ZZZ - GMG - VEGAS INC 2011-2014

May 16, 2011

VEGAS INC Magazine - Latest Las Vegas business news, features and commentaries about gaming, tourism, real estate and more

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FOLLOW US Reach out 140 characters at a time Kim Kardashian doesn’t sing, doesn’t act, doesn’t have traditional artistic aspirations and still made more money than anyone you know—by a lot. Kardashian, Inc. One of my closest friends in the world is a guy named Andy Cohan. Andy, a longtime Bay Area resident, is one of my favorite people for a lot of reasons, not the least of which he happens to be a marketing genius. Besides being hilarious—in his droll, highly ironic, understated way—as well as being a fellow proud Tulane graduate, Andy is also one of the nation’s foremost branding experts. What Andy’s company, ACI Licensing, does better than just about anybody in the country is marry celebrities (Jennifer L�ópez, Mariah Carey, Heidi Klum, Serena Williams, Daisy Fuentes) with brick-and-mortar entities ( retailers). Since moving to Las Vegas, I’ve been thinking a lot about Andy and his line of work. So when he was in town recently, we met for a long “what-the-heck-are-you-doing-living-in-Vegas” dinner—something we used to do weekly in Los Angeles—at the always happening N9NE Steakhouse at the Palms. As I prattled on about what I was up to—both personally and professionally—Andy had this fixed grin on his face. After a while of me asking him about his new clients and other life updates, Andy turned to me and said, “Richard, I think it’s absolutely perfect that you found your way to Las Vegas. And as the editor in chief of VEGAS INC, no less. What an incredibly important time for you to be in this city that’s going through so much hardship. I can’t think of anyone better to use the economic pain of this place and couple it with its inherent glitz and sexiness. That’s you to a T, my friend. So, a toast: Lucky you and lucky Vegas.” His impressive, irony- laced, backhanded compliment left me speechless. So I like my empirical facts with a dash of sexy. Guilty. I thought of Andy Cohan again last week when I had the opportunity to meet privately with Kim Kardashian as she launched her second perfume, Kim Kardashian Gold. Now Kim (and her telegenic sisters Khloe and Kourtney) are 21st century examples of WTF is going on in the land of celebrity. There was a time—a whopping seven or eight years ago— that for someone to be globally recognizable and be able to leverage that fame for millions of dollars, that person had to be either a platinum-selling singer (Celine Dion, Whitney Houston), award-winning actress (Angelina Jolie, Julia Roberts) or possess some indescribable “it” factor that the world couldn’t ignore (Madonna, Simon Cowell). Then along came Paris Hilton, closely followed by Kim Kardashian, and suddenly all the decades-long rules of celebrity were turned on their head. The phrase “being famous for being famous” was born, and not in a flattering light. Vegas, naturally, became ground zero for this new kind of celebrity. Where else would you find the likes of Paris Hilton, 6 Kim Kardashian, the entire cast of Jersey Shore, Lauren Conrad, Heidi Montag and, our reigning princess-in-residence, Holly Madison? The very term “Kardashian” became a punch line (and an unflattering adjective) minimizing some well- known person’s talent or shelf life in the spotlight. Here’s where I argue most people get it wrong. Kim Kardashian—and her endless stream of camera-ready relatives—made a not insubstantial $60 million in 2010. I’ll repeat that: Kim Kardashian doesn’t sing, doesn’t act, doesn’t have traditional artistic aspirations and still made more money than anyone you know—by a lot. Perfumes, beauty lines, clothing stores, commercial endorsements and, most importantly, the litany of Kardashian branded reality television programs on E! (executive produced by the dean of modern celebrity mogulhood, Ryan Seacrest) all have contributed to the truly enviable Kardashian empire. Let me tell you something, those Kardashian sisters are working hard. As I walked in to chat with Kim, a smiling Holly Madison was walking out of the room—a very Vegas moment if ever there was one—and I proceeded to ask the lovely eldest Kardashian sister who just celebrated her 30th birthday what her 50th birthday party would look like. She didn’t skip a beat: “I want to be surrounded by fashion and beauty.” Kim went on to talk a lot about her marketing strategies (over exposure a constant worry), her work ethic, the new all- things-Kardashian store opening in Las Vegas, how much she genuinely loves this city, and all the while I saw (and listened ) between the lines: Kim Kardashian—and her manager/ protective mom, Kris Jenner—saw an opportunity in the marketplace and brilliantly seized it. In a new millennium kind of way, Kim Kardashian represents the new American Dream. You want fame for fame’s sake? The line starts behind Snooki. You want long-term financial success? Start marketing your brand, just like Kim did. As I left Kim Kardashian to her many fans waiting in a very long line to get an autograph with the classic beauty, I remembered what Andy Cohan told me over dinner. Maybe I am well suited to be the editor of a magazine called VEGAS INC. Here I was moments after interviewing a multimillionaire business mogul with plenty of significant Las Vegas interests and all I could think about was how damn pretty she was. Beautiful moguls? Yes, please. Only in Vegas, baby. Richard Pérez-Feria Editor in Chief TWITTER MONDAY MENTIONS US: @VEGASINC @RPerezFeria @Bspotleson @amandajfi nnegan @rachellaya @spencerholladay @JakobMcCarthy @erindostal @stevewrites @BrianBuckWargo YOU: @MaddieEdgerton @RACHELFOX5 @MarkDMarino @MelissaDuran8 @CraigAsher @naterosenberg @rotmshine LIKE US C’mon, you know you wanna FACEBOOK WALL OF FAME Lucy Trott er on Editor in Chief Richard Pérez-Feria’s column “Home, Again” from VEGAS INC’s 9 May 2011 issue: “Richard Pérez-Feria is fast becoming my favorite person. He acknowledged what I already knew in his latest editorial for VEGAS INC: 1) that Europeans are more intelligent than Americans, 2) that Vegas is a great place to live and 3) that The Good Wife is a genius program. Love what RPF is doing!” TUNE IN VEGAS INC TV MUST-SEE TV Join Dana Gentry and Jeff Gillan at 6:30 p.m. this and every Sunday on KSNV, Channel 3 for VEGAS INC, the last word on business. .com VEGASINC.com SIZZLIN’ AD It’s heating up again and the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority announced it’s spending $24 million to boost summer visits with a new ad campaign that kicks off later this month. Get your daily dose of tourism, gaming and real estate news at VEGASINC.com. Business happens 24/7 in Vegas and we’re right there with it. | 16 MAY 2011 | LEILA NAVIDI

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