What Kim Kardashian's Next Brand Extension Could Teach Marketers

Kim Kardashian (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Famous for being famous, Kim Kardashian commands the rapt attention of millions of fans who, literally, follow her every move. Already, she has extended her fame to a clothing line, fragrances, and diet supplements, making her a poster child for teaching marketers a new understanding of branding in an age of ubiquitous social engagement.

What could come next ? Based on what has fueled her success so far, here are a couple thought-experiments to explore the value of her example:

Start an airline - We all know Kim spends much of her time jetting from one public appearance to the next, so that makes her an expert on aviation. She could oversee every aspect of an airline's operation, from the fashion of plane interiors and staff uniforms, to technical maintenance specs. Surely her followers would follow her on-board.

Give legal kounsel - Between her father's O.J. pedigree and other legal shenanigans she and her sisters have prompted or suffered, consumers know of no better name when it comes to the law. She could get a quickie degree (online, of course) and sell legal advice with the caveat that it's not binding or, er, legal advice. But her fans wouldn't care, right?

Offer health insurance - Kim's fame is a religion for her followers, and those X-rays of her famous derriere and recent crash diet evidence her interest in medical issues, so why not offer branded health insurance? She could decide what services were covered, thanks to the Supreme Court's recent ruling, and her fans would put their trust in her choices.

Sell diva how-to - Some critics believe Kim's popularity arises from the psychological qualities she shares with her fans, such as narcissism and materialism. If they're right, she's perfectly positioned to develop a line of self-help products to encourage those proclivities. Why just watch a diva when you could be one, too?

Make music - Kim's 2011 'Jam (Turn It Up)' should have moved a large portion of her 24 million+ Twitter followers to dutifully buy it. Sales only numbered in the low thousands, though, as nearly two-thirds of the reviews on iTunes said it probably wasn't worth the $.99 investment.

And that's the rub.

The Kardashian value proposition works with products that require no expertise, meet no objectively measurable need, and require no follow-up or accountability. Her clothing, fragrances, diet mixes, and various media appearances can't be judged 'bad' when there's no standard in any of those endeavors for 'good.'

But her singing on a song was an extension too far - since there was no denying how it sounded - and it revealed that no matter how financially lucrative her actions might be, followers aren't the same thing as customers, just as personalities aren't synonymous with businesses. Her success is the product of celebrity, not brand.

That's why there'll never be a Kardashian-branded airline, or any other extension that confuses effortless social engagement with the hard work of responsible relationships. She knows what she's qualified to do, mostly, and she'll likely stick to giving her fans what they expect and value.

That's actually an important lesson for marketers to learn from her. It's also probably the only one.