Jay-Z, Kanye West Kick Off ‘Watch The Throne Tour’ Oct. 28 In The A-T-L

I recently got quite a laugh from a slideshow posted on inc.com. Not exactly the funniest site on the internet, but the slideshow in question wasn’t intended to be comical. Its hilariousness was completely accidental.

Before I tell you the name of the slideshow, I recommend that you lie on the floor (so you don’t fall over from laughing) and that you swallow your milk (I don’t want anything coming out of your nose once the funny arrives).

Are you ready?

Good.

Now, here it comes. The title of the slideshow is “6 Branding Ideas From Jay-Z and Kanye West.”

Yeah, I know. It’s frickin’ hilarious.

I’m not laughing at the concept of branding, the six ideas, or the recent alliance between Jay-Z and Kanye West (they call themselves The Throne).

The info contained in the slideshow was well-written and very informative. The dynamic duo’s album, Watch The Throne, is awesome and I can’t wait to see them in concert.

The concept that tickles my funny bone is using “Watch The Throne” as an example of branding. How can you possibly learn anything about branding from a partnership that is arguably one of the most famous collaborations of all-time?

Watch The Throne was going to go to number one on the Billboard 200 and the album was going to be certified platinum regardless of Twitter, Facebook, or the blogosphere.

The duo is going to sell thousands of Jay-Z and Kanye West tickets because they’re Jay-Z and Kanye West, not because of a slick branding campaign.

Jay-Z and West teaming up for an album and tour is like John Lennon and Mick Jagger joining forces in the mid-1970’s or Michael Jackson and Prince getting together in the mid-1980’s. It’s a huge event that needs no introduction. When two megastars combine their talents fans will be there regardless. A marketing campaign is not necessary.

Did branding help “Watch The Throne?” Of course it did. Without branding, the album wouldn’t have been certified platinum on Sept. 15, 2011. It would have been certified platinum on Sept. 16, 2011.

Entrepreneurs can probably learn something from Watch The Throne (like how to keep an album from being leaked onto the internet) but there are much better examples of branding. Say, any project that doesn’t involve a rapper with more number one albums than Elvis—that’s “Presley” not “Costello”—and a hip hop artist who has won 14 Grammy Awards.

By the way, here are the six branding ideas:

1. Create strong and exclusive content.
2. Host an offline event that’s promoted online.
3. Build awareness and collect customer data.
4. Form partnerships that will benefit the brand.
5. Use nontraditional media outlets to create brand-awareness.
6. Monitor the internet for mentions of your brand but participate sparingly.

Hova and Yeezy launch their much anticipated “Watch The Throne Tour” in Atlanta, Georgia on Oct. 28. Their route has them visiting 24 cities and playing 28 concerts. Highlights of their itinerary include stops in Philadelphia, Boston, Toronto, and Los Angeles.

The duo concludes their trek of North America on Dec. 18. That’s the second of back-to-back nights at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver, B.C.

Watch The Throne dropped Aug. 8 and it debuted at number one. The album was produced by a variety of artists including Swizz Beatz, The Neptunes, Q-Tip, RZA, and 88-Keys.

The Throne Tour With Jay-Z and Kanye West
Oct. 28-29 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena
Oct. 30 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Greensboro, NC @ Greensboro Coliseum
Nov. 1 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
Nov. 2 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center
Nov. 3 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Washington, DC @ Verizon Center
Nov. 5-6 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center
Nov. 14 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Fort Lauderdale, FL @ Bank Atlantic Center
Nov. 15 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Miami, FL @ Fort American Airlines Arena
Nov. 19 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Atlantic City, NJ @ Boardwalk Hall Arena
Nov. 21 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Boston, MA @ TD Garden
Nov. 22 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Montreal, QC @ Centre Bell
Nov. 23-24 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 26 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 27 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Pittsburgh, PA @ Consol Energy Center
Nov. 29 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Kansas City, MO @ Sprint Center
Dec. 1 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Chicago, IL @ United Center
Dec. 3 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena
Dec. 5 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Houston, TX @ Toyota Center
Dec. 6 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center
Dec. 9 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand Garden Arena
Dec. 10 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion
Dec. 12 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Los Angeles, CA @ Staples Center
Dec. 16 - The Throne Tour: Jay-z and Kanye West in Tacoma, WA @ Tacoma Dome
Dec. 17-18 - The Throne Tour: Jay-Z and Kanye West in Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena