"Just Breathe" DID IT

William Wallace · December 2009

inlet13 wrote:

mr.igby wrote:

Backspacer went up to #45 because of one reason:
The lower price at Target.
Everyone who doubts this should wait for next weeks charts. Backspacer will be back to around 10.000 copies sold.

Where will it be on the charts Nostradamus?

You don't have to be Nostradamus for that. It's enough to keep your eyes open

Next weeks sales will be between 9.000-13.000 copies. Maybe a few more or less, but nowhere near this weeks figures.

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

mr.igby wrote:

Backspacer went up to #45 because of one reason:
The lower price at Target.
Everyone who doubts this should wait for next weeks charts. Backspacer will be back to around 10.000 copies sold.

I find that REALLY hard to believe. I've NEVER bought a CD just because it was a few bucks off. People generally don't buy music because its on sale and a Pearl Jam CD isn't typically an impulse buy. Not this day in age. It probably cost more in gas just to get to the store.

Ledbetterman10 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

mr.igby wrote:

Backspacer went up to #45 because of one reason:
The lower price at Target.
Everyone who doubts this should wait for next weeks charts. Backspacer will be back to around 10.000 copies sold.

I find that REALLY hard to believe. I've NEVER bought a CD just because it was a few bucks off. People generally don't buy music because its on sale and a Pearl Jam CD isn't typically an impulse buy. Not this day in age. It probably cost more in gas just to get to the store.

I disagree. I think people might just grab a CD if it's on sale like that. For example, imagine a guy who loved PJ in the early 90's but it was just a passing thing and he hasn't bought an album since Vs. It's plausible that if he saw a cheaply priced PJ album on display right in front of his face that has interesting cover art like Backspacer that he may grab it.

Having said that, I don't think there's enough impulse buying going on to make the record jump from in the 90's to #45 on the chart. Even though I don't like Backspacer and thought that Just Breathe was horrible idea for a single, maybe I was wrong when I said it didn't have crossover appeal.

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

mr.igby wrote:

Backspacer went up to #45 because of one reason:
The lower price at Target.
Everyone who doubts this should wait for next weeks charts. Backspacer will be back to around 10.000 copies sold.

I find that REALLY hard to believe. I've NEVER bought a CD just because it was a few bucks off. People generally don't buy music because its on sale and a Pearl Jam CD isn't typically an impulse buy. Not this day in age. It probably cost more in gas just to get to the store.

I disagree. I think people might just grab a CD if it's on sale like that. For example, imagine a guy who loved PJ in the early 90's but it was just a passing thing and he hasn't bought an album since Vs. It's plausible that if he saw a cheaply priced PJ album on display right in front of his face that has interesting cover art like Backspacer that he may grab it.

Having said that, I don't think there's enough impulse buying going on to make the record jump from in the 90's to #45 on the chart. Even though I don't like Backspacer and thought that Just Breathe was horrible idea for a single, maybe I was wrong when I said it didn't have crossover appeal.

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Ledbetterman10 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

Either Target takes a loss, which stores do on many products in hopes people buy other things, or at $6.50 there's a dollar worth of material and Target still manages to make 50 cents each CD.

I worked in retail for years. Most black friday items the store is taking a loss on. Their hopes is you'll buy accessories, batteries, cables, etc. which they make a killing on. I garuantee you, Best Buy makes more money off of you on a USB cable than a computer most of the time. The mark up on cables and accessories is insane. A $50 cable can be a $47 dollar profit for the store. A $400 laptop might only be a few bucks above cost, if that.

Tip of the day. Order your cables online from warehouses. There's no reason you should have to pay more than $5 for an HDMI cable.

Ledbetterman10 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

Either Target takes a loss, which stores do on many products in hopes people buy other things, or at $6.50 there's a dollar worth of material and Target still manages to make 50 cents each CD.

I worked in retail for years. Most black friday items the store is taking a loss on. Their hopes is you'll buy accessories, batteries, cables, etc. which they make a killing on. I garuantee you, Best Buy makes more money off of you on a USB cable than a computer most of the time. The mark up on cables and accessories is insane. A $50 cable can be a $47 dollar profit for the store. A $400 laptop might only be a few bucks above cost, if that.

Tip of the day. Order your cables online from warehouses. There's no reason you should have to pay more than $5 for an HDMI cable.

Well there ya go I learned some things here. Assholes....overcharging for usb cables and the like

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

Well there ya go I learned some things here. Assholes....overcharging for usb cables and the like

They've got to make some money, somehow. They're not stocking the shelves for your convenience and answering your questions for nothing. There's a lot of overhead cost involved in retail.

You can get anything at cost if you look online. TVs for hundreds of dollars less than retail. Some offer free shipping. My employee cost on a USB cable was barely $2. It might cost you a few bucks more to ship it, but its still a hell of a lot cheaper.

Ledbetterman10 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

My employee cost on a USB cable was barely $2.

Jesus

BF25394 · December 2009

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

Because Target has already paid Pearl Jam for the right to distribute the record. Any money Target makes from sales of the record goes to Target, not the band.

In response to others, there was not a significant enough increase in audience impressions for "Just Breathe" last week to explain a more than 100 percent increase in album sales. There was also no significant increase in iTunes sales. The sales increase came almost entirely from Target. It's because of the sale price. If you don't think that abnormally low prices drive people to buy things they wouldn't usually buy, you need to take Sales and Marketing 101. Or just read the paper from Saturday to see all the people who lined up in the wee hours on Friday to get the short-term, cut-rate deals at retailers. (And not just on big-ticket items like TVs.)

Mr. Igby is right. Barring something unforeseen, like "Just Breathe" getting added to 400 radio station playlists today, sales will go back to the previous week's level, or fewer, next week.

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

BF25394 wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

Because Target has already paid Pearl Jam for the right to distribute the record. Any money Target makes from sales of the record goes to Target, not the band.

In response to others, there was not a significant enough increase in audience impressions for "Just Breathe" last week to explain a more than 100 percent increase in album sales. There was also no significant increase in iTunes sales. The sales increase came almost entirely from Target. It's because of the sale price. If you don't think that abnormally low prices drive people to buy things they wouldn't usually buy, you need to take Sales and Marketing 101. Or just read the paper from Saturday to see all the people who lined up in the wee hours on Friday to get the short-term, cut-rate deals at retailers. (And not just on big-ticket items like TVs.)

Mr. Igby is right. Barring something unforeseen, like "Just Breathe" getting added to 400 radio station playlists today, sales will go back to the previous week's level, or fewer, next week.

I can totally see that with other things, but I can't imagine music as an impulse buy.. maybe thats just me. Maybe I take music too seriously.

BF25394 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

I can totally see that with other things, but I can't imagine music as an impulse buy.. maybe thats just me. Maybe I take music too seriously.

Yes, you do. Most people don't. There are many examples of discounted prices for albums-- and singles-- leading to sales spikes. The psychology of discounts is powerful. People who would never buy a product at regular price will go out of their way to buy it because they have a 75-cents-off coupon.

Wobbie · December 2009

I didn't read all 8 pages, but today I was kind of shocked to hear Just Breathe being played on my local ROCK station. It's been months since I've even listened to local radio but this is your typical Ozzy, Metallica, AC/DC, etc.; strippers in the studio; stupid morning show type station. Just Breathe is waaaaaaaaaay atypical.

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

If this album does become popular, I can't see it peaking until spring or next summer. Don't surprise hits take about 6 to 12 months to really take off? Like Kings of Leon last album and Green Day American Idiot?

wnh1977 · December 2009

vedpunk wrote:

Just Breathe is actually doing quite well. If you took the time to look at all the updated charts, you'd see that airplay has increased on multiple formats. It is currently #19 on Alternative Radio and #8 on Triple A radio.

Let's get our facts straight before you come up with some half-baked assumptions. Go back to your day job, this one isn't working for you.

Just Breathe will be much bigger, you'll see.

Easy there, vedpunk. May I suggest taking a deep breath and relaxing just a little bit? "Just Breathe" is doing ok to this point... it creeped up another spot to #21 on the Billboard Rock Charts. And it also went up 1 spot to #18 on Billboard's Alternative Songs chart. Not sure what it did on Triple A.

I worked in radio for a decade, so I'm not sure what day job you're suggesting I go back to. I simply stated an opinion that I don't believe "Just Breathe" will push this album to huge sales numbers. You're the one that decided to be a dick by saying I didn't have my facts straight. I hope "Just Breathe" becomes "much bigger" as you suggest... I just think, even after a decent showing to this point on a couple different formats, it will soon peak and not spark Backspacer to platinum status.

I am also in agreement with those that believe Backspacer's big jump of 46 spots on this week's Billboard 200 chart is due, overwhelmingly, to the two-day price of $6.50. Just opinions. No reason to get bent out of shape. Might I also suggest seeking out a hug? Not from me. I'm busy. But somebody. You seem angry.

inlet13 · December 2009

BF25394 wrote:

Ledbetterman10 wrote:

LikeAnOcean wrote:

A few, but I can't imagine many. Not to jump it that much.. If I saw a bin full of CDs for a band I haven't heard in years on sale cheap, my instinct would be that they must suck now.

Well that's a very good point.

The real question is: How does Stone expect to get $5 per album sold like he likes if they lower the price of it?

Because Target has already paid Pearl Jam for the right to distribute the record. Any money Target makes from sales of the record goes to Target, not the band.

In response to others, there was not a significant enough increase in audience impressions for "Just Breathe" last week to explain a more than 100 percent increase in album sales. There was also no significant increase in iTunes sales. The sales increase came almost entirely from Target. It's because of the sale price. If you don't think that abnormally low prices drive people to buy things they wouldn't usually buy, you need to take Sales and Marketing 101. Or just read the paper from Saturday to see all the people who lined up in the wee hours on Friday to get the short-term, cut-rate deals at retailers. (And not just on big-ticket items like TVs.)

Mr. Igby is right. Barring something unforeseen, like "Just Breathe" getting added to 400 radio station playlists today, sales will go back to the previous week's level, or fewer, next week.

First, it's economics 101, not sales or marketing 101.

Second, the so called argument being made against the price drop 'causing' the increase in quantity sold... is not really an argument 'against it'. But, an additive. I can only speak for myself, but I definetly agree that price declines increase the quantity demanded for a product,... if the people in question demand it. So, yes, the price decline helped. But, I don't believe it's the sole reason.

The point we (on the other side) are trying to make is in regards to elasticity of demand for a product, in this case CDs. CDs by different bands are not interchangable. Just because the Britney Spears CD goes on sale, doesn't mean someone like you will buy. You may dislike her and therefore, not have a demand for her CDs at all. That's not to say, some people who kinda like her won't buy due to the decline in price. They will. A decline in price will cause the quantity demanded will increase.... but, demand won't increase. Demand only increases if an influencing factor other than price (for instance preferences change). Our argument is that Just Breathe is impacting preferences for the PJ CD. That's econ 101..... and now I'm falling asleep. If you read all that you get an A+ for the day and have a higher attention span than even I do.

vedpunk · December 2009

Just Breathe will be a slow burner......you guys are busting your nuts too early. Be patient, the second single off a new record often takes time to resonate and climb up the charts. Again, Just Breathe will be huge.

LikeAnOcean · December 2009

vedpunk wrote:

Just Breathe will be a slow burner......you guys are busting your nuts too early. Be patient, the second single off a new record often takes time to resonate and climb up the charts. Again, Just Breathe will be huge.

It JUST made it to the radio station where I live. A station that plays tons of Pearl Jam. Hits don't usually happen over night. Not unless they are expected to be a hit. Pearl Jam hasn't been expected to produce a hit in years.

T-Bone 82 · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

vedpunk wrote:

Just Breathe will be a slow burner......you guys are busting your nuts too early. Be patient, the second single off a new record often takes time to resonate and climb up the charts. Again, Just Breathe will be huge.

It JUST made it to the radio station where I live. A station that plays tons of Pearl Jam. Hits don't usually happen over night. Not unless they are expected to be a hit. Pearl Jam hasn't been expected to produce a hit in years.

The fact that The Fixer is still doing well is probably keeping Just Breathe from being played more. As the Fixer slides, Just Breathe will pick up a bit. I do not think it will be a monster it.

However, it is very cool right now that they have 2 songs in the top 20 Alternative and #12 and #21 on the Rock charts. It's great to have 2 great songs getting pretty significant airplay.

soulsinging · December 2009

LikeAnOcean wrote:

mr.igby wrote:

Backspacer went up to #45 because of one reason:
The lower price at Target.
Everyone who doubts this should wait for next weeks charts. Backspacer will be back to around 10.000 copies sold.

I find that REALLY hard to believe. I've NEVER bought a CD just because it was a few bucks off. People generally don't buy music because its on sale and a Pearl Jam CD isn't typically an impulse buy. Not this day in age. It probably cost more in gas just to get to the store.

nonsense. you're talking suburban, out-of-touch soccer moms coming in to grab things for xmas. i can see many of them going "i remember the name PJ, i'll buy this for so-and-so cos they used to like them/like rock/if it's got a big display it must be popular/etc." you're not talking about hipsters comparing the career catalogue of pj or jay-z, you're talking about clueless people grabbing the shiny display for cheap.

"Just Breathe" DID IT

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&quot;Just Breathe&quot; DID IT

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"Just Breathe" DID IT