Why is Bono saying sorry??

[TheSweetestEdge]

I guess this video explains it brilliantly,

What Bono Should Have Said - YouTube

 

[mikal]

Well, even if you have auto downloads checked, keep in mind the option is to automatically download new purchases. So I can still see people being annoyed and surprised to see a record they didn't purchase in there.



If you're shopping at the grocery store, someone standing in the isle offering a free sample is one thing; dumping a case of Spam (literally) in your cart uninvited is something else. Yeah, you can always take the Spam out, but why should you have to screw with it in the first place?

Now if it's bottle of Bloody Mary mix I'd be jumping for joy.


The owls are not what they seem.

 

[Nick66]

Now if it's bottle of Bloody Mary mix I'd be jumping for joy.

Bloody Mary is just a vodka and tomato juice rewrite.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Like how Invisible was hailed as a stroke of genius for being made free through iTunes?


Sent from my fingertips.

Yes exactly the same thing. Thank you for your input.

Ugh

 

[owl]

You guys still on this huh?

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Well, even if you have auto downloads checked, keep in mind the option is to automatically download new purchases. So I can still see people being annoyed and surprised to see a record they didn't purchase in there.

If you're shopping at the grocery store, someone standing in the isle offering a free sample is one thing; dumping a case of Spam (literally) in your cart next to your wine and Cheerios is something else. You don't want it there, it's taking up room in your cart, you hate Spam, and you don't remember telling Tesco they could just dump crap in your cart uninvited anyway. Yeah, you can always take the Spam out, but why should you have to screw with it in the first place?



True. There's nothing more punk rock than saying "I'm sorry".

I think a better analogy is when you buy creams/makeup/perfume and after paying when the employee gives you your bag with your purchases you find also samples of creams/makeup/perfume... I love that! And when I don't like any of the free stuff I just don't use it

 

[gvox]

I think a better analogy is when you buy creams/makeup/perfume and after paying when the employee gives you your bag with your purchases you find also samples of creams/makeup/perfume... I love that! And when I don't like any of the free stuff I just don't use it

Great/better analogy, I agree.

And if my grocer dumped a tin of something free in my cart, and I really couldn't see any use I would personally have for it, I'd add it to the tin or two of non-perishables I typically dump in the food bank bin near the exit door or save it for the next charity event so that someone less fortunate could benefit.

Duh.


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Nick66]

I think a better analogy is when you buy creams/makeup/perfume and after paying when the employee gives you your bag with your purchases you find also samples of creams/makeup/perfume... I love that! And when I don't like any of the free stuff I just don't use it

How is that a better analogy? In that case, you actually started the transaction by buying cosmetics in the first place, showed an interest in cosmetics, and had a chance to refuse the bag when she handed it to to you.

I wonder, instead of the new U2 record, Apple dropped an audiobook of the Bible and Koran into everyone's iTunes, if people here would be "grateful" and call those complaining about it "ungrateful babies."

After all, it's just a" gift", and if people don't want those things, they can just delete them, right? What's the big deal?

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

Whether or not people should[/] have been annoyed by the release isn't the issue... they were. Whiney, annoying, spoiled brats... Whatever... It is what it is.

They had great intentions, the intentions were not successful.

 

[Nick66]

Well that's the point...people here love it because they love U2, and despite protestations to the contrary, when you get to the heart of it people are OK with it because they happen to like the content of what they've been given rather than what Apple actually did. Had it been something else, the reaction would be much more divided here (as it is in the rest of the non-U2 fandom world...personal anecdotes aside).

No matter what your intentions, or how irrational people are being, if you're marketing something and they don't like it the problem is yours not theirs.

Though as you said, you're not going to win this argument on a U2 fan site. You might as well say Coldplay > U2 for all the luck you'd have persuading people on this issue.

 

[gvox]

Whether or not people should[/] have been annoyed by the release isn't the issue... they were. Whiney, annoying, spoiled brats... Whatever... It is what it is.

They had great intentions, the intentions were not successful.

But what were those unsuccessful intentions, if we leave this particular album's physical copy sales out of the equation?

- they wanted to put out an album free but still get paid: success

- start/continue a broader discussion on the future of the industry: success

- introduce new listeners to U2 and possibly get some back cat sales: very successful

- hold some nebulous kind of numbers record for free downloads: success

I'm not sure what I've missed but what exactly failed? Public perception? That's all? I mean, Bono can make that happen all on his own by having coffee with the wrong guy! Lol


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Why do u assume a "she employee" handed me the bag?... Only female employees can work at the beauty isles?

anyway you generally don't know that you have free samples till you open your bag

 

[Nick66]

Why do u assume a "she employee" handed me the bag?... Only female employees can work at the beauty isles?

When I said she I was actually referring to a transgenderd male and trying to be respectful of her gender choices. Why do you assume that transgenderd people can't work the beauty isle?

Transgenderphobia is ugly.

 

[Hawkmoon269]

 

[Nick66]

 

[jeevey]

I mean, Bono can make that happen all on his own by having coffee with the wrong guy!

Bono has not had coffee with me yet and boy am I pissed about it.

 

[gvox]

Don't worry about it, your analogy was fine and you have a right to say so without getting ganged up on about it.


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Hawkmoon269]

Don't worry about it, your analogy was fine and you have a right to say so without getting ganged up on about it.


Sent from my ass crack

Thanks

That made me feel better, that's why sometimes I prefer to lurk, I really do not enjoy being bullied

 

[gvox]

Thanks



That made me feel better, that's why sometimes I prefer to lurk, I really do not enjoy being bullied

This is most unfortunate to hear. We need more lurkers to pipe in, to help offset the hot air of the regular windbags - myself included!


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Nick66]

LOL.. so let me get this straight.. You saying my analogy is bad is fine but when I take issue with yours it's being "bullied"...along your implication that my using" she" was somehow inappropriate?

And you need more than one person to be "ganged up" on, so by that definition it's you and Gabe ganging upon me. And I don't like the implication that I'm part of a "gang". It hurts my feelings.

So both of you, please stop bullying me. And ganging up on me. I should be able to make grocery store analogies without being intimidated. Thank you.

 

[corianderstem]

 

[jeevey]

Somebody got up on the wrong side of the bed this morning.

 

[Headache in a Suitcase]

But what were those unsuccessful intentions, if we leave this particular album's physical copy sales out of the equation?

- they wanted to put out an album free but still get paid: success

- start/continue a broader discussion on the future of the industry: success

- introduce new listeners to U2 and possibly get some back cat sales: very successful

- hold some nebulous kind of numbers record for free downloads: success

I'm not sure what I've missed but what exactly failed? Public perception? That's all? I mean, Bono can make that happen all on his own by having coffee with the wrong guy! Lol


Sent from my ass crack

Massive hit on their public perception, more so than anything they've had happen since Pop.

Pop of course also didn't deserve the rap it got, yet got it none the less. But at least that bullshit was about the music, and/or the misconception over what the music actually was... whereas this has totally overshadowed what is, by all accounts, a very good album.

 

[mikal]

But what were those unsuccessful intentions, if we leave this particular album's physical copy sales out of the equation?

- they wanted to put out an album free but still get paid: success

- start/continue a broader discussion on the future of the industry: success

- introduce new listeners to U2 and possibly get some back cat sales: very successful

- hold some nebulous kind of numbers record for free downloads: success

I'm not sure what I've missed but what exactly failed? Public perception? That's all? I mean, Bono can make that happen all on his own by having coffee with the wrong guy! Lol


Sent from my ass crack

Absolutely correct.

/endthread

 

[gvox]

Massive hit on their public perception, more so than anything they've had happen since Pop.

Pop of course also didn't deserve the rap it got, yet got it none the less. But at least that bullshit was about the music, and/or the misconception over what the music actually was... whereas this has totally overshadowed what is, by all accounts, a very good album.

I guess I just don't see that it matters. I think we may be overestimating just how well we thought this music should have been received. In the end tho, the release method isn't realllly the thing that's hurting physical sales, it actually helped boost back catalogue sales a bit, and demand for tickets will remain as high if not higher than always once the tour rolls around. And SOE will likely be fairly well received as well.

It's easy to focus on the negative. But there's still a ton of positive chatter about U2, the album, and now a bit of backlash against the haters..lol


Sent from my ass crack

 

[Reggie Thee Dog]

Agree w/Gabe...the 'backlash' is always there w/U2. Whether it's Bono having dinner w/Bush or Obama or the inevitable HUGE tour, the BIG statements in the music or whatever...backlash finds this band.

That's not a bad thing at all. It means people are talking about them, and in the end that's what you want. Once people are talking then general interest in what's going on with the band will pick up, and the 'casual' fan will look to see what's going on. This will draw them to the new album, and then we go from there. After that there's the tour then seals the deal. There is no bad publicity...as long as the album is good.

 

[mama cass]

And that, sisters, is the best analysis of this release method yet.

 

[mikal]

Another thing this release accomplished is that for the first time, the U2 haters also received a Public Perception hit, and this hasn't been mentioned nearly enough.

Between Conan's skit and articles defending the band along with this group of haters even being placed in the hipster bucket, I'd say it put a dent into the PR hit that U2 received.

How much? Well it's about as difficult to quantity as the actual U2 PR hit that U2 received.

When using actual facts like gvox did earlier, it's much more difficult to call this release strategy a failure.


The owls are not what they seem.

 

[Nick66]

BREAKING: Die-hard U2 fans on die-hard U2 site like getting free U2 record; think rest of world is crazy and ungrateful.

 

[Earnie Shavers]

I guess I just don't see that it matters. I think we may be overestimating just how well we thought this music should have been received. In the end tho, the release method isn't realllly the thing that's hurting physical sales, it actually helped boost back catalogue sales a bit, and demand for tickets will remain as high if not higher than always once the tour rolls around. And SOE will likely be fairly well received as well.

It's easy to focus on the negative. But there's still a ton of positive chatter about U2, the album, and now a bit of backlash against the haters..lol


Sent from my ass crack

My guess is it's not what they expected or wanted, but on what side it washes out certainly remains to be seen.

Things that happen with every U2 release:

Back catalogue bounces back into the charts for a few days/weeks. Strong wrestle between positive and negative reviews, 'chatter' etc. Strengthens next round of ticket sales. No-one gives a shit about the first single.

Best case scenario with this release:

Not only did 10s of millions check it out, but a very healthy % have shown signs of listening to a lot of it and going back to some or all of it quite a bit in the month since. They can also see that a very nice % of that % also have no other U2 albums within their libraries, so good news - potential new fans, new back catalogue sales ahead, and most importantly, ticket$.

With the unique release method they have (as they wished) broken out from the music pages and onto the front pages, and that was overwhelmingly negative and at best did nothing to improve U2's poor general image, at worst buried it further, but fuck it, check those stats above - worth it, will take the consolation prize.

Maybe the icing on the cake is one of the following singles actually getting some airplay, and if not quite being a hit, at least being their first song in over 10 years to get itself really out there and to some degree stand on it's own.

Worst case scenario with this release:

10s of millions checked it out. Or at least checked out a few seconds of a few songs, before mostly either deleting it or showing no signs of having gone back to it since the first few hours after it appeared. The % who are going nuts for it could roughly be translated to something more in line with what they could have expected from a 'very strong/turn back the clock to the early-mid 2000s' regular release. Maybe they've essentially clawed a few people back from the No Line misfire who clearly think this is a bit stronger.

Really believed in the album and thought it would get a hugely positive response. Really believed the release method would be hailed as genius. Really believed there'd be a holy shit wow reaction to both hand in hand. And on the front page, no less. But they hated the release method and are largely indifferent towards the album and this dominated the conversation via the front page, no less, drowning out the regular % of positive reviews and chatter back there on the music pages. U2 still largely considered to be a bloated shadow of their former selves that these days only your middle aged accountant still loves. Fuck.

No-one gives a shit about any of the singles.

Tour will still sell out. Can still afford to operate massive yacht.