Yesterday I wrote a post about Ashanti’s “Universal Crime Network”/”Gotchagram” marketing campaign. Today, the singer and her label announced that she will also launch the “I Declare Me…” online campaign/virtual community on June 3rd.  From the press release:

The campaign’s core is a very personal focus on the self-definition and empowerment of women across the United States, with its home base at Ashanti’s official website. The campaign will create a safe and inclusive on-line space to for women to share testimonies on the site. Participants will be able to openly declare their own breakthroughs, revelations, struggles and victories in every life area they choose: career, birth, death, relationships, and personal situations. “I Declare Me…” also invites women to a virtual discussion with Ashanti on such issues as voter registration, teen obesity, and other concerns facing women today.

Universal Motown and The Inc are really attempting to tap into the power of viral marketing and online communities for this album release.  It will be interesting to see how well the strategy works.