Hannah Montana is a branding phenomenon. The success of the show, the character, the brand – is a marriage of two entertainment families: Cyrus and Disney.
Hannah Montana equals Miley Cyrus – who is now a phenom in her own right. Miley was born Destiny Hope but her dad, country western singer Billy Ray Cyrus nicknamed her Smiley – which was quickly shortened to Miley. Though her career has swiftly eclipsed his, you won’t find Billy Ray complaining. The pair have hit it big with no end in sight.
The 8-to-12-year-olds tween crowd have been drawn in by the Disney TV Series. Miley’s character lives a dual life. During the day she is Miley Stewart, middle schooler, going through all of the regular life stuff that kids experience. By night, she puts on a wig and becomes super pop star. Billy Ray plays her dad, a widower who gives up his country western gig in order to help his daughter launch her own career – clearly a case of art imitating life.
The HM phenomenon is branding at its finest. We’re talking websites, music CD’s, computer games, fan clubs, posters, magazine covers, clothing, and a TV series. Kids are clamoring to purchase the merchandise and their parents are willing to provide the cash. Disney has done a masterful job of marketing the brand. Parents have bought into the craze and that guarantees a massive revenue stream for Disney.
The latest venture has Team Cyrus taking their musical act on the road. The tour started on October 18 and has sparked a fire storm of its own. Show tickets sold out quickly all across America – some parents reportedly paying $3,000 on e-Bay. One of the first venues was the Minneapolis Target Center where Miley and Billy Ray received rave reviews from the multi-generational crowd.
The TV series premiered some 18 months ago, on March 24, 2006. The marketing genius of Disney has succeeded in shaping and molding the phenomenon into a mega brand. The late founder, Walt Disney would surely approve.