Cardi's Theory: Lessons in Creating an Impactful Brand According to Cardi B

Cardi’s been on a run for the past few years with no signs of slowing up.

Primarily fueled by song features, her most recent one is Point Me 2 — a remix to the the song “Point Me” by budding Chicago artist Fendi Da Rapper .

Although the trend of hopping on a budding artists song isn’t new (Drake & Jay-Z do it too), Charlamagne Tha God made a good point that inspired me to write this piece.

When Drake & Jay hopped on records it either did one of two things:

1. It made them & the artist hot

2. It the song hot

It’s usually either, or. But what makes Cardi different is she does both.

The roadblock that artists on the come up face with the two artists above is that after doing the record, they may opt not to do the video, which means that the song's popularity has a definite ceiling.

Conversely, Cardi appears in the video, supports the record on social media, and embraces the artists she works with. As a result, she sees an increase in search volume, share of voice, relevance, and all of the other buzzy marketing terms long-term.

But why does this matter to brands?

Well, these lessons below from Cardi all culminate to create impact for a brand.

Let’s get into it.

I. Embracing the Newcomers Keeps You Culturally Relevant

Cardi’s hopped a few remixes in the past year or so. She hopped on records for Latto’s, Fendi Da Rappa, and Glorilla — all of which are considered early in their careers.

For Glorilla specifically, a co-sign of Cardi’s magnitude helped affirm her stardom in Hip-hop, and it turned a hit record into a certified chart topper.

Peep the vibes below:

For Cardi, “Tomorrow 2” served as a reminder to fans of just how good her pen is, and it undoubtedly helped her tap into the southeast region in a new way.

Take a look at the graphic below for reference:

With the exception of a February spike in search volume (related to the season 4 premier of “You”), the other huge spikes in search volume for Cardi’s name are in large part because of “Tomorrow 2” w/ Glorilla, and “Put It On Da Floor 2” w/ Latto.

The Takeaway for brands

Look at who the newcomers who are either in or around your category, and figure out how you can embrace them.

Most people look at upcoming competition with a side-eye. However, if you take a different POV and see how you can work together (especially when they’re still trying to figure out the category), they could become your greatest advocate or the key to renewed relevance for your brand.

II.Show Off Your Curation Skills

With the most recent remix, Cardi hopped on she appeared in the song and video for budding Chicago Rapper Fendi.

Building on the first point about relevance, working with Fendi also shows that she knows how to curate (that is, it shows her A&R skills).

Traditionally, major artists wait to hop on the record of a budding indie rapper until it reaches a certain point — the label chatter, viral moments, etc.

But in Cardi’s case, she’s following a new path by reaching out to the artist before they hit mass critical and telling the world "she’s up next.”

As a result, Cardi reaps the benefit of being known for “having an ear” & Fendi Da Rappa gets a boost to the next level.

Everybody wins.

The Takeaway for brands

Show your audience that you can curate a vibe.

Just because you work in a "boring" category, it doesn’t mean you can’t find ways to connect with people beyond traditional advertising or marketing.

The world’s a big place — lean into your audience's other interests, and see what you can offer them. It could be a playlist, merch, or even a phone background.

The point is to show that you have taste. It goes a long way.

III. Extend Your Shelf Life

Cardi’s debut album dropped over five years ago and although she hasn’t dropped her sophomore album yet, it’s still highly anticipated.

Why?

Because fans feel like they’re getting the right dose of Cardi to hold them over until the next thing comes.

With each record she hops on, it becomes the new version sent to the radio, the video being played on YouTube, and the new version for fans to stream. A few of those moments per year, and as time has shown us, she won’t really have to drop an album for another year or two,at least.

The Takeaway for brands

Innovation doesn’t have to mean a new product or product line. It could literally mean bringing a new POV to something you already have.

In this case, that could mean taking a crowd favorite and finding a way to remix it — think about what Jordan brand does, or even Crocs. It’s the same product flipped hundreds of different ways.

You don’t have to reinvent the wheel, just tweak that shit a lil bit.

IV. Find Ways To Penetrate New Markets

Look at where each rapper that Cardi collabed with you’ll notice something interesting:

1. Fendi Da Rapper is from Chicago

2. Glorilla is from Memphis

3. Latto is from Atlanta

Each artist that she worked with is in a different region with a different sound, because of that, she’s able to expand her footprint via the artist that she chooses to work with.

Chicago consumers might’ve thought Cardi was just ok.

BUT, now that they see her embrace someone from the city and help bring money and opportunity back their way, it casts her in a new light and inevitably leads to new fans she couldn’t reach.

Traditionally, this was the aim of doing remixes back in the day, but somewhere along the way rappers (or possibly labels) stopped caring about his aspect of the record.

The Takeaway For Brands

Exposing yourself to new markets may be less of a media play and more of a partnership play.

If you’re big in the Southeast but you wanna break into the midwest figure out who “the guy” is out there and GENUINELY connect them. Doing so will get everyone rocking with you and your brand in a new way.

The Bottom Line

Creating and sustaining a buzz in a crowded industry is no easy feat.

For Cardi, she’s been able to keep her star shining bright by embracing a new generation of women in Hip-hop who need that boost in order to go to the next level.

For brands, the applicable lesson is to really survey who’s on the come up around you. Maybe the up & comer isn't a direct competitor, but a supplier looking for their first big order, or an up & coming photographer, who’s looking for brand work etc.

Give them a shot. Not just because you were once in that same position, but because that co-sign may be the one that keeps your star shining bright just a little bit longer.

Peace.