Kanye West is a 12-time Grammy Award winning Rapper/Singer,and Producer. Signed to Def Jam Records, in 2004 West launched his career with his debut album, "The College Dropout". While achieving huge success with his four albums, he has also successfully spread his music, videos, and ideas throughout internet, creating a constantly growing fan base.
West's websites have been viewed by millions. His MySpace page alone has had over 62 million views. At the top of the MySpace page are links to his blog and to his main website. The home page of his main site is very clearly laid out. You simply click "Blog" if you wish to visit his blog, "Video" to watch his videos, etc. The only thing that may be confusing is that you have to click "City Center" to access his fan club, message board, and news. Viewers can also access the same information by clicking on various graphic images throughout a futuristic city in the center of the page. This gives the website flavor and makes it seem less generic.
One feature that stands out on his homepage is the advertising messages that appear in bright letters at the top. It ranges from "Buy 808s and Heartbreak" (his latest album) to "My new book! It's dope…10 bucks".
West's blog is different in the sense that it is mostly comprised of pictures. He posts photos of events, concerts, and sometimes videos that he has been recently involved in. Each picture or video has a caption with a brief description. This method is probably highly effective because many people may not have the time to read an lengthy blog. The visual representation allows a reader to quickly observe West's recent posts. West uses a lot of graphics to entice his audience. One popular image associated with him - a teddy bear - appears on most of his merchandise. His use of graphics in merchandising and website design helps engrave his image in the mind of a fan or viewer, allowing them to easily remember information that he is sharing.
Overall, Kanye West has effectively shared information, music, videos, and more through his online presence. He is constantly updating his blog, and has had millions of viewers on MySpace. From there, one can stream or download music, watch videos, and access links to his other sites. West's presence online is certainly not lacking in today's web-based society.
- Use of images throughout his website and blog.
- Clear layout on his main site, which allows for easy access to information.
- Advertisements for his newest album in multiple places on one page (main site, MySpace, YouTube, blog).
This case study was written by Steven Gringer, a 2nd-semester student at Berklee College of Music studying Music Business/Management.
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