What do you think Ayu can do to boost sales?

[raspberrygashes]

Originally Posted by Kikaru

And plus I don't think Ayumi has much boobage to begin with...so...

I think this album had really good tracks such as 1love, secret, and kiss o' kill, and I don't mind it not selling millions.

I've noticed, When she was releasing summer songs people were like "omg she should release rock/ballads". When she's singing ballads people are like "omg she should stop singing ballads". When she do rock that is the opposite of the light, poppy stuff people goes "omg it sound like what she's releasing this year (although if you can find what's so similar between BF and 1LOVE I will give you a cookie)".

I'm sorry if I sound a bit snarky and snappish. If I offended someone, I'm sorry, but as someone observing from the sides, it seems like nothing Ayu does nowadays can satisfy people. They ask her to take a break, which she did between BB and Secret, and then I see people going "I wish she had news and releases more stuff". When she did release, people goes "I wish she goes on a break".

What she said

[somethinglost]

While Ayu's sales aren't strong like before, she is in no way selling less than she was in terms of the current market. (miss)understood was one of the 10 highest selling albums of 2006, just like all of her other albums. Physical album sales are down, Ayumi's popularity might not be what it used to, but you all are making like she is over.

What I have noticed over the past year is that Avex isn't really into promoting Ayu as the used to. Sure, when 'Secret' came out there was the same promotion amount of promotion as for (m)u, but there isn't really anything big or exciting do draw in buyers... they are kind of just putting the product out there with a few billboards/banners and hoping for sales. With Koda, however, they keep coming up with interesting new sales concepts.

I think Ayu should do this to help sales:

1. Have a duet with either Hikki or Kumi (no joke). She could pen the song (if she duets with Hikki, they could co-write it) and I believe this would make Ayu look humble in the eyes of the public. Because both are her biggest rivals, it is like she is reaching out to them and shows she is able to work well with other performers. I imagine a ballad for the duet with a really emotional video and lots of promotion (every TV show, in-store promotion, suprise concerts with tickets given out via radio etc.)

2. Have a documentary TV show. Sort of "Life with Ayu". By doing this, it will show the public how Ayumi really is and show how she creates her music and the world she lives in. It will show people that she isn't stuck up or greedy, this reality show/documentary will give Japan an insight into her career and into the true Ayumi, beyond the "Ayu persona". I think if she did something like this it would have huge ratings and it would affect many people's interpretatin of Ayu.

3. She needs to scale down on her annual duties. She has to stop the album every year non-sense, it is trully the only way. I love having new stuff from Ayumi yearly, but she is over-saturating the market. Ayumi could take some time out to focus on her career on mainland Asia. Perhaps she can use the tour next year as her transition into over-seas business. Then, that will leave an oppurtunity for Ayumi to return to her Japanese work and her release most-likely will be highly anticipated.

Things Ayu shouldn't do:

1. Take a break - Ayumi shouldn't take a break from working, this would leave her further out-of-touch with the younger generation. If she left and then came back, she would be that much behind in trying to capture thier interest. She has to adapt to the changing times, re-invent, but keep her integrity. Her style and sound needs to mold in with the times, but be uniquely Ayu - in the way Madonna has adapted for the last 20 years.

2 - Continue to release yearly - This would be career suicide. All she would be doing is driving away more and more buyers, Ayu wouldn't be special she would just become that artist that is always releasing.

3 - A best album - While I'm certain a best album from Ayu could sell more than 1 million copies, it would be unwise as it would put her career after the best album in jeopardy. She has 6 albums worth of hits to put onto this collection, it would be a major seller, but this would set the bar for her releases after. It would be a big surge in interest for Ayu, but then many would be quick to nit-pick on her new material and compare it to all the old stuff.

... just my two cents. Sorry for the extremely long post

[oro77]

Originally Posted by somethinglost

2. Have a documentary TV show. Sort of "Life with Ayu". By doing this, it will show the public how Ayumi really is and show how she creates her music and the world she lives in. It will show people that she isn't stuck up or greedy, this reality show/documentary will give Japan an insight into her career and into the true Ayumi, beyond the "Ayu persona". I think if she did something like this it would have huge ratings and it would affect many people's interpretatin of Ayu.

I think it has already be done.
I never saw but I have seen so much about Koda Kumi, I really disliked how they have done it, it was too commercial : trying to put in your head that Kuu is sexy and cool. When she was little,they showed how miserable, how desperate she was.

I don't want to see that with Ayu, it would be like, out of pity I will buy your disc.
I think most Japanese know Ayu's life more or less, it is not like she is new there

[s1012h]

Originally Posted by somethinglost

While Ayu's sales aren't strong like before, she is in no way selling less than she was in terms of the current market. (miss)understood was one of the 10 highest selling albums of 2006, just like all of her other albums. Physical album sales are down, Ayumi's popularity might not be what it used to, but you all are making like she is over.

What I have noticed over the past year is that Avex isn't really into promoting Ayu as the used to. Sure, when 'Secret' came out there was the same promotion amount of promotion as for (m)u, but there isn't really anything big or exciting do draw in buyers... they are kind of just putting the product out there with a few billboards/banners and hoping for sales. With Koda, however, they keep coming up with interesting new sales concepts.

I think Ayu should do this to help sales:

1. Have a duet with either Hikki or Kumi (no joke). She could pen the song (if she duets with Hikki, they could co-write it) and I believe this would make Ayu look humble in the eyes of the public. Because both are her biggest rivals, it is like she is reaching out to them and shows she is able to work well with other performers. I imagine a ballad for the duet with a really emotional video and lots of promotion (every TV show, in-store promotion, suprise concerts with tickets given out via radio etc.)

2. Have a documentary TV show. Sort of "Life with Ayu". By doing this, it will show the public how Ayumi really is and show how she creates her music and the world she lives in. It will show people that she isn't stuck up or greedy, this reality show/documentary will give Japan an insight into her career and into the true Ayumi, beyond the "Ayu persona". I think if she did something like this it would have huge ratings and it would affect many people's interpretatin of Ayu.

3. She needs to scale down on her annual duties. She has to stop the album every year non-sense, it is trully the only way. I love having new stuff from Ayumi yearly, but she is over-saturating the market. Ayumi could take some time out to focus on her career on mainland Asia. Perhaps she can use the tour next year as her transition into over-seas business. Then, that will leave an oppurtunity for Ayumi to return to her Japanese work and her release most-likely will be highly anticipated.

Things Ayu shouldn't do:

1. Take a break - Ayumi shouldn't take a break from working, this would leave her further out-of-touch with the younger generation. If she left and then came back, she would be that much behind in trying to capture thier interest. She has to adapt to the changing times, re-invent, but keep her integrity. Her style and sound needs to mold in with the times, but be uniquely Ayu - in the way Madonna has adapted for the last 20 years.

2 - Continue to release yearly - This would be career suicide. All she would be doing is driving away more and more buyers, Ayu wouldn't be special she would just become that artist that is always releasing.

3 - A best album - While I'm certain a best album from Ayu could sell more than 1 million copies, it would be unwise as it would put her career after the best album in jeopardy. She has 6 albums worth of hits to put onto this collection, it would be a major seller, but this would set the bar for her releases after. It would be a big surge in interest for Ayu, but then many would be quick to nit-pick on her new material and compare it to all the old stuff.

... just my two cents. Sorry for the extremely long post

i like your ideas haha
especially the duet with hikki
i would be very pleased with what the two will make
i just know it
but chances for the pairing are slim to none i think
but i think the yearly album thing is fine
but if taking more time means better musical material
then i would be pleased with one-and-a-half year or two years
hikki's slow at releasing now too, but her material is always top-notch
but it would feel weird if both my favorite japanese artists release slowly
i would miss them if both took forever to release a single
i think things are fine the way they are
ayu still continues to make great music in a short amount of time
look at Secret, it's one of her best albums
and it took 11 months to make it
that's saying something i think

[truehappiness]

Yeah, they did the NTV interview that totally like, ripped into her life. :B

Well, not totally, but you get what I mean. Kind of.

Anyways, I think that releasing every year -> GOOD.
Cause then AHS won't be dead every other year.

[Dreamland]

Originally Posted by Kikaru

And plus I don't think Ayumi has much boobage to begin with...so...

I think this album had really good tracks such as 1love, secret, and kiss o' kill, and I don't mind it not selling millions.

I've noticed, When she was releasing summer songs people were like "omg she should release rock/ballads". When she's singing ballads people are like "omg she should stop singing ballads". When she do rock that is the opposite of the light, poppy stuff people goes "omg it sound like what she's releasing this year (although if you can find what's so similar between BF and 1LOVE I will give you a cookie)".

I'm sorry if I sound a bit snarky and snappish. If I offended someone, I'm sorry, but as someone observing from the sides, it seems like nothing Ayu does nowadays can satisfy people. They ask her to take a break, which she did between BB and Secret, and then I see people going "I wish she had news and releases more stuff". When she did release, people goes "I wish she goes on a break".

agreed 100%

IMO Janet has been around longer than ayu (and most artists) so she has paid her dues in full same with michael jackson.

[Kilyk]

I think she should make more PVs like for the new songs for one thing kinda like she did for MY STORY. There were like lots of PVs on that album. But I guess a lot of that was from singles too though but anyway. Maybe more advertisement or more songs on the album? Secret's # of songs was kind of smaller I thought. But then again, not really...ahh it's hard to say what will boost sales nowadays. Tough business...o_O

[slowmoth]

Perform different songs on TV, she should promote her album songs that aren't so well know

[Mad_Cactuar]

Originally Posted by Kikaru

And plus I don't think Ayumi has much boobage to begin with...so...

I read that hers was 31.5, but that's another story.

You know, a BEST album after this would be nice. Then a break, at least 6 months before she announces a new single. Secret was released quite close to (miss)understood I think.

[moombasista]

She can flash her bald vagina

[~X2RADialbomber~]

Then a break, at least 6 months before she announces a new single.

Don't you realise that everyone will then forget her? If she wants to be up there she has to release consistently in order to keep the fans! x.x

[explodingbird]

Originally Posted by moombasista

She can flash her bald vagina

Maybe that's her secret - below Ayu's waist lies an old-growth forest.

[moombasista]

LOL, OMG that sounds so wrong