Promo Codes
The Eagles can’t sell out the Hollywood Bowl.
How do I know?
Well, I know. But I’m not the only one. Because they’re advertising on TV! Remember the days when the FM radio station had a special announcement, stating that so and so would be coming to town and tickets would go on sale at 10 a.m. Monday and if you didn’t immediately line up, you couldn’t get a ticket?
Those days are through.
Oh, Taylor Swift sells out. But very few others do. Kenny Chesney papers the stadium. Bruce Springsteen trumpets multiple dates, but there are always tickets available. (And if you want one really cheap, just wait until the last minute and show up at the building, you can get in for almost free!)
Now the Eagles (or just "Eagles", as Henley likes to claim) are playing three gigs at the Bowl, that’s 60,000 seats, and none of them are cheap, but it was only a few years back that they played for a week at Staples, and down in Anaheim too. Do you really need to go again?
Obviously, not.
So how can you fill the building?
That’s what Rapino specializes in. The TM/LN merger is going through, even if Irving Azoff has to sacrifice one of his kids on the altar of Phil Anschutz. It has to, that’s how desperate the two companies are for growth. Hell, look at today’s "New York Post", stating that LN is about to cough up some venues to close the deal
And when it’s all done, Rapino will continue to do what he always has. Overpay the acts, because he has to, otherwise he won’t get them, and figure out ways how to sell more tickets.
No Service Fee Wednesdays… Sit down with Rapino. He’s a realist. He’s got to convince the acts they’re no longer in an adversary relationship. He’s got to get them to take chances, on moving more tickets.
Believe me, we’ve got to sell more tickets. Because, as stated above, almost no one sells out anymore.
There’s a fascinating story in today’s "Wall Street Journal" about promo codes. It caught my eye because yesterday I got a letter from United, stating that if I flew a bunch in the next month I could gain elite status. Didn’t really intrigue me, I fly on American, I’m Gold there, I don’t want to pay no stinking baggage fees, but it alerted me to the games airlines are playing.
Like offering a free ticket plus two domestic-upgrade coupons to members of United’s frequent flier program. It’s limited to Colorado, and there are other restrictions, but for your average tourist, this is enticing.
In other words, business travelers are not going to scour for this kind of deal, they can’t be bothered. But the casual traveler? The casual concertgoer?
That’s who we have to get into the building. The hard core is coming. They’re overpaying to sit up front. But once you get past the first twenty five rows, then what?
You try to build excitement, you try to get people to buy on impulse.
I’ve done it myself. On Tramdock.com. Smith Phenom goggles, for only fifteen minutes. This color sold out. Now this! I’ve got to buy now!
The Eagles have to tweet discounts.
They can start with free music. Most of the people who end up going to the show won’t have their last album, "Long Road Out Of Eden". Or even if they do, how about a live take?
You follow the band. You see for one day only, you can get the MP3 for free. You’re directed to eaglesband.com. Where Henley and company can upsell you, on merch, and try to get you to sign up for their e-mail list, for further benefits.
Today, all the way back seats at the Bowl, which are like watching fireworks in the next town, the lights have dimmed, the band has left the stage, then you hear the boom, then you hear the final notes, are five bucks. Can you imagine people e-mailing their buds? Can you imagine the excitement?
The labels…
Where are the tweets for special offers driving customers to their Websites? Hell, most don’t even have Websites. They just want to bitch that Apple controls pricing. If you want a piece of 360 degrees of revenue, you’re responsible for driving revenue.
The thing about Twitter is it’s immediate. And that’s the essence of music, the immediacy. How do you get someone excited about the track right now, get them to buy right now!
By offering them something special. Now.
If you don’t have a new album, then you offer the aforementioned live cut. Or if you’re Styx, you go to styxworld.com to hear Tommy Shaw explain how he came up with the riff, the backstory of a certain song.
The possibilities are endless.
It’s about bonding with your customers. Dropping the velvet rope and letting them know you’re all in it together. On a regular basis!
How about giving one platinum package away a day or a week. Isn’t that what the Eagles specialize in? Overpriced seats with extras, like backstage access? Yup, you enter today, and the winner gets to go backstage and meet Timothy B. Schmit or Joe Walsh (you know Henley won’t stoop to shaking hands, making small talk.)
Yes, all of this used to be done by the radio station.
But the only radio stations people are dedicated to are those playing singles by acts that will be working at the 7-11 imminently.
If you’ve got a career, nascent or classic, work the new media angles. You’ve got to. In order to survive.
