Britney Spears and.......
have a read off this, this is how pop music works.
A contact at Jive/Zomba Canada has passed on to me a copy of a Strategic Marketing Analysis on the marketing and promotional possibilities leading up to the release of Britney’s third album this Fall.
Goals for Britney Spears third album:
While maintaining Britney Spears performance with the under 20 demo the third album should position her to expand her penetration of the 20 to 34 demo. It is expected that future sales will suffer during the transition as she will lose more sales from the under 20 demo than she will initially gain in the 20 to 34 demo. The short term damage involving this should be offset by continued performance with her fourth and fifth albums she has under contract with Jive.
The expected lower unit volumes make it essential to increase the profit margins per unit. This can best be achieved by maximizing the cost/benefits generated by promotion and marketing spending. This analysis details several options for achieving maximum free publicity and synergies with her Jive financed movie project.
Pepsi has targeted several million dollars in ad buys for their “Joy of Britney” campaign. This will relieve us from the need of paid promotion until closer to the new album release and keep her in the public eye even while she maintains a low profile.
Synopsis on the performance of OIDIA:
With OIDIA having sold over 9 million units in the US and over 16 million worldwide the promotional campaign can be judged a success. The decrease in promotional spending with the end of the Xmas season has seen significant drops in unit sales but higher profit margins generated by the continued steady sales of OIDIA and BOMT (combined worldwide sales averaging 60,000 + units per week).
The use of lower cost promotional opportunities to shift the Britney Spears image can be judged a success. Market research shows that of the acts performing at the Superbowl Britney Spears and Aerosmith generated the most impact with the 20 to 34 demo. As well the “Rock in Rio” incident, although unplanned, also worked in moving her away from a teeny-bopper image. We should discuss with her and her people the possibility of creating similar “spontaneous” outburst in the future. Care must be taken with the development of the scripts so as not to create excessive alienation.
The end of funding independent radio promoters, to push airplay, has led to a significant drop in radio airplay. However, in our judgement the minor benefits in slightly higher album sales does not justify the expense of paying radio stations to play the remaining single releases from OIDIA. Continued care must be taken in not allowing the decrease in radio airplay to affect the judgement of video outlets. Video, much more than radio, will continue to be her most important promotional vehicle.
The decision to make the DLMBTLTK video her least expensive has turned out to be a good one. One inexpensive set, no dancers or special effects does not seem to have dented the popularity among her core video viewing group and the research shows that the video is generating better positives among the 20 to 34 demo than the first 3 videos from OIDIA.
Year 2001 time line:
April 2: DLMBTLTK promoted to radio
April 10: First novel released
March through early July: Continued filming of movie and studio work on new album.
July - August: post-production work on new album and movie.
Late July - August: International promotion.
Late August to Early 2002: Targeted movie release time period. Timing will depend on how to best use the movie release to promote the album, in advance of the album in late summer, in conjunction with the album, or after the Xmas sales season during the weak January movie release time period.
September through November: Fall Tour combined with massive promotional campaign culminating with the HBO concert.
Mid-September: Release of first single and video.
October 23: Targeted release date of new album.
December: Targeted promotional pre-Xmas appearances. Begin the design and rehearsals for the brand new spectacular World Tour 2002. 10 day Xmas break.
January: Final rehearsals for the world tour. Start of tour either in mid-January or late January if the movie is released then.
Promotional options April:
Limited promotion of DLMBTLTK to pop radio, it is not cost effective to spend much promoting airplay when it will not increase album sales. Some promotion of DLMBTLTK to AC radio to reach more of the 20 to 34 demo.
Limit award show appearances to the World Music Awards, in Monaco. Only appear at Nick and Blockbuster awards as a presenter, performer or if she is going to get an award.
Piggy-back on the Random House promotion for her novel. In order to fee up time for the movie and album production encourage the extensive use of Lynne Spears alone for daytime shows such as the Today Show, Regis and Rosie (Katie Couric has expressed strong interest in interviewing Lynne Spears). Limit Britney Spears to select joint appearances and one or two late-night appearances. Let Random House pay for all the promotional costs if possible.
Promotional Options May - July:
Maintain a lower profile. With a possible appearance on the MTV Movie Awards. Try and generate free publicity by leaking Britney’s going to a Madonna concert. Plant rumours of an on-stage appearance and other speculation. This should generate significant press coverage at a low cost and give her fans something to talk about for several weeks. Begin to plant rumours on the Internet about her new album and movie. Select appearances with NSYNC to piggy-back on their promotion in order to maintain a public profile. Perhaps another engagement rumour but this will have to be handled delicately to avoid excessive backlash from NSYNC fans.
Promotional Options August:
Visit secondary international markets that will not be visited in the main album promotion. New Zealand, Australia, Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Taiwan, China, Manila, South Africa, the Persian Gulf. Possible photo-ops - Britney on top of the Sydney Harbour Bridge (if Mandy Moore can get a photo in the Australian papers doing it Britney should get worldwide coverage) - on the Great Wall of China - in front of Table Mountain in Capetown. Check with the Department of Defence on a visit to an aircraft carrier in the Persian Gulf, that would be a huge photo-op, help shift her image plus the sailors would enjoy it.
Late August promotion for movie if it is to be released then.
Film first video.
Introduce new and improved Official Website.
Promotional Options September:
Introduce first single to the world via its premier as a performance on the VMA’s. Release the first single to radio and premier the video 2 weeks after the VMA’s. Combine it with a large TRL promotion. Release a Limited Edition Enhanced Maxi-CD Single containing her new single with remixes, video and an audio/video message promoting the album. With only a few hundred thousand available in the US it should be designed to sell-out quickly. The scarcity will add to its promotional value and whet the appetite for the album.
Pay promotional costs for extensive radio airplay plus agree to joint promotional appearances at major-market radio stations (such as Z-100 in NYC, KISS in LA and KISS in Toronto) if the stations agree to put the new single in heavy rotation.
Begin a Fall tour similar to the Crazy Tour. Possibly add a new feature similar to the mall-tours of the past but targeted at Universities to help shift her image. Something like a College Dance party hosted by Britney on select campuses such as Michigan, UConn., Colorado and a few more.
October Promotional Options:
Suspend tour for major promotional blitz. Go to Europe for appearances in Britain and Germany (the 2 biggest European markets). Host SNL, appear on daytime and late-night talk shows. Rolling Stone cover, EW cover plus extensive press interviews and continuous radio interviews. Album is released following a full week of MTV promotion plus paid advertising to target older demo’s. Canadian promotion the week following the album release.
November Promotional Options:
Resume touring. HBO concert.
December Promotional Options:
End tour in early December. Select appearances at radio stations Xmas concerts that agree to put the second single into heavy rotation. Give Britney 2 weeks off for Xmas.
January Promotional Options:
Rehearsals for the brand new, even bigger World Tour Show.
Appearance at the Superbowl to be held in her hometown of New Orleans and the AMA’s.
Begin world tour in the Southern Hemisphere returning to North America in March.
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