That’s hyped and tight 
Singers are sweatin’ so pass them a wipe 
Or a tape to learn 
What it’s gonna take in the 90’s to burn 
The charts legit 
Either work hard or you might as well quit“

I was impressed with Hammer’s Talk. I didn’t realize how calculated he was in his marketing initiatives. Few insights that really stuck with me (and are illustrated in the You Can’t Touch This lyrics above):

• It’s all about creating buzz. Initially, word of mouth was his greatest form of marketing.  MC Hammer created momentum by forcing the clubs to play his songs and showing everyone how to dance to his music;
• “Put on the Hammer” He mentioned his name in every song;
• Establish the brand and then sow the seeds.  T.I. started by saying he is the king of the south, and now he is known as the king of the south.
• The earlier the better.  MC Hammer started talking about his product and brand before it was established, allowing him to get all the negative publicity out before it is detrimental.

Twitter is just the beginning for Hammer. Here’s a link to his blog page with links to his twitter, favorite videos, hammertime radio, and much more. http://mchammer.blogspot.com/

After Thoughts:  Iwould like to learn exactly how social media (especially Twitter) has helped him with his career.  Also, did he discuss his bankruptcy at all, and how bankruptcy impacted his personal brand?