Sabrina Carpenter, Pop Sensation and Marketing Genius, Sounds like a Sweet Combination

Photo: Marcelo Endelli via Teen Vogue

“We’ve been starving for a pop star and Sabrina Carpenter is on the menu.”

This is what the internet is saying in response to the young starlet’s iconic outfits, performances, and of course, her music. From her raunchy “Nonsense” outros to casting her real-life boyfriend Barry Keoghan in her most recent music videos, Carpenter is simply doing everything right. She is going viral left and right, and she has risen from Disney child actress/musician to a worldwide sensation overnight. Okay, some of this definitely has to do with the fact that she has been opening for Taylor Swift on the record-breaking “Eras Tour,” but it also has to do with her brilliant marketing strategy. 

Expectation variation and “Nonsense”

“BBC said I should keep it PG / BBC, I wish I had it in me / There’s a double meaning if you dig deep.”

This is just one of the many provocative outros to Sabrina Carpenter’s hit song “Nonsense” that has gone viral. For those who don’t know, Carpenter ends her song, which is one of her biggest hits, differently every time she performs it on stage. Usually, these outros contain one or more suggestive puns meant to shock and bring laughter to concert-goers. At this point, people expect to hear this unique outro whenever they go to a Sabrina Carpenter concert; they want to hear how it is different, how their concert is special, what the outro only they will hear will be. 

It is this anticipation that works so well as a marketing strategy. This strategy is called “expectation variation.” This aptly titled strategy is pretty self explanatory; you set up something for audiences to expect every time they see your show, but you make it exciting by varying that thing every time. The “Nonsense” outro is the perfect example; it is the same song, it happens in the same place every night, but the lyrics always change. On top of that, the lyrics are sexy and provocative, making it easy for these outros to go viral. And they definitely go viral, as Carpenter has amassed millions of views of free promotion for her music every time she performs “Nonsense.”

Photo: @sabrinacarpenter on Instagram

The buzz of “Espresso”

Yes, there was marketing behind the release of “Espresso,” which is being called “the song of the summer”. Shortly after the release of the coffee-themed song, Pop-Crave announced that she was collaborating with a L.A. coffee shop to release a themed coffee. Recently, it has been announced that Carpenter has partnered up with Van Leeuwen Ice Cream to release a limited edition, espresso flavored ice cream. All of this is excellent marketing, especially because ice cream is such a summer staple, as is, now, her song. 

I would also like to take a moment to appreciate, however, how the song “Espresso” demonstrates Carpenter’s pop acumen. With this song, there are no gimmicks or sensational viral moments; there is just a really fun, catchy song and a summery, retro music video. “That’s that me, espresso,” is such a grammatically flawed, strange phrase, and yet it is absolutely brilliant in the context of the song. Carpenter is unafraid to have fun, to be in on the joke, and just to be silly. It is refreshing, and audiences love it.

Photo: @sabrinacarpenter on Instagram

Please Please Please and the Barry Keoghan effect

When we say that Sabrina Carpenter knows how to manufacture a viral moment, we mean it. When Carpenter released her newest single, “Please Please Please,” which will be featured on her new album, Short ‘n Sweet, which comes out on August 23rd, she knew what she was doing. She accompanied the drop of the song with a music video, in which she cast her real-life boyfriend, Barry Keoghan, as the love interest. And then, the internet exploded. All anyone could talk about was Sabrina and Barry. It is especially appropriate that the song happens to be about Sabrina begging her love interest not to embarrass her by betraying her or in any other matter. 

Photo: Dave Benett via Harper’s Bazaar

On the podcast “Chicks in the Office,” the hosts suggested that by casting Keoghan in her music video, Carpenter basically guarantees that the video will age well. Either Keoghan will mess the relationship up in some way, and the world will say that she warned him, or they he won’t, in which case, it’s just a sweet video. It also helps that fans didn’t really like Keoghan as a match for Carpenter before the video, certainly, after the video, Carpenter’s fans are now swooning over Keoghan. Rightfully (in my opinion) recognizing him for the hunk of a movie star that he is.

 All of this aside, the marketing strategy behind this choice, whether intentional or not, worked fantastically. Opting to put your boyfriend in your music video can be controversial; but that’s exactly why this worked so well. Manufacturing a viral moment seems to be Carpenter’s specialty, and we are here for every single one. What will you do next, Sabrina?