MDNA Promo Discussion - "non-traditional campaign"?

[Guest Coked Up Baby Boy]

I'm not comparing the albums - merely the promotional strategies.

And also, you can compare the AL/COADF scenario to HC/MDNA - she was "hot" again in the beginning of this era. It's just that GMAYL was just so... shit.

Well, in reality, HC wasn't a flop. It only had ONE big single, but the album itself sold over 4 million copies and 4 Minutes was a HUGE single. Everyone i know loved it, even straight men at my Gym were playing it.

Even if MDNA had a big lead single, i don't think it would have been some REBIRTH of a string of hits and the album doing HC numbers anyway tbh. I know some people thought this era would be a return to form as far as sales go, but i honestly didn't expect that at all. She got lucky with HC imo, that whole album could have gone under so badly, but it actually performed well after it was all said and done. AL sold well too, but it was SUCH a particular sounding album, the public not clammering for it wasn't a surprise, whereas COADF was lik this huge LEAP of a success when compared to it. MDNA with a lead single that was big wouldn't have been such a huge leap from HC imo since HC was very much pop music catered to radio, just as much as MDNA is.

But I just don't think the music climate has changed all that much since COADF, apart from a bigger presence of iTunes really.

It's not just that though, look at Rihanna, after all her #1 singles and endless fuckery, her new era is really a big stinker as far as album attention goes. Beyonce had her slump with '4' too, and look at Gaga, her album certainly sold well, but i'm sure even HER single run was a surprise to her. What i meant was, if 25 year olds need to PUSH AND PUSH and try and stay at the same rate with every era, it will only be 10 times harder for someone like M who isn't part of that world anymore. That's a youth orientated market, Madonna isn't connected to the youth anymore, she's Cher to them. Her reach is still great in OTHER forms, but it's.....different for her now.

This entire promo strategy for the era has been a big cock-up.

Oh i'm not disagreeing with your views on promo. The only thing i don't agree with is Bucket flopping because it wasn't shit, she sang that song to 600 million people during the Superbowl and everyone on the planet was free to get that song right away on iTunes, and not a lot did, no one cared for it.

As far as the rest of the era goes though, i agree, the promo campaign should be SO much more in overdrive, 100% agree. I'm just NOT sure if all of it would have resulted in THAT much of a difference at this point though, that's all. Like i said, it's not JUST lack of promo anymore with her, it's so many other factors she can't really control.

[Ai Papi Si.]

Add me to the list of people who think that this era would have only peformed marginally better had she promoted it more. I do think a better lead single would have put her in a way better position, possibly matching Hard Candy's success, but there's no way of knowing.

Managers are problem solvers, Guy has clearly taken Madonna's status for granted and has bypassed a lot of opportunities to keep her winning streak alive. If he's aware of this mistake and he's a smart manager, he will try to remedy this somehow. Or he may just be a shit manager who knows. Either way, like I said earlier, the tour is coming and we are gonna forget all of this. That's what I meant by rendering all this floppage irrelevant- it won't heal the floppage, but it'll help us and a lot of others forget about it.

If he doesn't get a 3rd video made - a good one - then he will officially be useless. It's not that much to ask to at least see the album represented adequately with a complete package regardless of it's success.

[Guest jamesshot]

Add me to the list of people who think that this era would have only peformed marginally better had she promoted it more. I do think a better lead single would have put her in a way better position, possibly matching Hard Candy's success, but there's no way of knowing.

Managers are problem solvers, Guy has clearly taken Madonna's status for granted and has bypassed a lot of opportunities to keep her winning streak alive. If he's aware of this mistake and he's a smart manager, he will try to remedy this somehow. Or he may just be a shit manager who knows. Either way, like I said earlier, the tour is coming and we are gonna forget all of this. That's what I meant by rendering all this floppage irrelevant- it won't heal the floppage, but it'll help us and a lot of others forget about it.

If he doesn't get a 3rd video made - a good one - then he will officially be useless. It's not that much to ask to at least see the album represented adequately with a complete package regardless of it's success.

I can only speak for myself, but I never expected her to have huge sales with MDNA. Possibly platinum if everything went really well but nothing beyond that. Certainly worldwide she could still put up blockbuster numbers but nothing much bigger than HC. She delivered on great music, fun videos and finally performing at the SB then fucked it up with a terrible lead single then followed that up with a poor 2nd single choice and then no promotion. For me, I just wanted the perception of her "being back on top". Her sales are already pretty awesome no matter how you slice it. But the perception now is flop and it isn't fair because it isn't a flop by most standards and she does have control over the perception. I hope I am making sense lol.

[Roland Barthes]

Madonna needs new fresh blood in her team. She has been with the same people for almost 20 years now (Guy, Arianne...) and she needs a reinvention.

Between W.E , Material girl, the perfume, music seems like just another branch of the Madonna brand. When her best and most respected albums were released she promoted them as a musician, like someone who wanted to be taken seriously. Stuck between perfume and cheap shoes, MDNA seems like just another business venture.

[Madsexy18]

since when is almost 1 million in sales in less than two weeks a flop??????

[Get Together]

since when is almost 1 million in sales in less than two weeks a flop??????

THANK. YOU. Jeeeesus, there are some hateful idiots on the internet.

[Guest jamesshot]

since when is almost 1 million in sales in less than two weeks a flop??????

Exactly. But one mother fucker, Roger Friedman, has managed to tarnish her sales accomplishments with one article making it seem illegitimate. Then the stupid ass media, or what passes for the media, picks it up and runs with it.

[scrapple]

She didn't tour in the 90's because she didn't yet cotton on to just how lucrative and important it is to tour for a pop artist. When she reaped the funds after the Drowned World Tour that's when she found out where the real money was at. This whole 'she has nothing left to prove' shit spewed by fans who would happily accept her turd on a plate is simply pathetic. Just because she's an established artist does not mean that she should become complacent or rest on her laurels. It's not a case of fans wanting her to do things their way - it's the case that her album is tanking like a loose haemorrhoid from a 747 window and she is getting bad publicity. She needs to get out there and do some public appearances and performances so that people who can't afford to see her tour will have awareness of her products. It's that simple.

yawn.

[Guest Coked Up Baby Boy]

since when is almost 1 million in sales in less than two weeks a flop??????

I'm guessing people are worrying that the album will kinda stop there, that it may barely reach another million from now or something.

Like i said, we need to stop looking at second week this and that ect, wait till a whole year has passed, then have a panic attack. She'll nab a couple mill album sales and have a good tour and it'll all roll into one decent era most likely. Gaga's sales that followed after her initial couple weeks were so fucking low, but a year on and the album sold 5 million, even if it did it at a snail pace.

[scrapple]

This has nothing to do with being ungrateful and more to do with not wanting an artist (many fans and myself have followed for several years) to blatantly tarnish if not destroy her own reputation and achievements through extremely poor decision making. Personally, I do not buy the whole 'touring makes me feel connected with my fans' crap...if that were the case then why did it take her 8 years to tour between 1993 and 2001? She is doing the tour for the cash plain and simple. This so-called "non-traditional" promotion is clearly not working. Other fans and myself are anxious because we know just how brilliant the MDNA album is! She is allowing these thoughtless decisions to be made time and again and it is a cause for concern for her loyal fanbase. Call us 'melt-down' merchants or whatever you want - we care...or maybe the fact that we give a shit is our biggest mistake and perhaps we should transfer our passion to other artists who make a more worthwhile effort.

yawn.

[Fighting Spirit]

Wow.

Sales don't really mean anything.

People just care about it nowadays because it gives them a chance to throw stones at each other in the name of [insert an artist here].

At the end of the day, this album will be more memorable than Bedtime Stories and Hard Candy.

You guys have no excuse to freak out like that. I would expect this behaviour from Xtina's fans.

Talk about being reductive.

[scrapple]

Lets say, for arguments sake, Madonna decides to cater to her fans demands and goes out and promotes the record on tv. She does Ellen, Letterman, Leno, The Today Show, and American Idol. How many more albums do people think that would sell for her? 10K? 45K? 128K?

[Bill]

Don't be surprised if this is Madonna's last album

[Supernatural]

There is a rumour on another site that the London show will be broadcast live on tv and on big screens around the city. Now that would be

a good idea.)

that's what I was saying a few days ago; after the superbowl they can get a good audience for a live Madonna tour broadcast, if this is what they are looking to do it's a good idea to keep her off tv in between as the novelty of a Madonna performace would wear off... she is as visable as Bigfoot right now (except her obligation to the perfume) this IMO is the only logical explaination.

[reQuiem4adream]

If he doesn't get a 3rd video made - a good one - then he will officially be useless. It's not that much to ask to at least see the album represented adequately with a complete package regardless of it's success.

I still don't see how he will get TUTR to work as a third single. Somebody please enlighten me.

[Supernatural]

Don't be surprised if this is Madonna's last album

are you fucking kidding?

[scrapple]

Don't be surprised if this is Madonna's last album

oh please!

[Guest jamesshot]

Lets say, for arguments sake, Madonna decides to cater to her fans demands and goes out and promotes the record on tv. She does Ellen, Letterman, Leno, The Today Show, and American Idol. How many more albums do people think that would sell for her? 10K? 45K? 128K?

There is no way to ever know. The appearances/ performances would have to connect with the audience. If she gave a bad performance or a bad interview, it would hurt things. We all know M can come across badly in interviews whether it is what she says, how she talks, her non-eye contact. She would have to give interviews or performances that really made people want to go out and buy her record. If she did a kick ass interview where she came off really really well and/or gave a performance that wow'd people then the sky is the limit.

[Barney]

Well it was on TV (even before M was announced) that in London this summer there would be a series of concerts in Hyde park that would be televised (the jubilee/olympics blah blah). Paul macartney, Blur ect Hopefully Madonna. M then came out with a date. It would be a shame for others who would be tempted to watch it so early in the tour. Not many are strong enough to stop themselves.

[Guest groovyguy]

since when is almost 1 million in sales in less than two weeks a flop??????

Top 5 WW

1.Adele 21 5.302.000

2.Lana 1.252.000-10 weeks

3.Coldplay 1.220.000

4.Whitney GH 1.038.000

5.MDNA 922.000-2 weeks

WW

This week's top 2 for year-to-date for 2012 releases:

1. Lana del Rey 1,252,000 (+66,000 included)

2. MDNA 922,000 (+182,000 included)

[Supernatural]

There is no way to ever know. The appearances/ performances would have to connect with the audience. If she gave a bad performance or a bad interview, it would hurt things. We all know M can come across badly in interviews whether it is what she says, how she talks, her non-eye contact. She would have to give interviews or performances that really made people want to go out and buy her record. If she did a kick ass interview where she came off really really well and/or gave a performance that wow'd people then the sky is the limit.

Americans will complain how snooty she sounds with her big intelligent words and fancy pronunciations

[scrapple]

Americans will complain how snooty she sounds with her big intelligent words and fancy pronunciations

of course. and it wouldn't make much of a difference in sales.

[Guest jamesshot]

of course. and it wouldn't make much of a difference in sales.

Well, not if she came across badly but Madonna KNOWS when to turn it on. The woman can be VERY charming when she wants. Sure she might have to actually rehearse her responses ( as so many do) but she is capable of giving an interview which would set off a spark. Esp true of an performance. The thing is, promo is useless unless you do it right. Why is Adele completely blowing away all predictions and expectations? Cuz everything gelled just right. You never know when Madonna will recapture the magic. Maybe she never will but she is very capable of getting people interested in her music ( as opposed to her movies). All it takes is that one interview or that one performance to completely get something huge going ( for good or bad).

[Supernatural]

Why is Adele completely blowing away all predictions and expectations? Cuz everything gelled just right.

well, she's "new", I think with older acts they preach to the converted most of the time.

[Guest jamesshot]

well, she's "new", I think with older acts they preach to the converted most of the time.

True but Madonna has that nostalgia factor that she has never really fully tapped. I'm telling you, Madonna has the potential to have another huge, massive CD. She has so many lapsed fans and she can still attract new ones. If she ever put something together just right, she could find the magic again. Probably will never happen but she has the tools to make it happen. It is too bad the SB performance, while great, didn't quite have the magic she needed. She came close with the LAP ending, though. The only thing that took away from it was the uncertainty of the lip-syncing. That and she shoudda done ROL instead of Music. But that is another discussion. lol

[Guest FuckBuddy]

I'm guessing people are worrying that the album will kinda stop there, that it may barely reach another million from now or something.

Like i said, we need to stop looking at second week this and that ect, wait till a whole year has passed, then have a panic attack. She'll nab a couple mill album sales and have a good tour and it'll all roll into one decent era most likely. Gaga's sales that followed after her initial couple weeks were so fucking low, but a year on and the album sold 5 million, even if it did it at a snail pace.

um...gaga scored a huge worldwide hit right after her album was launched. edge of glory practically sold btw up until autumn, even u+i managed to add some extra sales to its tally in the states. unless there's a hit on mdna that's yet to be discovered, the album should be proclaimed dead and buried already. not trying to be overly dramatic, just plain realistic.

[Ai Papi Si.]

Well on the flip side of that, people thought Hard Candy was going to be a huge blockbuster and blow Confessions out of the water (you can even go back to some of the posts circa 2008 when 4 Minutes blew up to see that), and we all know how that turned out.

The hyperbole in here is a little much. Just enjoy the ride. Madonna could very well be making 2 more albums and saying goodbye in 5 years. That's how much longer she has left on her contract.

[Flip The Switch]

leaving all the mess aside, the best thing about all this is the fantastic album. Thank you M.

[Guest Not4Pussies]

Don't be surprised if this is Madonna's last album

not the last album of her career but the last one for a long while.

[Guest Coked Up Baby Boy]

um...gaga scored a huge worldwide hit right after her album was launched. edge of glory practically sold btw up until autumn, even u+i managed to add some extra sales to its tally in the states.

Yeah, it had a couple hits and like i said, the album STILL SOLD, i'm not criticizing her, but she had bigger plans for the album than she got, lets be honest. She was set to release more singles and she probably thought the singles would all chart like her previous ones too, but the albums life ended shorter than planned. I'm just trying to point out that singles not charting high and an album not selling at the same rate for weeks on end isn't the end of the world for an era. It can make back it's losses in time.

unless there's a hit on mdna that's yet to be discovered, the album should be proclaimed dead and buried already.

When it comes to major singles and booming sales, yeah most likely, but a couple more radio singles/videos and a high profile tour will no doubt push a few more units still over the coming months. America isn't the only country on Earth where she can maintain steady sales, the album hasn't dropped off the face of the planet geez.