InMyStateOfMind.com

written by Edwin St. Fort

this article is also shown at WoooHa.com

Before I Self Destruct debuted number 5 on the Billboard charts, selling 160,000 copies in its first week of sales, 46,000 of which were digital downloads. The album came packaged with incentives such as the Jam Master Jay documentary 2 Turntables And A Microphone and 50 cents own film Before I Self Destruct which was produced by his production company Cheetah Vision. The second week of sales resulted in 66,000 copies and the third week of sales brought in 30,000 copies.

This release is 50’s lowest debut compared to Get Rich or Die Tryin’ which sold 872,000 copies, The Massacre selling 1.1 million and Curtis selling 691,000 copies in the first week of sales. Several factors effected the outcome of this album. For starters BISD changed its released date several times which could resulted in consumer confusion and mistimed marketing. It was supposedly set for release early 2009 but Interscope decided to focus on Eminem’s anticipated release of Relapse. It was stated for a Fall 09 release where 50 could have possibly faced Jay-Z in September on the Billboard charts, but the label decided to push it back.

October would have been the perfect month for release, 50’s Behind The Music VH1 special aired to over 2.2 million viewers making it the highest rated premiere episode since the year 2000. That same month 50 held “This Is 50 Festival” at The Beach of Governors Island in New York. The roster included G-Unit members, Kid Cudi, Wale, Manio, Jim Jones, D-Block and more. Initially that month would have been used to promote the album effectively but the label decided on a November date to capitalize on Black Friday sales.

Unfortunately the album was leaked on the internet on October 28 a month before its planned November 23,2009  release date. The marketing plan changed, pushing up the album to a November 16 release and was made available on iTunes November 6, 2009. 50 responded to the album leak and the effect it had on sales during a interview with radio personality  Jenny Boom Boom.

“How can I focus on album sales now when it’s to the point where my record is released four weeks before schedule. The marketing, everything that’s planned to sell the actual record, is happening four weeks late, now that the record is out a month early. You know, those things are happening after they had an opportunity to hear it and it’s confirmation to the doubters that the record wouldn’t be good.”

Lets recap the marketing campaign behind BISD. Jay-Z’s Blueprint 3 campaign revolved around strategic partnerships where as 50 promoted his album through social media. Read the rest of this entry »