First week sales

[BritneySpears]

Something I was just thinking about is why certain artists care and brag so much about their first week's sales and I couldn't really think of a good argument why the sales of the first week seem to be more important than the sales of the weeks after the first.

Does anyone know?

[Rud]

Artists and Labels look to first week sales to justify the pre-release hype and expenditure, if its a #1 on a strong week its deemed as a successful marketing strategy and promotion - that will then lead to the release being analysed over the following three weeks and if numbers remain "within the forecast that they project" then the release will still have money put into it for second singles/videos etc...

The reality is though that if a heavily promoted record hits #1 and then plumets over 50% down the second week and again third and forth then its still a failure financially... its far better to have a long term sales goal and plot consistancy and good numbers after 20 weeks which is when most records have reached a peak anyway...

[BritneySpears]

So basically what you're saying is that if the first week's sales are good, the record company will pump more into the promotional activities than when they're not as good?

[wcsoldier]

^^^^ obviously that's why you see a 4th or 5th video for the same album when the sales are consistancy very good ... if there is a decrease of 60% or plus after 2 or 3 weeks , the album will be "forgotten" and not pushed  promotional wise (Game 2nd album, Nas Hip Hop is dead ..)

[Rud]

So basically what you're saying is that if the first week's sales are good, the record company will pump more into the promotional activities than when they're not as good?

Yup thats EXACTLY right, thats why artists push so hard cause they know if it doesnt hit straight away then labels lose interest and cut their losses sooner...