Who said Island Def Jam isn’t promoting Janet Jackson?

Courtesy: Think Tank Marketing

Janet Jackson‘s Discipline is set for release on February 26, but her hard core fans are questioning why Island Records isn’t promoting their icon enough. “2 weeks to go before Discipline is released. Where are the promotions?” wrote one poster on a Janet Jackson forum.

It is hard to tell when you’re a consumer on the outside looking in and you are not privy to the inner workings of record labels. But the good folks over at Think Tank Marketing are working overtime to promote Janet’s CD – and I hear the marketing machine at Island is running on fumes.

For instance, if not for Think Tank Marketing, I wouldn’t know that on Feb. 26:

JANET JACKSON will take over TIMES SQUARE with GOOD MORNING AMERICA at 7AM with a LIVE PERFORMANCE at NOKIA THEATRE!Then she will take over TRL with a SPECIAL PERFORMANCE AT 3PM

And she will be at BEST BUY (between 43 and 44th streets in NY) for an IN-STORE SIGNING AT 6PM!

The problem is not a lack of promotion on the label’s part. The problem is the lack of interest on the part of the target audience of the promotional material – radio stations, media outlets, etc. Entertainment editors are writing scathing reviews of the album, and 8 tracks have already leaked onto the Internets with very little mention in the mainstream press.

So don’t blame the record label which is doing the best it can. Blame an industry that has been lulled into apathy due to the unspoken blacklisting of Janet for that unfortunate Super Bowl halftime incident that she says wasn’t planned. Much will be made of Janet’s failures if Discipline doesn’t make cash registers sing on Feb. 26. But as far as Janet’s hard core fans are concerned, Miss Janet cannot lose.

Bsoul

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Who said Island Def Jam isn’t promoting Janet Jackson?

Um, I don’t know?
NYCUTIE

Janet is on some real spaced out shiznit this go round.. Hope it works.. I like Missy’s new song
Bsoul

When Janet stops trying to show how much she’s just oozing with sexuality, I’ll give her a try. Until then, I’ll support artists who know when to give a gig up and move on to new subject material.

Even Madonna and Prince moved on from generation sex. While their voices are evenly matched but it’s no secret that Modonna has only written a fraction of songs she’s been given credit for. While Janet is a better writer, her subject (sex)is stale.

Madonna is genius at getting attention while changing the menu. Take lessons Ms. Jackson!
prettybrwngrl

somebody’s promoting it if a snipet of “feedback” was on mtv last night!
candy

I said it!!! And they aren’t… most artist go on GMA and TRL on their album release date what’s so special about that? Her single feedback is getting NO feedback on the radio and not even on Satellite radio and they play anything and especially not here in ATL I can count how many times I hear her song on the radio a day
Bsoul

@ Candy
Maybe more than enough people are sick of her same old formula.
http://www.myspace.com/birdshu Bird

I’ll be buy the album for sure.

I have oftened wondered about people saying they got not marketing when I was aware of their albums being released. Then I had to remember that I’m a blogger so I am up on things that other people may not be. Of the hundreds of people I know off the top of my head, I am the only one who reads blogs daily and often writes them.

I think Sandra is right. Radio seems to have a problem with Miss Janet. Feedback should be a hit, but with the video channels no longer showing videos artists really have to depend on radio and the stations are not being good to my girl. It’s really messed up.
J Gats Juice

i saw a commercial for it this morning…. somebody is workin
candy

@Bsoul

I’m one of those people LOL
Bsoul

Bird, had Feedback been recorded by Britney two years ago, it would have been double platnum by now.

This is the problem, it’s an old formula for a younger artist. The core group of people who buy this will be her die-hard fans and even some of them are complaining.
Bsoul

Sidenote: Come to think of it. Rihanna could have pulled this one off to.

I know, I’m so bad.

Laughing out Loud!
http://www.myspace.com/millyly milly

I’ll buy it
SylentDreamz

UMM THEY ARE PROMOTING J’S NEW LP…MATTER OF FACT I WAS F’IN SHOCKED WHEN I SEEN MTV PROMOTING LAST NIGHT!!!
Bsoul

Milly, Janet will be estatic.
Bsoul

*ecstatic
AreUForReal

I saw it on MTV too. My best-friend was in shock that there was actually a video for the song. The way she was singing along lets me know that she’s getting plenty of air play in Chi-town, however, that is not the case in Raleigh. I’m sticking with my original thought. Sandra promotes more for Janet than her label does!!!!
Sharonda

Even if she wasn’t playing TRL it doesn’t matter, it’s not like MTV play videos anyways.If people want to pay attention to Janet they would.MTV has no play on how people would go out and buy her music.Janet is appealing to an older crowd and even though “some of” the older crowd wouldn’t listen to it.And who watches TRL or whatever?TEENS!!!They don’t care.In Madonna’s case, she toned it down.Her music is more radio friendly.I don’t know why people keep saying Janet is still blacklisted from MTV, they were kind of promoting her during the 20YO album.Give the public what they want and you would sell (marketing 101).
http://myspace.com/mullatos SnootyPooty1

I have XM radio in my car and I have never heard feedback on satellite radio. I drive 45min to work and 45 min home. So I concur they are not really promoting her. Satellite radio plays everything.
Bsoul

Sharonda has a point. The TRL crowd is the crowd that downloads…not always legally either.
http://www.myspace.com/birdshu Bird

Bsoul Says:

Sharonda has a point. The TRL crowd is the crowd that downloads…not always legally either.

********************************************************

Co-sign. I don’t even know why the music industry is still catering to the rugrats. They aren’t making them any money.
prettybrwngrl

i think janet needs to shelve it and have jd remix that pleasure principle cd. if not she’s going to be on dancing with the stars next year.
shhhh

She was on all the morning shows and such with her last album. I feel that no marketing is doing there job if they’re not putting the product in the audiences face. Make it where people don’t have a choice by to see them (like beyonce tired a**). When Mary album dropped I saw her everywhere. During that time I couldn’t get enough of hearing about Mary and ultimately I purchased her album (and it’s great).

How are we suppose to know that Janet is going to be on those shows, unless we just so happen to be watching the program? Do they expect us to seek someone out to give them our money? That’s ridiculous. Fact is, they need to get Janet all over the internet, where people go. People really aren’t watcing TV anymore. She also needs to have some slamming material.
Bsoul

PrettyBrown said:
“i think janet needs to shelve it and have jd remix that pleasure principle cd.”

You are so wrong for that! LOL!
http://TheBeatniksCelebrityGossip.com Seattle Slim

I’ll continue to say it, she has displayed little growth musically. That’s why people love Madonna and Bruce Springsteen and Sting and hell even MJB because they take risks but they change their music.

Janet thinks highly of herself and her sexuality. That’s great but it’s not selling her albums.
plushlush

this dont sound good………..i am so tired of missy
that dont sound good either…i like rock wit you but my boyfriend listens to electronica and he is not black….so i dont know this just doesn’t do it for me…where is the baseline and kanye west old school sound to at least one of the songs….how many albums left on that MONSTER contract anyway
http://www.weneedtostop.com 2Unruly

When I saw the downloads, I thought WOW, here’s the chance to fill up a disc I’ve been making for the car, and I am not even motivated to take advantage of the free downloads. I guess that’s telling for me. JJ make some grown folk music for those of us that are your age and grew up with you. Many of us have graduated on to different tastes, and I guess that’s what we expect now, when we spend our money on music.

Someone was right, that Feedback and that Missy tune should have beeen smash hits for someone like Rihanna. The music suits Rihanna’s persona and following. And her voice is a bit stronger for the song.
http://www.weneedtostop.com 2Unruly

Forgot to add, I wish her well, anyway, and hopes she pulls the numbers she expects to in sales.
hellava10

we’ll just see what happens
Bsoul

@ Bird

The music industry doesn’t know any better. It sounds crazy but the music industry is in the shape it’s in partly because it is ignorant of how to properly market artist and for today’s standard. Most figure if it gets voted onto TRL or 106th & Park, the artist will sell. Well, this isn’t always the case. In fact, in most cases it’s a sure-fire way to get your artist a few downloads. Most teens don’t purchase music anymore.

I’m not that old but if you’re looking for me to buy your music, I won’t find your artist on 106th and Park nor TRL…I don’t watch them.
Staley

You lie Sandra. The only scathing review she received was Entertainment Weekly. But by the comments, it seems the album might do better than the last 2.
http://highbridnation.com Mike Belgrove

Sandra i thought you said Janet was banned from MTV
kdillon

LOVES JANET!
mimi08

I do not agree! I do not think the label is properly marketing this cd. Why? Because first off, the music is not being played on the radio, and before you claim the radio stations are blackballing her, that’s a bunch of bull. I personally know a few dj’s, and this is not the consensus. Indeed she was banned from MTV, however, it is untrue that every radio station, including the black ones, are refusing to play her music, joining in this so called “black balling” of her. Simply untrue. Her music should be played in heavy rotation, and because this has not been done, this cd might not do so well, even though the music is stellar. Everyone that i let listen to one of her songs love it. Then they wonder why they don’t hear it on the radio. This reaction is going to be the same everywhere. She indeed has some good music on this cd, but if people don’t hear it, they won’t buy it. On the other hand, alot of other artists who are said to be successful (I refuse to name names) are only successful cause their music is played every 2 minutes. Janet is too good an artist to receive this poor promotion so late in the game, one week before her cd is released. Even if radio stations wouldn’t play it, which i doubt, her marketing team should have at least made sure she got out to venues in different cities, and perform, and put out videos to luv and rock with you. Marketing is the problem here, not black balling.
heart2heart

Omg! Janet, this is your best album in yearrrrs!
mimi08

And Sandra, can you please point me to the “scathing” reviews, cause i havent seen or heard any. Every review i’ve read so far as been good.
Lesa

Entertainment editors are writing scathing reviews of the album, and 8 tracks have already leaked onto the Internets with very little mention in the mainstream press.

Um Sandy, INTERNETS? really? hahahaha!~
Sharonda

Janet been in the business how long?She know how to market herself, the label really don’t have to do anything, really.And if people don’t care, they pass, that simple.Can’t blame that on the consumer because we have the power to buy.We have more power than execs.Now if there was payola going on we be hearing Janet left to right and I know I don’t her song much as much as I do Rihanna,Beyonce,Soulja Boy (on top of the hour every hour) and the rest of the bull I don’t listen to.Some people market themselves and some rely on their label (and you shouldn’t rely on your label, JJ knows that).But I haven’t heard bad reviews from the album (even though I don’t plan on getting it, TVR was the last album I purchased)is which is why I don’t know, she just switched labels really so we don’t know again.Now Take Care though was on some grown stuff!!!That’s that Come Back To Me stuff.That’s what I want to hear from JJ (IN MY OPINION)
Bsoul

Sharonda, you’re hitting them out of the park today.

Come to think of it, Janet hasn’t been as musically creative since Rene’ left. I’d hate to think he was telling the truth about him writing gobs of her songs. That would suck.
brinabelle

i live in New York..i know i’ve heard feedback on the radio a few times, but they are promoting the hell out of that song and album discipline on tv..they used in the america’s next top model commerical, mtv’s been playing snippets of it between shows, vh1 soul as well..it comes on so much im annoyed..idk why you haven’t been tortured w/ feedback
Bsoul

They ripped her here.
http://www.ew.com/ew/article/0,,20178215,00.html

She did better with Vh1, this review is sort of tonge-in-cheek. But, even they took shots at her new CD (read between the lines).
http://blog.vh1.com/2008-01-23/exclusive-janet-jackson-discipline-preview/

Rolling Stone likes her CD.
http://www.google.com/search?sourceid=navclient&ie=UTF-8&rlz=1T4ADBF_enUS218US218&q=janet+jackson+discipline+review

There you go…a little bit from everyone. From strong dislike to a mediocre review to down and out fawning.
Bsoul

Sorry about the last link. This is the correct one. The one there is one up top is the one I used to google her reviews and most are repeats.
http://www.rollingstone.com/reviews/album/18311721/review/18328487/discipline
LAChick

Sandra :
and 8 tracks have already leaked onto the Internets with very little mention in the mainstream press.

Sometimes I feel we are dealing with a 83 year old woman, internets? Exactly how many is that??
lexdiamonz

the buying public which is mostly comprised of 11-26 years old have their own “janet” ciara so they do not care about the old, janet remember miss u much and all those jams … face it janet is not vocally talented and somebody else who is younger and more in tune with the youth has taken her slot .. she aint mariah or mary, don’t get me wrong i love her and her music and i remember she was the ish in my day … oh gawd i sound like my mom!!!!!!!!but today’s youth would rather hear soldier boy and see a half-naked bird-chest geek then jam with ms. jackson … i mean the market is saturated with clones beyonce, rhianna, cassie so unless she steps back to the old ms jackson she can basically hang it up i think these songs are terrible not good i hope the album is much better….
http://www.hairsmystory.com LeAnn

Janet’s problem is her production camp. She keeps recruiting the same ole people for this dance/dance/revolution sound that no one is into anymore. She needs to get with the times. Drop Rodney Jerkins and get someone more current. Call up Polow, Bangladeesh, Missy.
hairsmystory.com
AreUForReal

Okay. I take it back. Janet is on the Overstock.com commercial. They are actually promoting her. Maybe they just decided to hold off on flooding the market with her, in fear that people would get sick of her. Maybe?
kat

after listening to these songs, i am not pressed to buy the cd….and i’m a janet fan. oh well, ciara is the new janet….face it!

Who said Island Def Jam isn’t promoting Janet Jackson?

Update: Lenny Kravitz is out of the hospital and doing fine

‘Splendid New Beginnings’ For TVT Records Artists, staff

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