MY Choices for TIME Magazine's 2024 Person of the Year

In December, TIME Magazine announced its choice for its annual Person of the Year recognition. Since today is Inauguration Day of the new American President, I thought it would be an appropriate day for me to share MY choices for TIME's Person of the Year.

SNOOP DOGG

Rapper, actor, record producer, and entrepreneur Calvin Cordozar Broadus Jr., better known by his stage name of Snoop Dogg, re-imagined his personal brand during 2024 by becoming a judge on the NBC TV show, "The Voice;" appearing in a myriad of television ads for T-Mobile; and serving as a commentator at the Paris Summer Olympics - with special dressage clothing with his friend Martha Stewart.

Snoop has said, "As a kid born in the 1970's, my mom used to put on a TV show called Charlie Brown. And there was a character on there named Snoopy. And I used to love him to death. And my mama said I started to look like him so much 'cause I watched him all the time, and that's what they used to name me."

Snoop spoke with CNBC's Maria Bartiromo in 2019, about how social networking has become an important means to further his brand. "I realize that that's the key nowadays. You have to be in the media as far as with the Internet and the social activity that's goin' down with the computers nowadays. So, I try to have my hands in everything that's movin', you know, from YouTube to MySpace to Twitter to, you know, whatever is popping, I'm tryin' to get involved with it and make sure that my name and my brand is on it. And I make it personal so it's not somebody doin' it for me. It's me doin' it in actuality."

SIMONE BILES

Simone Biles added more medals to her count during the Paris Summer Olympics to become the greatest athlete of all time in gymnastics. Following her withdrawal from the 2021 Summer Olympics citing mental health concerns, she competed in Paris in 2024 to earn four medals (the silver medal in floor exercise and three golds in the vault final, team, and all-around). Her 11 Olympic medals and 30 World Championship medals make her the most decorated gymnast in history.

ARIANA GRANDE AND CYNTHIA ERIVO

These two actresses and singers star in the film version of the musical Wicked, which takes place before the story of The Wizard of Oz. Fans eagerly awaited the film's arrival in theaters on November 22nd. 

According to Variety, "Universal's adaptation of Act One of the popular Broadway musical was number one in North America with $114 million from 3,888 theaters over its first weekend...Wicked, directed by Jon M. Chu and starring Ariana Grande and Cynthia Erivo, landed in theaters after more than a decade in development and a promotional push (including 400 brand partnerships) that rivaled the ubiquity of Barbie. Universal needed the song-and-dance film to strike a chord with moviegoers because Wicked: Part Two, which chronicles the musical's second act, arrives on the big screen in November 2025. The two films cost a combined $300 million to produce, not including the mega marketing budget."

Ariana Grande-Butera is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Regarded as a pop icon, she is an influential figure in popular music and is known for her four-octave vocal range which extends into the whistle register. She began her career as a child actress by appearing in the Broadway musical "13" in 2008. She signed with Republic Records and released her retro-pop and R&B-influenced debut studio album, Yours Truly in 2013, which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200.

Cynthia Chinasaokwu Onyedinmanasu Erivo is a British actress and singer. She has received several accolades, including a Daytime Emmy Award, a Grammy Award, and a Tony Award, as well as nominations for two Academy Awards and four Golden Globe Awards. She is one of the few artists to receive nominations for the EGOT. She made her West End (London theater) debut in the stage musical The Umbrellas of Cherbourg in 2011.

KAMALA HARRIS

When Kamala Harris made history (or HERstory) when chosen by Joe Biden and eventually becoming the first female Vice President of the United States (and also the first Black woman and the first woman of Indian heritage in that role), she said on November 7th, 2020, "While I may be the first woman in this office, I will not be the last — because every little girl watching tonight sees that this is a country of possibilities."

When President Joe Biden decided to end his candidacy for re-election after a poor June 2024 debate performance, he endorsed Kamala Harris to run as the Democratic nominee. Harris stepped in and ran an inspiring campaign. Not every politician could have done that. She earned the support of Biden's backers, and in a short time, she raised millions of dollars.

While the election winner was not what half the country wanted, Harris said in her concession speech, "I will never give up the fight for a future where Americans can pursue their dreams, ambitions, and aspirations. Where the women of America have the freedom to make decisions about their own body and not have their government telling them what to do. We will never give up the fight to protect our schools and our streets from gun violence. And America we will never give up the fight for our democracy, for the rule of law, for equal justice, and for the sacred idea that every one of us, no matter who we are or where we start out, has certain fundamental rights and freedoms that must be respected and upheld.

And we will continue to wage this fight in the voting booth, in the courts and in the public square. And we will also wage it in quieter ways: in how we live our lives by treating one another with kindness and respect, by looking in the face of a stranger and seeing a neighbor, by always using our strength to lift people up, to fight for the dignity that all people deserve. The fight for our freedom will take hard work. But, like I always say, we like hard work. Hard work is good work. Hard work can be joyful work. And the fight for our country is always worth it. It is always worth it. To the young people who are watching, it is okay to feel sad and disappointed. But please know it's going to be okay. 

...And I'll close with this. There's an adage a historian once called a law of history, true of every society across the ages. The adage is, only when it is dark enough can you see the stars. I know many people feel like we are entering a dark time, but for the benefit of us all, I hope that is not the case. But here's the thing, America, if it is, let us fill the sky with the light of a brilliant, brilliant billion of stars. The light, the light of optimism, of faith, of truth and service."

Who would you have chosen if you were the Editor of TIME Magazine?

Image Credits: Kapwing.com (TIME template), REUTERS/Brendan McDermid (Kamala Harris), Variety via Getty Images (Cynthia Erivo and Ariana Grande of WICKED, PA Images via Getty Images (Snoop Dogg), and Mike Blake/REUTERS via CNN Newsource (Simone Biles).

Read the full transcript of Kamala Harris' speech:

https://time.com/7173617/kamala-harris-concession-speech-full-transcript/

Listen to "Defying Gravity" from Wicked's soundtrack:

https://youtu.be/qeqj5GnoFUY?si=P0DfRafBl10-Ky0M

Marketing News of the Week: Color of the Year and Person of the Year

This was a big week for marketing news. The week began with the official announcement by TIME Magazine of its Person of the Year for 2023; and later in the week, the Pantone color company announced its color of the year for 2024. With all the chaos in the world including the continuing effects of the Covid pandemic, the war in Ukraine, the conflict in the Middle East, and the holiday season, this news was welcomed by those of us in the marketing field.

According to Wikipedia, "The Person of the Year (called Man of the Year or Woman of the Year until 1999) is an annual issue of TIME Magazine, the American news magazine and website, featuring a person, a group, an idea, or object, that for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year."

Wikipedia explained, "Taylor Swift is a singer-songwriter whose 2023–2024 Eras Tour is set to become the highest-grossing concert tour of all time - and then it was filmed and released as a movie! Accompanied by a fan frenzy called Swiftmania, the tour's social effects are considered an outcome of Swift's wider influence on 21st-century popular culture. The Eras Tour, as Swift's first tour following the COVID-19 lockdowns, caused an economic demand shock fueled by the public's increased affinity for entertainment. It recorded unprecedented ticket sale registrations across the globe. The first sale in the United States crashed [Ticketmaster] controversially, drawing censure from bipartisan lawmakers, who proposed implementation of price regulation and anti-scalping laws at state and federal levels."

According to Pantone: "PANTONE 13-1023 Peach Fuzz captures our desire to nurture ourselves and others. It's a velvety gentle peach tone whose all-embracing spirit enriches mind, body, and soul."

According to Leatrice Eisemen, Executive Director of Pantone Color Institute, "In seeking a hue that echoes our innate yearning for closeness and connection, we chose a color radiant with warmth and modern elegance. A shade that resonates with compassion, offers a tactile embrace, and effortlessly bridges the youthful with the timeless."

Do you agree with these choices? Should TIME have chosen a different person or persons? Should Pantone have picked a different color?

Here are some marketing implications of these choices. First, it appears that Swift-inspired courses focused on her music and impact on culture and the economy will be offered at major universities including Harvard University, Stanford University, the University of California at Berkeley, Arizona State University, Rice University, and the University of Florida. But is her popularity sustainable? Is she comparable to Elvis and Frank Sinatra in their generations of fame and star power? Can her personal brand continue to generate financial success for cities where she performs?

And what about the color peach fuzz? Is it the color of any well-known brand? Other than the Peach Bowl, Inc., the organization that owns and operates the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl, the annual college football game played in Atlanta, Georgia, every December since 1968, I cannot think of any peach logos. Will your brand add peach to its logo during 2024? And as for fashion, peach is not a good color on anyone!

I wrote about my choice for TIME's Person of the Year in November because one story dominated the news during 2023: America's Striking Workers. During 2023, labor strikes happened on a regular basis: TV writers and actors, hospitality workers in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, airline pilots and flight attendants, the United Auto Workers, healthcare workers, and public school employees. In addition, the BARBIE movie was big news during July 2023, and King Charles II began his reign in earnest during 2023.

In addition to these big marketing announcements this week, there were two other pieces of marketing news. First, in response to TIME's announcement, the Empire State Building's social media team playfully shared a post on Twitter/X naming it as "Building of the Year." And, for those of you who share my fondness for the MONK television series, the wonderful group of actors led by Tony Shalhoub have returned for a movie on Peacock.

What do you think the color of the year will be for 2025? And who do you think the Person of the Year for 2024 will be? Watch 2024 carefully for clues.

Image Credits: Pantone, TIME Magazine, the Empire State Building, and Peacock TV.

My Choice for TIME Magazine's 2023 Person of the Year on #DebbieLaskeysBlog:
https://www.debbielaskeysblog.com/2023/11/my-choice-for-time-magazines-2023.html

Official Pantone link:
https://www.pantone.com/color-of-the-year/2024

Official TIME Magazine link:
https://time.com/6342806/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift/

How TIME Chose Taylor Swift:
https://time.com/6342816/person-of-the-year-2023-taylor-swift-choice/

You Can Study Taylor Swift at These Colleges:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/these-colleges-have-taylor-swift-classes/

Ivy League Era: Harvard To Offer Course on Taylor Swift:
https://www.bestcolleges.com/news/harvard-to-offer-course-on-taylor-swift/

My Choice for TIME Magazine's 2023 Person of the Year

At the end of each year, TIME Magazine announces its person of the year. Some recent recipients of this honor include President Joe Biden, Vice President Kamala Harris, President Volodymyr Zelensky of Ukraine, businessman (and Twitter killer) Elon Musk, and the Silence Breakers who spoke out against sexual abuse and harassment. In 1982, "The Computer" was named "Machine of the Year" to herald the dawn of the Information Age.

According to Wikipedia, "The Person of the Year (called Man of the Year or Woman of the Year until 1999) is an annual issue of TIME Magazine, the American news magazine and website, featuring a person, a group, an idea, or object, that for better or for worse has done the most to influence the events of the year."

So who made news during 2023? Certainly, the Ukraine/Russia conflict has continued to make news, and the recent Israel/Hamas conflict has made news. But there is one story that continues to dominate the news, and I bet it will win this year's honor: America's Striking Workers.

During 2023, labor strikes happened virtually EVERYWHERE and by nearly EVERYONE.

"This is certainly the biggest moment for labor, and the most active period that I've seen in my career," explained Sharon Block, executive director at Harvard Law School's Center for Labor and a Just Economy.

"Altogether, there have been 312 strikes involving roughly 453,000 workers so far in 2023, compared with 180 strikes involving 43,700 workers over the same period two years ago. This is a pretty considerable uptick relative to the rest of the 21st century. With each successful outcome, other labor actions are more likely to follow. Strikes can often be contagious," said Johnnie Kallas in late October. Kallas is a PhD candidate at Cornell University’s School of Industrial and Labor Relations and the project director of the ILR Labor Action Tracker.

According to CNN, in late March, "Service Employees International Union Local 99 represents 30,000 school custodians, cafeteria workers, bus drivers, and other student services staff at Los Angeles schools. The 3-day strike that kept a half-million students out of classrooms this past week has ended, but that happened even before the union announced a tentative labor contract on Friday. Still, the union’s success is another sign of why short-term strikes like it are surging nationwide."

Professional writers (represented by the Writers Guild of America) were on strike from May through September. In New York and Hollywood, major celebrities walked in solidarity with the WGA for weeks; comedian and game show host Drew Carey paid more than a half-million dollars to feed striking writers in California for months.

The SAG-AFTRA actors' strike began in July, effectively stopping the entertainment industry from doing any business. This was the first time that both SAG-AFTRA and the WGA went on strike together since 1960. (The Screen Actors Guild-American Federation of Television and Radio Artists is an American labor union that reflects the 2012 merger of SAG and AFTRA and represents approximately 160,000 media professionals worldwide.) The strike showed signs of ending last week.

According to Forbes, in June, "Hospitality workers at 61 hotels in Los Angeles and Orange County authorized a strike with 96% of members voting yes. Contract negotiations had broken down in April, and the union’s contracts with the 61 different hotels expired on June 30. The workers officially walked out on July 1. The workers, who are represented by Unite Here Local 11, were striking for better wages, healthcare benefits, a pension, and safer workloads. The union also sought to create a hospitality workforce housing fund (paid for via a proposed tax to be levied on hotel room sales and home-sharing), as rising housing costs had forced many workers to move farther away from their jobs requiring long commutes. Meanwhile, hotel profits have soared, particularly after receiving billions in federal bailout money during the pandemic."

In June, workers at 150 Starbucks stores across the United States went on a week-long, staggered strike to protest the company's removal and ban on LGBT pride decor - June is Pride Month. The strike followed an unfair labor practices charge, filed June 7 with the National Labor Relations Board, amid worsening treatment of LGBTQ+ employees. On June 26, Starbucks issued a press release promising to offer clearer guidelines surrounding the display of LGBT decor policy in response to the strike.

In July, the package delivery company United Parcel Service (UPS) narrowly averted a strike at the eleventh hour that would have been the largest single-employer labor stoppage in US history due to its number of 350,000 full- and part-time workers.

In July, Southwest Airlines pilots were on the picket line at BWI Thurgood Marshall Airport in Baltimore. The Southwest Airlines Pilots Association (SWAPA) says they have been trying for three years to reach an agreement with the airline, and 99 percent of union members voted in May in favor of a strike. Southwest pilots also picketed at Los Angeles International, Hartsfield Jackson International (Atlanta), Houston Hobby and Chicago Midway airports.

Also in July, flight attendants at American Airlines voted to strike while fighting for a new contract with pay raises and more staffing on flights.

Then, the United Auto Workers (UAW) launched a targeted strike against Ford Motor Co., General Motors, and Stellantis in the early hours of September 15. Since then, more than 30,000 workers have been off the job at 44 facilities across the United States and Canada. On September 26, President Biden walked the picket line in Belleville, Michigan, in favor of the striking auto workers, and met with UAW president Sean Fain. The strike showed signs of ending last week.

In October, more than 75,000 health-care workers walked off the job at Kaiser Permanente, the nation’s largest non-profit health-care organization, driven in part by demands for higher pay in the midst of staffing shortages, which left employees burned out.

According to Reuters, tech workers at the New York Times went on strike for half a day on Monday, October 30, because they accused the publisher of attempting to unilaterally force them back to the office. Nearly 700 workers held demonstrations on Zoom and outside the company's headquarters in Manhattan.

According to the BBC, "The American strike culture may continue if workers increasingly see that these movements work."

And what about from a marketing perspective? Are customers and fans more likely to support these brands because workers went on strike? Do they agree with workers' demands? Or are they simply striking "in spirit" alongside workers because they cannot go on strike from their own jobs?

What do you think? Do you agree with my choice for TIME Magazine's 2023 Person of the Year? Only a short time until TIME makes its official announcement!


While compiling this lengthy list, I found an interesting book by Kim Kelly entitled, "Fight Like Hell: The Untold History of American Labor." One review explains, "Inspirational, intersectional, and full of crucial lessons from the past, Fight Like Hell shows what is possible when the working class demands the dignity it has always deserved."
Check it out on Amazon at: https://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1982171057?tag=simonsayscom

For a full list of all recipients of the TIME Magazine Person of the Year honor, check out this link:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Time_Person_of_the_Year

Image Credits: TIME Magazine and Refresh Financial.