I would love to be able to tell you about the time that I interviewed Kylie Minogue for this next blog in the A-Z of Marketing Experts … That would be a good story, wouldn’t it! I did see her perform live in Birmingham in September 2018 on her Golden Tour and was so impressed that I put her into the alphabet straight away, to write about when I reached K. There is a lot that service providers such as coaches, consultants and trainers can learn from her.

So why do I think that the diminutive pop princess is a Marketing Expert? Because Kylie really knows her audience. She knows who her fans are; she understands them and she gives them a service that they really love. Yes, in order to be a successful pop star – with a career spanning quite a few decades – you need to run your show like you would run a business.

Hang Out Where Your Clients Hang Out

Kylie’s Golden Tour was launched to promote her new album, of the same name. I heard her being interviewed on the radio one Saturday morning, when she was talking to the DJ about the album and the tour. She knows that her audience – being people of a certain age – are more likely to listen to Radio Two than Radio One. You see, I grew up watching Kylie as Charlene in Neighbours in the 1980s. I’ve followed her career ever since – not stalking her, but always keeping an eye out for her latest music or look. She survived breast cancer back in 2005 and her strength and determination have always impressed me. So when I heard about the tour, I went online that very morning and bought tickets for the event later that year.

At the show, the average age of the fans dancing on the floor of the arena was probably 40 years old. I saw hardly any teenagers. Of those I did see, it looked like their parents where having more fun! There was one lady standing close to us, with her son and his friends, who was probably in her early 70s! I wonder how many of them listen to Radio Two …

Understand Your Audience

Kylie has a reputation for being very popular in the LGBT community and she embraces this. (While writing this blog I read an interesting article about when she first realised, back in the 1980s, that she was developing a huge LGBT following.) She gives her fans – her clients – what they expect and what they want. She puts on an amazing show on the stage, with a troupe of dancers who acted out many of her songs. Many of the outfits I saw in the stadium were very similar to those we saw on stage. The yellow checked shirts where particularly popular! The new album has a ‘country’ feel to it and Kylie keeps her themes running through the show. She knows not to release a video of her in a checked shirt and then turn up on stage wearing something completely different for that track.

I don’t actually think that all her dancers were gay, but overheard someone near me say how ‘hot’ one of the dancers was. Does Kylie only hire gay dancers? I doubt it. Does she ask them to ‘camp it up’ a bit? Possibly, as she knows her audience. The guys dancing near me certainly appreciated the effort that Kylie and her dancers put into the show.

It’s not just about the sexuality of Kylie’s dancers that appeals to her audience. Her outfits were also amazing and very tastefully designed. My husband, in the audience with me, probably didn’t notice how much effort Kylie put into what she was wearing. The women and the gay men in the audience certainly did, from the comments I heard that evening. I suspect that of the entire audience, there were more women and gay men than straight men. Kylie knows the general make up of her audiences and caters to them, without letting anyone feel left out.

The track that absolutely everybody sang along to? The Neighbours anthem “Especially for You”. Scary how we all knew all the words from that ‘80s hit!

Do you know what your clients really want and expect from you and are you delivering it?

Stunning Stage Presence

Ms Minogue is only 5 foot tall. When you’re performing on a large stage, in front of an audience of around 15,000, you need big stage presence. Yes, she uses giant screens on either side of the stage, live streaming the performance, so that even those at the back can see her. And yes there are microphones and speakers everywhere, so that everyone can hear her. But even that technology won’t help someone who has no stage presence. What Kylie lacks in height she makes up in presence, spark and energy. I’ve been to some gigs where the singer hides behind a static microphone and doesn’t speak to the audience. Kylie used the entire stage – which was huge – and stopped at regular intervals to talk to the audience. She really engaged with the us, making everyone feel welcome, even though there were thousands of us there.

Give Your Clients the Golden Circle Treatment

When I booked our tickets, I could have paid extra for standing room within the ‘Golden Circle’. Maintaining the golden branding of the tour and the album, there was an area at the front of the arena, much closer to the stage than we were. If you’re a super fan, you’ll pay extra to get closer to your heroine. Down there you get the superstar treatment. It might cost more, but it’s a clever way to invite your biggest fans to get closer to you.

Are you giving your best clients golden service?

When putting together a show, does Kylie Minogue think about her fans as clients? Does she consider what they want and expect from her and then plan the best way to deliver the best service? I think she probably does and that’s what made the show last year so great. That’s why, after all these years, she’s still releasing music that sells and why she is still filling huge international venues. If you’re a coach, consultant or trainer, you might not be looking to take to the stage in front of thousands of singing fans, but you still need to understand your clients, where they hang out and what they want from you. Take note of how Kylie does this so well and see what effect it has on your business.

If you need any help developing a better understanding of your clients, ask me about my Attracting Ideal Clients process which I can share with you. Its lots of fun and very effective for promoting small service businesses. Call me on 01635 578 500 or click here to email me.