Asian Insight

Is this the end of an empire?

I admit it; I did fall for the Kim Kardashian fairytale wedding (as did a number of female colleagues!). Days before the event, we sat around discussing the Kardashian brand and how much of a success Kris Kardashian’s push to promote her family has been. 72 days later, the press, fans, celebrity junkies and my colleagues are reeling in the news that Kim, America’s self-titled sweetheart, is filing for divorce.

It’s common knowledge that Kim Kardashian did not become famous because she is business savvy, although I’m not denying that she is. Her mom-anger (that’s mom and manager!) capitalized on her daughter’s mistake after an intimate tape was released on the internet. What followed was one of the most voyeuristic money-making reality TV families of all time - pure marketing genius.  

Last year, the Kardashian family made US$65 million through endorsements, a reality TV show, paid tweets, paid appearances, even fragrances.  Whilst the majority of people roll their eyes and ask “Kim who?” others worship the family, following their every move dutifully. However, it’s the “love them or hate them” attitude that Kris Kardashian has spun into a true art, forget the haters and focus on the followers.

Their “relatable” family attracted 3.11million viewers as they launched their fifth season and 4.2 million tuned in to watch Kim Kardashian walk down the aisle. Letting people in on their personal yet extravagant lifestyles has proved hugely popular in the US. Their business model emphasizes accessibility over three commercial components: fan interaction via social media (the family has a collective 13 million Twitter followers); best-selling products and brand endorsements; and, of course, that hyper-successful reality franchise.

Kris freely admits that she is here to make her daughter’s “15 minutes of fame last 30” and it was her idea to turn the Kardashian family into a brand. From new lipsticks, sky high heels to cell phones, all members of the Kardashian family have turned to social media to promote products and interact with their fans. Kim Kardashian current has 6 million twitter followers and receives more than 40 million hits on her blog per month. She now charges as much as $25,000 to simply mention and link to a brand or company in a tweet.

They have defied the 15-minute of reality TV fame rule and created an empire that looked indestructible – until now. The future of Kim and her family looks unsteady following her recent divorce announcement. I’m sure you have read the facts and figures. The wedding net $18 million, she was married for 72 days which means she earned $250,000 for every day she was married. Harsh but fair. The Huffington Post, NY Times and even the Guardian are weighing in. Is this the end of the Kardashian reign? With so much invested emotionally and financially, people are questioning the motives behind the wedding extravaganza which is resulting in diminishing faith in the family brand. Fans feel duped and cheated; investors must feel even more embarrassed.

The backlash had begun and how Kris Kardashian handles the next few months will be a true testament to her PR and marketing capabilities.  

- Charlotte