
A new approach to advertising
By: Mark Winter
The rise of the iPod and other mp3 players lead to the downfall of CD sales. Let’s face it…how many of us are willing to drive to the local record store these days when we can simply log onto iTunes (not to mention all the illegal downloading sites) and buy all the music we want? Very few, as is evident by the decline of record sales. In September, a new advertising tactic will makes its’ debut. The new Mariah Carey album “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” (no comment) will come with a 34 page booklet instead of the typical tri-fold style insert with lyrics, a few photos, etc.
The booklet will be a co-production with Elle magazine, and will feature articles written about Mariah and, of course, an abundance of advertisements. Brands that will take part in this ad experiment include Elizabeth Arden, Angel Champagne, Carmen Steffens and the Bahamas Board of Tourism. As businesses and industries everywhere continue the search for innovative ways to make money, I think it is a fair assumption that we will see many more CDs and products in general with these advertising ulterior motives.