P&G Gets Into the Record Label Business
Hip Hop Mogul Jermaine Dupri Partners With Tag Deodorant

Posted by Mike Tunnicliffe in Ad Age Songs For Soap on 04.11.08 @ 01:52 PM


Dupris and P&G: Smell of Success

In an interesting twist on brand-music partnerships, Jermaine Dupri has partnered with the Procter & Gamble-owned Tag Body Spray to form TAG records, which is part of the Tag brand's initiative to cultivate relationships with the urban community through the development of programs that provide opportunities for aspiring hip-hop talent.

Dupri will serve as president of the new company, which will distribute through Island Def Jam Records. Dupri said in an interview on MTV.com that, in the face of declining sales and technological advancements, this deal will provide him and the label with promotional support that's unprecedented in today's market.

Artists that are signed up will get the full support of marketing campaigns built around the TAG brand including television, print, radio, digital and event marketing.

This is not the first time that a brand has ventured in to the record label space. Starbucks is probably the best known example, but there are other brands out there that have announced some interesting deals including Levis, who set up Levity records in Australia and Bacardi, which signed an exclusive deal with British dance Act Groove Armada.

This is certainly an area that SFS feels is set to grow and could be a great a way for artists to have more freedom and control over their product and for brands to have the ability to invest in content and get a return over and above the promotional benefits of being associated with an artist. Just imagine the potential returns if a brand got involved on the ground floor with a financial interest in the next Alicia Keys, Beyonce or Jay-Z.