Octagon to market Russia’s answer to Britney Spears

Octagon, the sports and entertainment marketing agency, has been given the task of making Russian teenage singer Alsou an international pop megastar to rival Britney Spears.

The 18-year-old was discovered in 1998 and holds the record for Russia’s biggest selling single; she is also Russia’s first major pop export.

Alsou has a record contract with Mercury in the UK, which is part of a global deal to promote the singer.

Octagon aims to market her as an “ultra funky chick”, to coincide with the launch of an album later this year.

A spokeswoman for Octagon says: “Octagon wants to replicate the success of Britney Spears and then take it to another level.

“She’s the first Russian artist that has been signed internationally, which is probably a reflection of the strong cultural differences between East and West.”

Octagon has been involved in entertainment since January and has signed up other acts including world-famous guitarist Carlos Santana.

Octagon’s main specialist area is in sport, managing icons such as tennis star Anna Kournikova, as well as buying the rights to major events.

In June, it launched a cause-related marketing service, forming part of the consulting division within Octagon Marketing.

The company has also developed a research tool, The Sponsorship Effect, which it claims is the first to measure accurately the effectiveness of sponsorship.