To quote Jay-Z, “I’m not a businessman, I’m a business, Man.” No one connects more deeply with their audiences than rappers. They're fearless marketers -- stirring up trouble, grabbing the mic, commanding attention, and ultimately, selling a ton of product. This session will look at (and listen to) how rappers turn personal brands into marketing platforms, including how they:

-project a consistent brand image
-market to new audiences (rappers have been doing this well since RunDMC met Aerosmith)
-innovate in a digital world (T-Pain’s popular Autotune App, for example)
-cross promote with advertisers
-leverage product placement (mmm, Cristal)
-and drive culture

Last year, Bing won the 2011 Grand Prix at Cannes International Festival of Creativity by launching Jay-Z’s new book. The question is, which brand was the bigger winner?