News & Publications
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
October 22, 1997
"THE 31st ANNUAL CMA AWARDS" BOOST COUNTRY SALES IN UK, IRELAND
Retail/media blitz biggest in international history of CMA Awards
A high profile retail and media campaign surrounding BBC-2’s broadcast of the 1997 CMA Awards on Sunday, September 28 resulted in a significant increase in Country Music sales in the UK and Ireland.
Overnight figures for the 90-minute BBC-2 broadcast showed over 2.5 million viewers had seen at least part of the Awards program with an average of 1.8 million and a 14-percent share. The telecast was introduced by writer and comedian Rory McGrath and aired just four days after the live event in Nashville. In addition, nationally networked BBC Radio 2 launched the first-ever Country Music Week, which included a live broadcast of the CMA Awards as well as live interviews with Vince Gill, Tim McGraw and Chely Wright in Nashville.
Irish network RTE carried a 90-minute edited version of the CMA Awards on September 27 that, like the BBC broadcast, also scored well in the ratings.
An upsurge in sales for winning artists was evident in the UK retail campaign instigated by CMA with the backing of the BPI (British Phonographic Industry), BARD (British Association of Record Dealers) and nearly every major record label and involving over 1,000 retailers. Female Vocalist of the Year Trisha Yearwood’s SONGBOOK: A COLLECTION OF HITS garnered an 84-percent increase over the previous week’s sales, while works by LeAnn Rimes (Horizon Award winner), George Strait (Male Vocalist and Album of the Year awards winner) and Deana Carter (Single of the Year Award winner) earned significant increases as well.
"We were very pleased with the campaign, which definitely took things on from last year," said HMV buyer Gary Rolfe. "After the TV show, key albums by the winners increased their sales by 93 percent."
Both winners and nominees enjoyed a boost from the campaign, reported Simon Coe, product manager of Virgin/Our Price. "Trisha Yearwood was the big success of the campaign for the Virgin & Our Price stores, followed by Deana Carter, which we had imported," said Coe. "We saw a general uplift of Country sales following the CMA Awards as well as selling thousands of extra copies of the CMA nominated artists."
"Retail reaction to the Awards campaign sums up its success," added Iain Snodgrass, special projects manager at Universal Music. "Around the campaign, we were able to increase sales on Trisha’s SONGBOOK and George Strait’s CARRYING YOUR LOVE by 25 percent, as well as bolster sales on Vince Gill, Lee Ann Womack and Trisha’s EVERYBODY KNOWS. This year’s success proves that with media exposure on a major level alongside retail support, Country can compete and win a bigger share of the UK audio market."
Yearwood also flourished in Ireland, according to ChartTrack. (A sales tracking system similar to Soundscan in the US.) "The figures are dominated by SONGBOOK, which is currently at number four in the Irish chart," reported John Pinder. "The ‘sales effect’ kicked in the week ending October 2, which saw the nominated artists up 40 percent overall against the previous week."
For the first time, a CMA Awards Collection CD was offered to readers of RADIO TIMES, the UK’s largest TV/radio and entertainment listings magazine with a circulation of 1.4 million. With the purchase of the promotional CD, readers received vouchers for use at retailers participating in the retail campaign. Orders are still incoming.
"The BBC-2 edit of the CMA Awards scored very favorably for a music TV program," said David Bower, CMA’s UK & Ireland director. "The significant uplift in sales already reported has been exceeded on some titles in the second week after the broadcast, indicating the strength of the CMA Awards. With more retailers than ever before involved, Country Music sales continue to increase in the UK. The CMA is committed to developing further opportunities not only around the Awards but throughout the year."
Founded in 1958, the Country Music Association was the first trade organization formed to promote a type of music. More than 6,100 music industry professionals and companies from 38 countries around the world are members of CMA. The organization’s objectives are to guide and enhance the development of Country Music and to demonstrate it as a viable medium to advertisers, consumers and media throughout the world.