The success of concert/events many times depends on a number of factors that may be over powered by the mode of marketing and advertising for that given concert. Flops of concerts are usually due to a few reasons/weaknesses that never get sighted.
Imagine!!!, For more than 3 years, a promotions company can run flopping concerts for the same artist in the same venue with hope that each other time will be a great success, and end up frustrated in the third year. Since sometimes the success never comes at all. Here are the top 8 possible reasons for flop or success of a concert.
1. Pride/The funny behavior
For one or more reasons, Musicians tend get excited over little success. With one hit song, a collaboration with big artists, or big signing, an artist may change attitude and perception towards his/her fans. Actually some artists many times mistake good songs for fans, yet it takes more than the good music, videos and promotion for your brand to make successful events. As long as one has good music, good videos playing on Channel O, MTV, they tend to think that they don’t need the fans and only remember when it is too late to prevent a flop. Pride, Village Swagga are bad.
2. Promoter(s)/Sponsors/Partners
Some sponsors seriously mind about having a flopped concert under their brand name. As well, many just mind about making appearance for any concert in Radio/TV, Banners, and Billboards adverts and thus promote their brand behind curtains of hit making artists. When you get one sponsor of the kind that doesn’t mind a flop but their own brand, you might go wrong.
On the same note, the popularity and good reputation of your event organizer and promoter matters so much. Sometimes it only takes saying HiPipo.com is managing my concert and fans will flood your show. This also comes to your partners, their history, experience, reputation and positive attitude towards the concert since you will need their advice and motivation as well in the marketing and planning period.
3. Culture
When fans appreciate that a good event takes place every after a given time in a particular place, they will always attend and encourage new friends to attend with them for the next concert. In this case, you can never see Bebe Cool’s shows in Kiwatule flop during Easter and Christmas holidays. Bobi Wine in Busaabala will be sure of 1000s of fans no matter how long he has taken doing his concerts there every Easter and Christmas. The culture of music fans to go to Busaabala has grown so fast just like it was days back when Sandy beach Nabugabo in Masaka was still booming.
Judith Babirye was used to launch from church and now year by year people will learn that she changed to more free venues like Kati Kati restaurant. The mistake she would make is going back to church and spoil this growing culture; I strongly believe that her next album launch will be a great concert out of church.
4. Venue/day
A concert at a beach on a week day would not be the ideal decision for one to make millions of cash from tickets sales over time. You really need to do a lot of prayer for this to be successful. For a weekend, chances are 82% that a beach concert will make it big, whether it is Boxing Day on a Monday or Easter Monday, that risk you make will cost you a big loan. Make good thinking of your concert venue and date before you committee to pay deposit.
5. Performing artists
It is not about how big the brand name of the performing artists on concert have, but rather more about their current demand in the entertainment market. Do not be mistaken and flop for names, but be more selective and look out for the most selling musicians to accompany you on that big concert you expect to chance all your life.
6. Music Collection of The Main Performing Artist
For some musicians, it is not about how many new songs are hitting currently but rather about their collection. Isaiah Katumwa will proudly and confidently stage an album launch in a classic place like Serena hotel, but have a very big turn up since he is known for classic collections no matter how much his music is being played on radio. For Dr Kazibwe Travis, the venue choice and luck of new music collection combined turned his eyes red. Don’t try this on your concert!!
7. The Rare Super Hit Plus Old Music
One can say that luck was on Eddy Kenzo’s side when he did stamina, the original song and video flopped but the remix made him wonders. For Eddy Kenzo one super hit Stamina was reason enough to host thousands of fans just like it happened at Kati Kati last year. But this will only work if you hard some few hit songs a year/ years back just like Kenzo had Nategedde and Yanimba with Mikie Wine. Much as Samalie Matovu won two song of the year accolades last year, a staged Mukwano Gunyuma concert would be a flop if tried last year no matter which promoter was behind organization, how many banners and TV/radio adverts were made plus all other factors constant.
8. Advertising/Marketing Plan
I could personally blame the low turn up for Judith Babirye’s January concert on ineffective marketing, that is advertising to the wrong market, Judith Babirye advertised for more than 3 months on Christian radio stations forgetting that her concert was to take place at Kati Kati. Many times we make such mistakes and fail to understand that we need everyone to know about what we do since we are never sure of who is for what we do and who is against.
Musician becomes smarter. Stop drug abuse, fighting, be more aggressive and work hard.
