Obviously The O2 and its owners AEG think so and I hope they are right. But what damage will be done to their reputation if Michael Jackson is a disappointment?
I, like millions of others, watched the lengthy ad on ITN at the weekend designed to stir up those of us who witnessed Michael Jackson’s finest performances and have remained fans ever since.
It had the desired effect. I was propelled to think about how I could get tickets to see the great man in July.
And then sense prevailed and, I’m afraid, a certain cynicism set in.
Yes, he was fantastic. But is he still? Everything would suggest that he isn’t, but oh how I would love to be proved wrong. But, imagine the disappointment if I go along to watch and he’s just not up to it. (I had a similar secret dread about Tina Turner last week but happily she was everything she always has been and the show was simply the best).
Then my sponsorship and marketing brain got working. Hadn’t Pepsi had an unfortunate relationship with Jackson some years back when it became an embarrassment to be associated with the performer? Is AEG taking a similar risk?
How much must AEG have paid to get him to commit to ten performances? Or, maybe, he’s so short of money and desperate to rekindle his fans’ spending power that AEG’s outlay wasn’t as great as I first supposed.
Will he last for 10 performances? What insurance does AEG have if he doesn’t? Will punters get their money back if he can’t last the pace? Would a fallout damage AEG’s reputation? The questions are endless and the risks are high.
And, last but not least, my practical side took over and I was left thinking what a nightmare it must be for whoever is responsible for putting together the crisis communications plan. Good luck to them I say.
By Karen Earl on March 10th, 2009
Tags: ITV, Music, Public relations, Sponsorship, Television
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Completely agree but more than a million people (who have already pre-registered to buy tickets for the London O2 gigs) can’t be wrong. Surely? It must be said, when you see the state of some of his die-hard fans, you have to seriously wonder. And will he manage more than a few lines of ‘We Are the World’ this time?
However, it almost certainly will be the last chance to see him live (debatable) in London. And for that reason alone, I fear that I may go against my better judgement and get caught up in the whole emotion to get tickets for one of the shows.
As the man himself would say, “When I say this is it, I really mean this is it.” Probably.
Jacko in my eyes will always be the King of Pop; however I am not prepared to take the gamble that these concerts will not live up the History Tour I went to at the old Wembley Stadium.
I truly hope that he does prove me wrong, however with PR stunts such as the sympathetic phone call to Jade Goody (have they ever met before..?)and the 2am text message I received from O2 this morning promoting the concert (twice!), I won’t be buying into the hype this time around.
If we weren’t sure he would last 10 performances, questions certainly arise as to how he will cope with 50 nights at the O2. If you believe the promoters, tickets for the concerts sold at a rate of 11 per second. Impressive stuff for a man of 50 with a history of ill health and who has not completed a tour in 12 years.
I just hope he surprises us all…even if the moonwalking is a little slower than in his heyday.
Since writing about Jacko, I have heard from a very reliable source that he wanted to do 100 nights! The promoters thought 50 nights were sufficient.
I can only assume he is really on his uppers to have suggested 100 performances.
I went to the O2 last week and was met at the top of the escalators by a very happy woman wrapped in a duvet. She’d just got her tickets. There were literally hundreds of people still queuing to try and get theirs.
I began to wonder if my scepticism was misplaced or did someone know something I didn’t? Or was it just a case of “hope springs eternal”.
Whatever the outcome, the promoters were right. Rarely has there been such a talking point in entertainment and the world really will be watching on July 8th.