Measuring The Brand Value of Hip Hop Families From Cash Money to Roc-A-Fella

Death Row Records: Packaging and selling notoriety

Grade: A-

Notable Members:Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Dr. Dre,  Suge Knight

“Controversy sells,” says Patton. No one can argue that Death Row failed to create a memorable brand – one associated with thuggery, West coast flavor, fearlessness and notoriety; that image was matched by the off-camera antics of its feared leader Suge Knight and an unpredictable Tupac. “At the end of the day, branding is understanding two things. First, what differentiates you from anyone else competing in the same space.  The second is what is the unique value that you generate for your consumer,” said Patton. “In the case of Death Row, they clearly recognized what differentiated them was a West coast heritage. They took some of the equity that had been built by brands like NWA.”

As evidence of its branding success, the company’s investors (who saved the label from bankruptcy) are still tied up in legal disputes dating back to January 2009 with each party fighting over the valuable assets and recordings from Tupac, Dre, Snoop Dogg and others. The catalogue built up by Death Row is valuable especially when you consider that the label sold over 50 million albums worldwide.