Friday
Jun292018
Here's The Def Lep Sneaker News You Need
Friday, June 29, 2018 at 07:47AM Remember when I posted this week that Def Leppard was debuting an exclusive shoe? Well Blabbermouth has all the big details now, including the price which is insane. I've never spent $265 on a pair of shoes before.
"Retailing for $265, each style will be on display during the band's current world tour at their meet-and-greets, starting July 1 and are expected to ship to customers in October. Size ranges from EU 36-47."
Def Leppard - The Vinyl Collection: Volume One [8 LP + 7" Box Set]
Reader Comments (6)
No doubt, people will buy these to get them autographed at the meet and greets.
It would be much smarter (well, depends on how you look at it) to buy both the vinyl and cd editions of the box set and pick up a six pack of Guinness or whatever the h*ll those blokes drink with the change.
Then go drool over all the stuff in your man cave (not literally, of course, as that would devalue their collectibility) while cranking them up to 11 and compare the sonic nuances between the vinyl and digital discs!
I won't regurgitate my usual jokey takes on this instance of branding. What I will do, however, is offer the band--not that they are any of the other bands who do this are listening--a bit of constructive criticism . . . and then end with a relevant reference, and self-awareness.
First, the criticism: if this is your decision, as a band, then offer us your justification. Tell us why this makes sense. If you are going to sell your fans shoes, whiskey, caskets (more on that in a moment), condoms, pet rocks, or what have you, tell us why it matters to you as a band. Tell us what it does to add to your value to us, your fans, your consumers, the people who bought in to you in the first place and, now, in the latter places. And, no, a by-the-numbers press release doesn't cut it, nor does PR from the people you are offloading this latest bit of slaggy sway on (yes, they see a marketing opportunity . . . but you gave your brand over to them as if it was a wet fart of an afterthought . . . in most cases).
Second, the reference: VPA is getting buried in a KISS Kasket, just like DD before him. So I get it. It matters to some fans, these stabs at marketing and brand extension. And, when it comes to nuance, I don't really think the difference between 200-plus on pair of shoes and a few thousand on a casket matters. Branding is, after all, an often-tiered thing. So I understand that these sorts of purchases make sense to some fans, at some price points, and not to others (at some price points or at any price point).
But I must add: the fact that you spread your b(r)and thin by appealing to fans at different price points has historically been shown to devalue you as a b(r)and. Not to those buying, of course. So to whom? Well, those who see the value in your pedigree, who care about discretion/discrimination (in the somewhat good sense), who don't want to see what they value be valued by other people. That isn't a knock on anyone who goes for this sort of thing.
But third . . .
Case in point of doing what I caution against? Me. I bought one of Bill Ward's SceneFour visual art paintings. It wasn't a small purchase. I also bought the follow-up coffee table book. People mocked the first and will likely mock the second (it just came out). Why? Because I care about Ward as an artist. So I spent my dollars in a way that contributed to the artist's livelihood.
My point? I am aware that I am no better or worse than those who will buy these shoes or (sadly, meaning: he just died and we lost a member of the larger metal community) be buried in a KISS Kasket. It is a personal decision. That said, I would suggest that my first point would go a long way to explaining those (meaning: mine, among others) purchases to fans who scratch their head. The second and third points? Jut a bit of clarification.
[And this also applies to rather piddling purchases, such as beer and wine and whiskey. Yes, I am talking to you Maiden, Megadeth, Motorhead, etc. If you are going to ask us for money, tell us why we should offer it up.]