The NFL’s halftime shows are among the most-watched live events globally, and Beyoncé’s recent halftime performance during the NFL Christmas Gameday Live was a case study in strategic marketing and brand exposure. The Houston native is no stranger to big performances at sporting events and attracting viewers and viral moments. Her 2013 Super Bowl halftime show attracted over 110 million viewers, and 115.5 million people viewed her 2016 appearance with Coldplay and Bruno Mars. But Beyoncé’s visibility goes beyond just being a great performer. Throughout her three-decade career, she has created cultural moments that have made her shows masterclasses in marketing creativity, and this specific halftime show was a marketing case study. Here’s why.
The NFL Halftime Show Brought Added Exposure and Visibility To Her Brand
Hybrid fans of music and sports tune in to watch the game and anticipate the halftime shows. Every successful brand thrives on being seen and heard. Some of the most powerful brands have an omnipresence that cuts through sectors and industries to reach their target audience. Beyoncé’s halftime performance, where she performed songs from her album Cowboy Carter, crossed parallels to reach fans of sports, live TV and country music. Her collaboration with Post Malone, also a crossover artist, bridged hip-hop, pop and country influences to widen her appeal to an audience that might not typically engage with her music. This branding coup allowed her to stay relevant and reach a potentially new fan base. This is a similar branding strategy that businesses use when breaking into new markets.
The Show’s Strategic Timing Could Potentially Be Rewarding.
Beyoncé has a history of strategically tapping into major performances to launch new projects. In 2016, she released the single “Formation” a day before her Super Bowl performance, and by doing so, created a powerful cultural moment that is still discussed to this day. This rollout increased sales and streaming numbers while generating significant media curiosity. All of these combined contributed to her sixth studio album’s success. In 2016, Lemonade became the best-selling album of that year, with 2.5 million copies sold worldwide and over 1.5 million sold in the U.S. Although official metrics about the recent show are not out yet, if history repeats itself, this could further boost the “Texas Hold ‘Em” singer’s streaming appeal.
The Show Reinforced Cultural Impact and Brand Alignment
Beyoncé’s live shows are often carefully planned to convey meaningful cultural messages that contribute to broader conversation. Her 2016 Super Bowl performance was her opportunity to speak out about social justice and align her brand with themes of civic duty, empowerment and social justice while paying tribute to Black pride and addressing issues of police brutality. In the present day, Beyoncé has taken the NFL stage yet again to reintroduce herself and, by extension, her brand as a versatile artist who can cross-reference genres even when adding country music to her sonic repertoire. Performances like the NFL Christmas Day halftime show deepen audience connection and reinforce her brand’s adaptability and versatility.
The Performance Leveraged Social Media Attention To Engage Fans
Beyoncé’s performances, like other viral videos on the internet, are created to be shareable and discussion-worthy in a way that encourages engagement on social media. During her Christmas Day performance, fans immediately began to share mini-clips from the performance, with some providing feedback about the seamless choreography and attention to detail and coordination. By relying on massive viewership, timely releases, cultural messaging and social media engagement, Beyoncé’s artistic projects have become marketing goldmines and a reinforcement of her status as an icon with ironclad brand power.