So Al Yankovic’s newest effort, Mandatory Fun, is the #1 best-selling album in the country? Wow. Amazing. Weird.
Weird? Not really.
When you think about the state of the music industry and the rapid change in the ways that personality brands have the ability to market themselves, it’s not weird at all. It makes all the sense in the world.
Here are some reasons why it happened and how it could help radio’s personality shows in myriad ways:
- Surprise – More and more, consumers want to be surprised by their entertainment. Things that sound predictable quickly become boring in a culture where everything is disposable. We’ve talked about that a lot on this blog and to our consulting clients. The more your show, your station, and your music sound the same day after day, the more the audience drifts away, looking for something else. Weird Al sounds like nothing else on the radio – period.
- Comedy – There’s almost no way to have a great show without laughs. Some entertainment shows try to fill the void with information, games, and music. But as the world gets scarier and our lives get busy and more complicated, comedy becomes even more critically important. Beyonce and Mumford and Sons aren’t funny. Weird Al is. Very funny.
- Video – Weird Al has a proven track record for making great videos, going all the way back to “Eat It.” Sure, most consumers have enjoyed his content by listening to it, but once you see “Foil,” you always visualize it when you hear the song on the radio. (And you’ll never hear “Royals” the same again.) By releasing one new video a day for eight days, Yankovic got the buzz going for his project, and lit up the Internet with his viral videos. It’s a given that videos/visuals/pictures are the most viral pieces of online content. This format was perfect for marketing Mandatory Fun.
- Big Pygmy – In the music industry, it takes a lot less these days to become #1. The New York Times reports that album sales are down another 15% this year, helping Mandatory Fun reach the top position on the charts by only selling 104,000 albums.
- Crowdfunding – The music industry is spending its money going after Pandora and broadcasters for…more money. Not surprisingly, RCA provided no production budget for Weird Al, so he partnered with sites like Nerdist, Funny or Die, and College Humor to fund his videos. That’s not exactly “crowdfunding” but you get the idea – Yankovic had to find alternative sources to pay for these videos. If your company won’t pay for your projects, initiatives, or follies, do it yourself. Or find your own sponsor. Or do your own Kickstarter campaign. Or have a bake sale.
- Socially smart – OK, so Yankovic cannot keep up with the social torrent that has accompanied Mandatory Fun, but he is very savvy socially – an important component in launching a project in an unconventional way. His hashtag #8videos8days exploded, and accompanied by more than 3 million Twitter followers, his social efforts help keep his fan base active and engaged. By the way, he’s got more tweeters than U2, Jason Aldean, the Stones, and Imagine Dragons.
- A wide net – Yankovic’s been at it for more than three decades, allowing him to build up a huge, diverse base of fans. Because he always parodies the biggest hits (with the blessings of the original artists who made them), he starts with a lot of built-in mass appeal (Who hasn’t heard “Happy?”), and then grows it with his generations of fanatics. Everyone has a favorite Weird Al parody.
- Parodies – And speaking of parodies, they just work. Yet, it’s amazing how many morning shows have simply given up on them. Mandatory Fun provess once again there’s a huge market in making fun of popular pop culture pillars. (And it’s more fun and less mean that calling Erin Andrews fat.) This past February, Mike Stern wrote a great guest post about the value of parodies, noting that Jimmy Fallon has been especially brilliant at using them to elevate his “Tonight Show” profile. They worked pretty well for Bob Rivers over the years, too.
And to leave you with a great example of Weird Al’s newest effort, here’s “Word Crimes” (no, not “Blurred Lines”). It should be shown at the beginning of every English class this fall. Talk about parodying an entire generation and profiting from them at the same time.
Not so weird.
>EMAIL RECIPIENTS: CLICK HERE TO WATCH AL YANKOVIC’S “FOIL” VIDEO<
President & Founder at Jacobs Media
Fred Jacobs founded Jacobs Media in 1983, and quickly became known for the creation of the Classic Rock radio format.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
Jacobs Media has consistently walked the walk in the digital space, providing insights and guidance through its well-read national Techsurveys.
In 2008, jacapps was launched - a mobile apps company that has designed and built more than 1,300 apps for both the Apple and Android platforms. In 2013, the DASH Conference was created - a mashup of radio and automotive, designed to foster better understanding of the "connected car" and its impact.
Along with providing the creative and intellectual direction for the company, Fred consults many of Jacobs Media's commercial and public radio clients, in addition to media brands looking to thrive in the rapidly changing tech environment.
Fred was inducted into the Radio Hall of Fame in 2018.
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Kudos, Fred. Great post. FYI – according to Billboard’s Joe Levy – Mandatory Fun is the first comedy album to hit #1 on the Billboard LP chart in 50 years. Last time around, 1963, it was Allan Sherman’s My Son the Nut delivered in mono black vinyl.
Thanks, Dave. I recently attended a talk by a guy who wrote an Alan Sherman biography. Sherman’s impact was amazing, as are Weird Al’s today. Appreciate the comment and the tweet.