1. Beyoncé: Cross Media Case Study
By Kerry Costello

2. Beyoncé: Destiny’s Child
Beyoncé first came to prominence in R&B girl group
Destiny’s Child, a band that formed after Beyoncé
and childhood friend Kelly Rowland met LaTavia
Roberson during an audition for a girl band in the
fall of 1990.
Originally called Girls Tyme, the band had several
failed appearances on talent shows and a failed
record deal with Atlanta Records before being
signed to Columbia Records.
After renaming themselves Destiny’s Child in 1993,
the band established themselves in the music
industry in 1998 with a self-titled album however
wouldn’t find real success until recording a song for
the Charlie’s Angels soundtrack (Independent
Woman Part 1). During this time, the band went
through several different group re-arrangements
however Beyoncé remained one of the original band
members and was generally considered to be the
lead singer. Beyoncé Knowles, Kelly Rowland and
Michelle Williams are mostly considered to be the
fundamental line-up for Destiny’s Child.
Destiny’s Child followed their best-charting single
with their third album Survivor which earned them a
Grammy however announced their hiatus in 2001,
where Beyoncé would begin her solo career.

3. Beyoncé: Solo Career
• Beyoncé's solo career has arguably
been more successful than her time
with Destiny’s Child
• She has released four albums to date;
• Dangerously in Love (2003) – her most
successful with 11 million copies sold
worldwide and 5 hit singles
• B’Day (2006) – over seven million
copies worldwide, her second
consecutive number one album in the
USA
• I Am… Sasha Fierce (2008) – her third
consecutive number one album in the
US that earned seventeen platinum and
one diamond certifications in separate
worldwide markets
• 4 (2011) – over 1.5 million copies sold
with three singles reaching the top ten
in several international charts
Her career spans 15 years with 17 Grammy
Awards and outstanding record sales,
making her one of the best-selling artist of
all time

4. Website
The first thing we see on Beyoncé's website is a huge gif of her face, advertising her as a
commodity and highlighting her as the main selling point (possibly opposed to her music).
Her name is in the center of the screen and readable despite being visually distorted which
shows that it is a recognizable symbol, emphasizing her commodity status. Her clothes and
jewelry have royal connotations, furthering her status as a well known icon.
The gif has been taken from an 02 advert promoting tickets for her current tour and so the
welcome image of her website is an advert in itself, immediately marketing Beyoncé

5. This gif changes regularly, updating as Beyoncé's photo shoots do– again a tool for marketing
The toolbar is small; Beyonce’s face remains
the main image
Social networking options to appeal
to a younger audience; fans can
connect with each other
‘Shop’ option ; there is
no hiding that this
website is a marketing
tool, everything is
attracting
money/attention
Fans can stay
updated with new
releases, interviews
etc
Colour scheme is dark so that Beyoncé's face is the
only clear image, center of attention
Links to adverts Beyoncé has appeared in for
brands like Pepsi and H&M, another promotional
tool

6. Website
A link to Beyoncé's personal tumblr page is available and is often
updated with behind the scenes photos of Beyoncé and, most
notably, photos from her private/family life. This shows that,
whilst Beyoncé alone as an artist is a commodity, her
relationship with Jay-Z and general family life away from the
stage is also a key selling point for fans

7. The majority of the pages sell Beyoncé as a commodity with her name/face
being the center of attention on a basic structured page. The website is
heavy in marketing however there is an element that it caters personally to
the fans as opposed to just a marketing tool, e.g the fan only blog and
personal photos of devoted fans at her concerts. Private photos from
Beyoncé's life gives the website an intimate feeling- like the insight into her
life is a reward for loyal fans but ultimately, it remains heavy in marketing

8. Album Artwork
Beyoncé's face is the focus of attention
for every album, with some featuring
mid shots to show her upper body. This
could suggest that her physical
appearance is a part of her marketing,
as opposed to just her music. The title
of the album is always in a smaller font
than her name, suggesting that
Beyoncé herself (possibly due to her
physical appearance) is a more
successful marketing tool than her
music.
Through her make-up and outfits, she is
appears glamorous and attractive (only
one album does not feature her chest
in the shot) which would appeal to men
however Beyoncé generally has a
female target audience.

9. The back and inside cover of each of her albums feature more photo-shoots of Beyoncé (this time
in less clothes) which again emphasizes her physical appearance and uses her glamour, looks and
sassy/bold alter ago Sasha Fierce as a way of marketing. It is clear that her record label have
influence in her work as the artwork for each album is heavy in close-ups of Beyoncé, which helps
to promote her.
The back of Beyonce’s 4 album, however, does not feature her face, possibly because Beyoncé has
already achieved her commodity status. It does still focus on her physical appearance however and
her name is the biggest thing in shot.

10. Album Promotion
In addition to the common
poster and web-based adverts
for album promotion,
Beyoncé’s albums are also
promoted through adverts
that she appears in for brands
such as Pepsi that feature
exclusive snippets of her
upcoming album tracks. Her
latest album “4” was mostly
marketed through a poster
and advert campaign, along a
tour

11. Music Video – Run The World (Girls)
Run The World was the first single
from Beyoncé's latest album,
released prior to the album’s official
release. The music video’s message
appeals specifically to females
(though her appearance throughout
could appeal to men) and
emphasizes on the reoccurring
“independent woman/girl power”
vibe that Beyoncé has. It is a
performance video that features
several dance routines and stage
outfits (important genre
characteristics of Beyoncé's
pop/R&B genre) and arguably what
Beyoncé is known for.

12. Throughout the video, Beyonce is made to look powerful and strong through low
angle shots and her positioning in front of her dancers with a fierce facial
expression, identifying her as their leader and they her army (their uniforms also
suggest this). This makes her stand out as the centre of attention– as do her showy
outfits. She acts almost aggressively to the men in the video, again portraying her
as strong and continuing the independent, strong woman vibe she is known for.

13. The shots of Beyonce on top of the car (with the word revolution on it), surrounded by
fire and then next to a lion continue to portray her as strong and fierce and her
outfits, jewellery and make-up maintain her glamorous and sexy image. The majority
of the shots in the video feature her, with several close-ups (Goodwin’s Analysis) in
order to promote her.

14. Similarly to her album artwork, the video emphasizes on her
physical appearance through lingering shots of her dancing in
revealing outfits. As stated in Goodwin’s analysis, there is a
relationship between the lyrics and visuals throughout the video;
the song talks of the strength of women and how (despite men
possibly thinking different) they “run the world” and the video
features women in an altercation with men and winning.

15. Continuing Goodwin’s analysis, the music video
follows genre characteristics. The track is of the
pop/R&B genre and the music video reflects this with
several dance routines, an attractive and confident
artist and fast cuts.

16. In conclusion, Beyoncé's image is constructed to be strong, glamorous and sexy through
several different media formats. Whilst her music itself is obviously successful, her physical
appearance and general fierce disposition play a big part in her success and is often
emphasized through her marketing campaigns. Her website offers a softer side (as opposed
to the overly bold and attitude heavy Beyonce in Run The World) through her personal
photos but ultimately maintains the glamorous, “famous” vibe.
Her record label continue to have an influence throughout her representation in media as it is
clear that everything is used to solely promote her, even if it is presented to be intimate and
for the fans.