Cross Marketing

http://youtube.com/watch?v=O4272BhKBoc

The above link takes you to a video of 50 cent discussing the cross-promotion of his most recent album with Kanye West’s most recent album. In order to do this cross promotion, the two artists engaged in a dramatic competition to see who could sell the more records of his album. Both albums were released simultaneously on the same day, and websites online charted the album sales for both rappers. In the end, Kanye won the competition, but both benefited from the hype and drama created through the competition.

The internet played a critical role in both promoting the competition, the hype, and the record sales. First, rap enthusiasts went online to supplement their knowledge about the rap competition. Through the internet fans found out the parameters of the competition and kept up with the latest news and hype. This constant flow of information increased awareness of the competition and created a buzz because such a thing had not been done before. Second, new technology allowed listeners to purchase the albums or individual songs online without physically going to a record store. Doing this decreased the transaction costs of the purchases and facilitates sales. Third, online charts kept track in real time of who was selling more. This constant tracking kept fans and enthusiasts engaged and excited, as they continued to support their favorite artist.