Madonna’s success can be examined by various strategic options that are applied.

Following

internal and external tools and techniques are used to examine them.

External Analysis-PEST analysis:

An organization needs to access its external environment in order to be successful in its

respective field. For the screening, PEST analysis can be used to access the elements of the

external environment that affects the strategic options. As a business entrepreneur, Madonna

has a great ability to analyze the changes occurring in the external environment. She

understands that how the changes occurring in the political, economic, socio-cultural and

technological elements affects and exerts pressure on her career. By good anticipation, she has

always shown great flexibility in adapting those changes without any hinges and hesitation. This

has also helped her in identifying and refining the target market for her.

For instance, Madonna by applying a PEST analysis tool can easily sort the choices, trends, and

culture of different markets. She can analyze the ingredients required adapting an entirely

different persona.

The tool will help her further refine wide demographic target market. The show business is

categorized of very intense competition. In such a dynamic place, the need to constantly screen

the external environment is very important.

It also shows that the socio-cultural trends had resulted in drastic changes in customers’

preferences for music over the years. People are now constantly looking for new ideas, a

different style, and a unique music. The technological advancement has made the world a global

village. Now the competition is not local but international. Hence, it’s very important to capture

the various markets in order to remain competitive. This is possible only by understanding the

preference and choices of the target markets and then penetrating in them.

Internal Analysis-SWOT Analysis

Madonna has well analyzed the strengths and weaknesses to come up with sound strategic

options. The SWOT analysis helps her to critically assess its positives and negatives amid the

changing dynamics of the show business environment.

The cases study reveals that Madonna, since the start of her career has portrayed herself as a

very ambitious person, who has a clear vision of her career. She has a great ability to understand

the environment and in lieu of that, she changes her persona that is always liked by her fans.

The SWOT analysis also reveals that the Madonna’s has focussed differentiation approach of

working. She has created various products that portray her image. She has also autocratic

management style characterized central command system, strict check on her own performance

and great research on the future up comings. She has well planned when to give her appearance

in advertisement, stage, TV shows and in Hollywood films.

She has been able to tap new markets yet in many countries, Madonna’s image is not very

popular. Like many other stars that have come to developing countries to perform, Madonna has

kept her mobility very restricted. This can create a problem for her fame in the future.

The changing dynamics of the market offers new opportunities for new markets where Madonna

can penetrate. Further, technological advancement has created opportunities to be heard in the

whole world.

The major threats for Madonna, as a business entrepreneur is the dynamic nature of the industry

where people and preferences are very wide and changing. Quick entry of many new

performers, a lot of entertainment substitute available to the people distracts their attention very

quickly. Thus, can hamper Madonna’s success.

Assessment of Strategic Options:

With the help of the above analysis, one can carefully screen the internal and external

environment of Madonna. Madonna should aggressively respond to the changing environments

in order to remain competitive.

She has tested and analyzes the strategies such as market penetration, development in new

markets, an introduction of new product lines or catching the new audiences by penetrating in

niche markets.
She can also adopt the below-mentioned differentiation strategies accompanied by the focused

approach.

Refining target market: Madonna is famous for developing niche markets. She should, however,

narrow down its target market to enable her in understanding the audience preferences and

responding well and quickly respond to their needs.

Madonna needs to be careful in while changing her persona. At the beginning of the careers, it’s

easy to adapt anything that interests the audience. Initially, people are also not very conscious

rearguing the actions and behaviors of the artists they like. However, with the passage of time

when the artist starts getting famous his or her actions starts getting belong noticed and become

the victim of appreciation or criticism. Hence, Madonna growing up in the public eye has to be

now sensitive to opinion and she does not wish to offend her audience.

This strategic option may help her to strategically focus on those products that can further

strengthen her image in the eye of the target market and can enhance its target markets.

Keeping the emotional factor of the audience in consideration, Madonna will have competitive

edge amid the aggressive competition from both ends of the market.

New market developments: Madonna should also find new markets by doing aggressive

research for finding untapped markets. She can further adopt various branding techniques that

will enhance the diversification of her personality. Capturing the niche market has remained one

of the prominent strategies of Madonna. The analysis also reveals the fact that Madonna has

adopted the customer-focused approach that helps her branding herself properly owing to the

specific audience requirements.

This case highlights a clear manifestation that how the profound understanding of the

environment and its changing dynamics helped the Madonna to explore the opportunities and

combat the threats associated with it. The proposed strategic options present an opportunity for
her to sustain its growth in the years ahead and compete aggressively in the show and music

business industry
Madonna: still reigning queen of pop?
October 6, 2008 by schou economics

Top of the pop for 25 years

The music industry has always been thr backdrop for one-hit wonders and brief careers. Pop stars

who have remained at the top for decades are very few. Madonna is one such phenomenon; the

question is, after over 25 years at the top, how much longer can it last?

Smartest woman in show business

Described by Billboard Magazine ad the smartest business woman in show business, Madonna,

Louise Ciccone, began her music career in 1983 with the hit single “Holiday” and in 2005-2006

once again enjoyed chart success for her album “Confessions on a Dance Floor”.

Other areas of business

In the meantime she had consistent chart success with her singles and albums, multiple sell-out

world tours, major roles in six films, picked up 18 music awards, been the style icon behind a

range of products from Pepsi and Max Factor to the Gab and H&M, and became a worldwide best-

selling children’s author.

What is it that she has?

The foundation of Madonnas business success was her ability to sustain her reign as the “queen of

pop” since 1983. Along with many others, Phil Quattro, the President of Warner Brothers, has

argued that ‘she always manages to land on the cusp of what we call contemporary music,

every established artist faces the dilemma of maintaining their importance and relevance,

Madonna never fails to be relevant.’

Madonna is in Auckland folks. We're not trying to preach, but this is something
of a big deal.

Sure, Queen Madge has faced her fair share of controversy over the past few
years. All the custody to-ing and fro-ing, in and out of court with her ex-
husband Guy Ritchie, the recent Philippines flag debacle and her general
button-pushing antics both on stage and in the media.
But if there's one thing the original Material Girl does deserve a little credit for
it's her ability to endlessly reinvent herself and somehow maintain a thirty-year
reign in pop culture, style and music.

GETTY

Madonna: don't take yourself too seriously.

View image on Twitter
Music History@TimeinMusic

Madonna in the summer of 1982.

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Here are five timely reminders of why Madonna, love her or hate her, still
reigns supreme:

READ MORE:
* Philippines may ban Madonna after singer 'ridiculed' flag on stage
* Madonna's son forced to spend Christmas with her
* Madonna pays tribute to Paris attacks victims with impromptu show
* Madonna is coming to New Zealand next year
* Madonna: I'm just like Picasso

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SUPPLIED

Madonna is the reigning queen of the conical bra.

1. Madonna was on a first name basis before we'd ever heard of

Beyonce, Lady Gaga or Adele.
Madge has had an enormous social-cultural impact on the world through not
only her music, but her social and political advocacy, personal style and
feminism. Dubbed the 'Queen of Pop" by countless critics since the
1980s, Madonna has earned her keep as the greatest woman in music and
undoubtedly the most influential and iconic female recording artist of all time.

Music critics from all over the world identify Madonna as a corner stone for
women in popular music, having paved the way for mega-stars like Britney
Spears, Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift, Beyonce and Adele who followed in the
Madge's footsteps.

#MadameX @MadonnaCharts_

@Madonna's #RebelHeartTour $107.3 Million Grossed in 61 Shows (at January 28,

2016) according to @billboard

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WIN MCNAMEE/REUTERS

Britney Spears and Madonna broke the internet before there even was such a thing.

2. Madonna reached icon status in the LGBT and feminist communities

From Like A Virgin to Like A Prayer, there's much more to Madge than just
lacy gloves and string pearls.

Countless University studies have been carried out in an attempt to study

or gage Madonna's profound influence on various sub-cultures, namely within
the LGBT and feminist communities. Academics deemed Madonna's far-
reaching influence and "iconicity" that of a "meta-icon", from the Vogueing
movement to her involvement in Gay rights and activism.

Madonna reinvented the way women were perceived in pop culture, forever
pushing the sexual boundaries on stage and on screen.
ETHAN MILLER/GETTY IMAGES

Madonna
 #MadameX @MadonnaCharts_

#OnthisDay March 01,1990 @Madonna's #Vogue Video debuts on @MTV ONE OF

THE BEST VIDEOS OF ALL TIME!!

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3. Madonna has been making music for decades

Madonna was the first ever female musician to ever gain complete control
over her image and maintain her helm at the heights of popular music.

Rolling Stone Magazine once famously dubbed the pop star "a musical icon
without a peer" with many music critics arguing that Madonna's influence on
pop music and culture far surpasses that of The Beatles and Elvis Presley.

CHINAFOTOPRESS

Madonna is set to take to the stage at Auckland's Vector Arena on Saturday March 5.
In the early 1990's, Madonna co-founded Maverick Records. While under
Madonna's reign, the label generated over US $1 billion dollars for Warner
Brothers Records, far exceeding any other musician's record label. In May of
2015, Madonna had officially charted her 45th number one on the dance
charts.

View image on Twitter

 The Fuzzy Dreamer @fuzzy_dreamer

Doing the SB, Grammys and Oscars in 1 month is impressive but doing it over 24
years is what makes you the Queen!

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4. Madonna is a celebrity style pioneer

In the early 80s when Madonna first donned that conical bra and platinum
blonde hair, she successfully sealed her status as a style icon forever more.

JUN SATO

Love her or hate her, Madonna has survived the test of time.
From her early years as an 80s 'boy toy' to a certified pop princess, Madonna
has evolved into a fashion-forward style icon. By the late 80s, designers
quickly fawned over the rising style star, from Jean-Paul Gaultier corsets
to Dolce & Gabbana gowns, when it comes to the fashion and beauty stakes
- Madonna has tried it all.

Throwback to Madonna and Michael Jackson looking royal at the

1990 #Oscars. pic.twitter.com/XJZ8n706FR

— Shady Music Facts (@musicnews_shade) 29 February 2016

5. Madonna is a triple threat

After trying her hand at singing, dancing acting and business, there are few
things the Ray of Light hit-maker hasn't managed to master.

Madonna picked up a Golden Globe in for her acting chops in the 1996 on-
screen musical Evita. While her efforts under ex-husband Guy Ritchie in the
2002 box-office flop Swept Away are best forgotten, Madge has proved she's
still got what it takes to be an award-winning actress in her own right.