So everyone knows who Lady Gaga (Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta) is and how she catapulted into mainstream music scene and has a huge fanbase called the “little monsters.” Lady Gaga was a product of constant creative changes on many levels, the ability to adapt to new trends, and style herself, along with her music being different, lastly just becoming a brand of the Lady Gaga.

So let’s take a look at how Lady Gaga personal branding was really developed, how she evolved, the continuous push, mixed with the correct hard work, music, style, a few failures, some connections and little luck. Everyone has a story telling in how it all came together piece-by-piece, and Lady Gaga is no different, so here is the brand marketing of the beginning of Stefani Germanotta.

Booked Her Own Shows. Before Lady Gaga she was Stefani Germanotta, and she created the “Stefani Germanotta Band,” she hit the New York City club scene and played any shows that would draw a crowd specifically, The Cutting Room, she dressed different, and had brunette hair back then.

Rob Fusari. Germanotta made friends with Wendy Starland, a young singer-songwriter, introduced her to Rob Fusari. Mr. Fusari, a 38-year-old producer in Parsippany, New Jersey, who was known for his success with Beyoncé, Britney Spears, Whitney Houston, Jessica Simpson, and Will Smith.

Personal Branding. Germanotta and Fusari, brainstormed together and came up with the “Lady Gaga” personal brand name, “Gaga” taken from Queen’s song “Radio Ga Ga”, and as a Germanotta thew in the “Lady” part, and just like that Lady Gaga was born.

360 Deal. Record labels nowadays want to share in the rights that traditionally belonged to the artist, like merchandise, live revenue, and endorsement fees. Financing artists are over, especially since we have the internet as a backdrop for brand marketing and exposure.

Beautiful, Dirty, Rich. This song, “Beautiful, Dirty, Rich” was produced by Fusari, and showcase downtown, L.A. Reid liked Gaga and signed her with a deal through Island Def Jam for $850k, she produced more music with Fusari, but they couldn’t collaborate on any additional hit songs, so Island Def Jam dropped Gaga and she was devastated.

Brand Experience. Lady Gaga angered with being dropped by Island Def Jam, became friends with Lady Starlight, an M.A.C makeup artist, D.J., performance artist and met at the rock bar St. Jerome’s on Rivington Street. Gaga learned some of her brand experience from Starlight, and incorporated into their acts together, and to this day are still friends and tour together.

Vincent Herbert. Rob Fusari connected with his good friend, Vincent Herbert, who just landed a deal to sign new artist to Interscope Records, and arranged a meeting with the new Lady Gaga of her brand experience. Jimmy Lovine, walked into the meeting, listen to a few of her tracks, and said, “let’s try this.” Lady Gaga just got her pathway into the door, and now the evolution of the look. Herbert asked Gaga to dye her hair blonde, she did, another addition of Gaga branding identity.

Branded Storytelling, Writing and Identity. Gaga was recording tracks with RedOne, a Moroccan-Swedish producer. Gaga started worrying she didn’t have the writing chops as she failed before with Island Def Jam, so she started writing and using Andy Warhol for research and development, and writing a club song called “Just Dance” with RedOne. Gaga tried to remake her style as a blonde space-age kinda queen, a fab chickster from the Andy Warhol’s Factory era.

Madonna Inspirations. Akon liked the “Just Dance” song, and Lovine gave the OK. And put Laurieann Gibson on tap to produce the Just Dance demo even harder for dance mix inspiration, “I heard that this was the new Madonna, so I was like, Okay, let’s hit it, pumpkin.” Madonna being loved by many considered a music legend was drifting away from creating new music, the music industry was in search for a new Madonna-type singer mixed with dance music, and Gaga fit the role immediately, she knew her role like a method type actor, “always on.”

Branding Wardobes. Gaga partnered with Alexander McQueen for creativity of over the top outfits, that the paparazzi took pictures of Gaga every time she made an outing. Gaga was in full costume branding her Lady Gaga presence, having everyone in the public shocked by her clothing wardrobe conceptions, creating stories for journalist to write about.

Digital Media Marketing. Gaga inspired by Andy Warhol’s Factory, created her own social media network called, Haus of Gaga, now called the “little monsters”, which a Twitter-like inspired community of Gaga fans that interaction with each other as well as Gaga herself. Digital brand engagement by Gaga who also is regular on Facebook, Twitter, frequently posting images and reaching out to her fans on Twitter. Gaga also gives contest, free shows, meet and greets to all of her fans at her shows, and Gaga’s shows, they are build being huge productions to the likes of Michael Jackson.

Brand Social Awareness. Gaga supports a lot of causes and groups that support her music heavily, with support groups such as Human Rights Campaign, GLAAD, Born This Way Foundation, HIV and AIDS, which is similar to the Madonna-type inspiration of a philanthropist.

Even with Lady Gaga new-found “360 deal”, she doesn’t own her own material. Interscope Records, Universal Music and Sony/ATV have their hands on the pot as well on how Gaga pulls the strings.

But in the music business, you need personal branding, a different fashion style, maybe some wigs, need to fail a few times, some luck, digital marketing concept, some connections, brand marketing innovation, tons of radio ready dance club singles that can fill an album of songs.