Why Sexyy Red’s Arena Ticket Sales Aren’t Selling
The merit of evaluating true demand & incubating ideas.
Have you ever been lured on social media to purchase something, and post-purchase realized it was not at all what it appeared to be?
I believe the allure of fame offered by social media drives creators to launch ideas before they are ready for viable public consumption. Tools like iPhone Cameras, Canva, Flickr, Unsplash (just to name a few), and the ability to buy followers equip creators to produce illusions of grandeur when in fact, we could be perfecting our concepts and crafts.
This summer, I was chatting with Raney Antoine, Jr., a noted New Orleans-based Composer, Musician, Producer & Artist Development Adviser, who enlightened me about the brouhaha surrounding Sexy Red’s ticket sales. So, I hit Google to read up on the haps.
A July 9th The Root.com article cited that “According to Touring Data on X, only 37 percent of tickets have been sold of the rapper’s “Sexyy Red 4 President” tour, which is scheduled to start next month. This is the rapper’s second headlining tour, but due to low ticket sales, it’s been rumored that Redd might be forced to cancel some shows.”
“Superstars have historically been built. Whether it’s through a grass-root team or label. Unfortunately, building the star is only the first step. The fan base must also be built just as intently. Many artists have issues garnering attention for their music releases and selling concert tickets. Developing both a strong product and plan are integral in entertainment industry success. Unlike other industries, we can’t “recall” a creative product, especially with a popular artist. The internet keeps all the receipts.,” says Raney Antoine, Jr. Professor of the Practice of Hip-Hop and R&B, Loyola University New Orleans.
Regardless of any personal opinions of Redd and her music, what resonated with me was the value of young artists incubating their music, and growing a true fan base over time. There is some rhetoric that the media is pushing Red more on listeners than listeners are demanding her. This begs the question of “is there sufficient demand for Red?” And if there is demand, have we truly qualified and quantified the demand outside of YouTube and IG likes and clicks. Her content is quite sensational, so much of the demand may be more out of intrigue than interest. As a marketer, I question what market research was done before to determine audience size and ticket price benchmarks.
Back in the day, artists had to be developed. I remember Summer ’94 at Atlantic Records, where I interned, and we were developing Brandy. This was the Summer we released “I Wanna Be Down.” There was an incredible amount of time, money, energy and effort in growing her as a talent and her fan base through local radio and appearances.
The nature of creators is to create. Whether it is music, art, events, jewelry, houses, anything at all. The creative process can be so intoxicating. We creators spend innumerable waking & sleeping hours creating, noodling, editing, and revisiting our creations. I know this first hand with events I create and curate, and articles I write, and also have witnessed the joy of family & friends who create music and art. We are birthing little babies through our crafts and are giddy to share with the world. Social media presents us the opportunity to get instant feedback. Also, creators also know that you’re never really done. I play tinkerbell ALL the time with my creations until someone says “time is up.”
Today, social media tempts us to believe that we can skip steps. We believe we can go from creation to launch. And we have seen actual instances of becoming famous, noted, and rich — all overnight. Reading of the issues with Red’s ticket sales reminded me that we should resist the invocation of fame, of living large in favor of growing our brands, perfecting our crafts and taking the stairs vs the express elevator to the top. The elevator is fast, shiny & costly. The stairs allow less visible stumbles and recoveries. They both have the same destination, but when you take the stairs in all aspects in life, often you know the way more, you’re wiser, more secure and set up for longevity.
Be where you are. Bloom where you are planted. Grow steadily.
Create, incubate and launch when truly ready for the playing field of your business plan.
Article Sources:
https://www.theroot.com/its-not-too-late-to-buy-your-tickets-sexyy-redd-says-h-1851583730
Olivia F. Scott is Assistant Professor of Marketing at Loyola University, Adjunct Marketing Professor at NYU, Founder of Omerge Alliances Marketing Consultancy and Freedom at The Mat. Learn more at oliviafscott.com.
