When it Comes to Marketing/Promoting the New Album...Should U2

[OrARoundabout]

...take a page out of Coldplay's book?

NOW GOOD PEOPLE OF INTERFERENCE...DON'T YELL AT ME!
PLEASE READ BEFORE YOU RESPOND​

I'm only using Coldplay as an example...I am, in no way shape or form, comparing their damn musical styles. U2 will ALWAYS wins in that debate (Please people). I'm only mentioning some of the tactics used by Coldplay towards the marketing their Album/Singles/New EP and Tour.

You have to admit, even if you are not a Coldplay fan (Which I'm not...really...that much...okay, just alittle), their marketing team has brilliantly executed their entire campaign regarding the music of Viva La Vida.

Here are some things they have done:

-Coldplay has released two songs for free off of their website:
1. Violet Hill
2. Death and All its Friends
3. (One more supposedly on its way)

-Held a free show at Madison Square Garden and Barcelona plus a secret show at the Hammerstein Ballroom 2 weeks ago.

-Released a music video for free off of their website and iTunes:
1. Lovers in Japan (U.S)

-For each show, they reserve between 15 to 35 floor seats, which are given out AT RANDOM to people within the upper level floors. They even perform 3 songs within the crowd, towards the back of the venue.

-Within 6 months of the debute of Viva La Vida, they will release Prospekts March, which features 6 new songs, excluding 3 rumored hidden tracks and two remixs, one called of Lost+, featuring Jay-Z (...Random...)

By the end of June 2008, they had debuted at #1 on almost every major music chart and sold more downloads than any album in digital history, surpassing the previous record held by John Mayer's Continuum. As of November, they have the best selling album of the year. (Not a result of brilliant music making)

COLDPLAY FANS ARE VERY, VERY HAPPY CAMPERS.

I think this approach IS EXCELLENT for any band, especially one FAR BETTER than Coldplay...such as...I don't know...U2.

Everyone wins here, fans are happy, managers are happy cause the record sales have been fantastic (Sound good to you, Paul?) and the band receive free publicity for their little freebies (A drop in the bucket for a band as massive as U2).

In a world where digital download dominates and free of charge downloads of entire albums (A la Radioheads, In Rainbows) is deemed too risky by most...isn't this the best avenue for U2 to take? A free song a couple weeks before the albums comes out, a couple of free shows (Yeah, I know the Brooklyn Bridge was free but I mean in the Garden or something)...a little new material, every couple of months instead of having to wait so long?


Tell me what you think! I want to hear, and surprisingly over at the Coldplay forum, they want to know as well.

 

[pepokiss]

U2 SHOULD look at them and learn something...

WAY better than Radiohead's attempt

and who doesn't love free shows?

 

[OrARoundabout]

^
Thank you...now I feel better. I still have this feeling like I'm going to be attacked. I'm just gunna have to wait and see.

 

[bstrdmonkey]

I think they should offer nothing for free, but donate 100% of all sales physical or digital to red or the one campaign, that would truly buck the system.

 

[burningedge101]

-For each show, they reserve between 15 to 35 floor seats, which are given out AT RANDOM to people within the upper level floors. They even perform 3 songs within the crowd, towards the back of the venue.

I've not heard of this before. This is a really good, fan friendly idea.

 

[last unicorn]

I think they should offer nothing for free, but donate 100% of all sales physical or digital to red or the one campaign, that would truly buck the system.

I don't think that would be a good idea, since there are a lot of people involved that have to be paid.

Apart from that I don't like the idea of anyone publicly declaring how much they are donating to charity.

That said, I'm all for free stuff, but U2 did Brooklyn Bridge, as far as I know that was a free show, and a surprise one. They should also do something like that in Europe.

 

[Clawgrabber]

heck yes! i am all for it. the marketing for viva la vida has been brilliant. don't forget to mention that while violet hill was free before the album, that the single for viva la vida was also a pre album video, making the album have 2 hit songs before it even hit shelves.

and i am definitely all for the idea of putting out another release 6 months later. enough of this 4 year timespan stuff. give me more u2 more frequently.

also don't forget coldplay was on all the major shows: good morning america, snl, conan, letterman, kimmel, etc

an instant digital release like in rainbows just doesn't suit U2 at all, especially after all this work and time. although i would like to see related digital releases in the future, singles with b sides, demos, remixes, maybe a 10 track rarities or "album outtakes" sort of thing...

the more u2 the better, i say.

 

[Salome]

a band U2's size should set the standard
not follow
anyone

 

[intedomine]

Another alternative to the Coldplay/Radiohead digital releases is the Intimacy method.

The success of this metod of release itself is difficult to assess at this stage. It has charted reasonably in Australia.

This Bloc Party album was digitally released within a few days of it's announcement. It had to be pre-ordered by fans online, who paid what I think was a typical physical album price. It began as a ten-track album. evolved into an eleven-track album a month later, with the download of TALONS only available to folk who purchased the inital album.

And just two weeks ago Intimacy was released physically, not just as 11-track album proper, but also for $4 dollars extra, an 11-track album + 2 bonus tracks.

The freebie that was Violet Hill was good marketing in the sense it generated extra publicity for the new Coldplay album, by turning the Violet Hill release into an "event". That's all well and good for someone like Coldplay....

....but for U2, no matter how the first single is released, it will be an "event", ala Vertigo in '04.

A free show at Dublin's Croke Park, ala Coldplay, would go down very well....

The key thing for the U2 marketing department is to consider what potential loss of profit should eventuate as a result of a more traditional physical release, due to leakages and all that.....

 

[U2girl]

also don't forget coldplay was on all the major shows: good morning america, snl, conan, letterman, kimmel, etc

U2 did several TV shows, but most of the fans whined : selling out. I'm sure we will see a download single/EP this time around. I am sensing sell out cries in the event of multiple release versions, kind of like their 00's albums so far...

Also Irving. Plaza. Another FREE show.

 

[Irishteen]

a band U2's size should set the standard
not follow
anyone

You know if a band wants to set a standard for new ideas that have to release a little faster because most of the good new ideas for how to release music has already been done. When someone has already set a good standard why not just follow it?

 

[PowerSurge]

U2 have also been at the forefront of mind blowing and technologically advanced tours for years. They done more than enough to get the "word out" of their music and most importantly their message.

When Coldplay plays at an event of similar importance to Sellafield or a show in war torn Sarajevo or any of the other long list of events U2 have been part of then maybe we can talk, until then lets not confuse the two bands.

 

[Clawgrabber]

U2 did several TV shows, but most of the fans whined : selling out. I'm sure we will see a download single/EP this time around. I am sensing sell out cries in the event of multiple release versions, kind of like their 00's albums so far...

Also Irving. Plaza. Another FREE show.

yes they did, and i tivoed every one of them. people can cry "sell out" all they want, but for a band that is already the biggest in the world, that is insane.

Part of the reason why Pop wasn't as big as it should have been is that (in my humble opinion), they didn't do those rounds in the US, and so everyone here didn't know what to make of that record. i still meet people that say "oh you mean that U2 disco album?"

Maybe if they had played Gone or Discotheque on SNL, that would have been slightly different.

Just a thought.

That's besides the point. Anyone who cries "sell out" about U2 is silly.

 

[Diemen]

For marketing and promoting the new album, U2 should make the music so good that little promotion is needed.

 

[gherman]

U2 wishes they we as good as Coldplay

Discuss...

 

[LemonMelon]

You know if a band wants to set a standard for new ideas that have to release a little faster because most of the good new ideas for how to release music has already been done. When someone has already set a good standard why not just follow it?

good < better

That said, if they absolutely CANNOT come up with ANYTHING original, yes, it would be wise to walk in the footsteps of the successful.

 

[OrARoundabout]

^

I have no doubt whatsoever that U2 will come up with something unique...all I saying is, "Look, this worked for Coldplay...they obviously hit the nail on the head. Look at what they did and bulid upon it".

 

[U2girl]

U2 wishes they we as good as Coldplay

Discuss...

And Oasis are better than the Beatles ? Yes.

 

[Mrs. Garrison]

a band U2's size should set the standard
not follow
anyone

what do you mean, there's only four of them (granted Bono is getting a little bit heavy these days)?

 

[PowerSurge]

U2 wishes they we as good as Coldplay

Discuss...

HA! HA!

I know that its just a silly spelling error, but the resulting "pee" joke made me laugh.

FWIW, U2 are Irish and can "wee" with the best of them.

 

[pepokiss]

it's easier to wee U2 than Coldplay in the snow, you know?

 

[sue4u2]

(granted Bono is getting a little bit heavy these days)?

Well actually, he's gotten thinner..

But who's watching?? other than EVERYONE!!