PLANNING: HOW MY BAND DEVELOPED ITS STAR BRAND

 Miley Cyrus has rapidly transformed  from a child pop star to a much more provocative and mature solo act. A lot of child stars fade from fame as they grow and later re-emerge as developed adults, but Cyrus is different, because she never really left the spotlight. We’ve been watching her grow up and define herself as an adult.

The daughter of country singer Billy Rae Cyrus, she has had minor roles in television series throughout her childhood. Cyrus rose to prominence as a teen idol after appearing on the Disney channel: this is significant because her audience and fan base grew to have certain expectation that she would remain the wholesome innocent star that she started out as. She then signed a recording contract with Disney-owned Hollywood records in 2007 where she combined Hannah Montana the TV Disney series with her music career. The soundtrack became a number 1 in the USA. By the time she was 18 she had seven top ten hits on billboard hot 100.

Cyrus said that Britney Spears has been powerful influence for her, which makes sense. Spears topped the charts when Cyrus was growing up. "The way I am about Britney," Cyrus said in the documentary, "that’s the way a lot of people are about me. She was my first record. I was a lot of people’s first album. First idol. I’ll be a die hard fan for Britney, always.”

Source: E Online. http://goo.gl/yyEzxp 26.08.13

Cyrus has developed her brand through being active on social networks, and even visited Twitter headquarters in San Francisco. Cyrus artfully juggles being a celebrity and being a regular person. She regularly interacts with the media and with her fans, but makes sure to take time for herself. CLICK HERE TO VIEW MILEYS TWITTER PAGE

In 2007 she went on tour with the Jonas brothers, another pop sensation . Tickets sold out in minutes. On the conclusion of the tour Walt Disney Pictures released Hannah Montana and Miley Cyrus 'Best of both worlds'. It earned over $31 million. 

In 2009 Cyrus launched her clothing line and was promoted with her first play.  
In 2008  she began transitioning into an adult image, she negotiated a film deal introducing her to an older audience.
In 2012 generated media attention after cutting her traditionally long brown hair in favour of a pixie style haircut. 

If there’s one thing we learnt from MTV's Video Music Awards (VMAs), it’s that Cyrus is a very different person than the adorable little girl we once knew. The VMAs were the moment when the world realised just how different she’d become. Cyrus made it clear that she doesn't regret her decisions, and that she's dedicated to being true to herself.

Speaking about her performance at the VMAs, Cyrus said, "I am very comfortable with sexuality. I like pushing the boundaries." This could be applied to the rest of her transformation. Her recent hits, "We Can’t Stop" and "Wrecking Ball," both displayed the ways in which she’s changed over the past few years.

                                                        (VIDEO HERE) 

The fashion and documentary photographer Terry Richardson has helped to rebrand Cyrus from squeaky clean Hannah Montana on the Disney Channel to pouting provocateur. In a recent set of shots he has her doing something suggestive with a fizzy-drink can. Sineas O'Connor wrote an open letter to Cyrus urging her not let the music industry "make a prostitute" out of her.