Good work to Audible.com for this unusual promotion technique to get buzz about Romeo and Juliet: A Novel, the latest collaboration among Audible, Hewson and starrator, Richard Armitage. Audible is high on my list when it comes to professionals capitalizing on the Richard Armitage fandom. Why? Because Audible gives back without asking in return for any specific fan behavior. Audible doesn’t ask for Likes and Follows, for example.).
This time Audible has a double treat – one could call it educational, since David Hewson has written a short essay touching on R & J, Shakespeare’s sources, reading habits and more. Nice background for the potential audience, but a real treat for fans of Richard Armitage because Audible, in its PR savvy, gave us a recording of Richard Armitage reading David Hewson’s written essay. Also nice for David Hewson fans, a portion of whom discovered him through the Armitage fandom ( Perry!). Hewson’s essay gets received twice – once while the fan reads it and once when listening.
In the past, Audible has also given us a free Richard Armitage narrated audiobook ( Love Poems) and a Dickens work ( oooo – The Chimes – hey, a lot of fans liked it). Audible didn’t ask for anything from fans, but even their direct promotions give us exposure to Richard Armitage.
Sure it can only help Audible if the random listener/subscriber/follower gains interest from the freebees – but this doesn’t mutually exclude my belief that Audible.com is just – really nice to the Richard Armitage fandom, and so, they can promote the hell out of this and it won’t bother me.
I’m on record that I’m meh about the topic ( but not the total bummer DC was for me). Still, I think David Hewson will make it interesting. I wonder whether I’ll miss, or even detect, A.J. Hartley’s absence.
All things considered, I like Audible’s direction here. They put a lot of the other Richard Armitage promoters, professional and self-appointed, to shame. It’s like the difference between Hillary Clinton, who wants to get things done by giving and doing, and Donald Trump who wants to be noticed with adulation. (Here’s my great work. Please follow me and Like my Page)
And Audible doesn’t ever make Richard Armitage take his shirt off.
Armitage Agonistes 
Hmmm. I think he takes it off all on his own, myself.
That said I generally agree with you that Audible is following a conventional marketing model that doesn’t demand anything more from the consumer than to consume (or not) and that that makes me more appreciative of their marketing. (it doesn’t follows that it makes me more appreciative of their offering, however — although I will buy this because Richard Armitage — which distinguishes them from PJ, who offered us a lot of content-rich marketing stuff, didn’t pressure us to like or follow, and gave me something I loved). I think the real issue starts to be one with a marketing campaign that not only pressures you to like / follow, but then to offer you something that you don’t especially want or would rather not have.
LikeLike
Yeah – gifts to fans we would rather not have.
LikeLike
i love Mr. Richard Armitage’s voice when he reads this essay. his voice is so gentle, sophisticated,has a deep manly tone(but not to deep), with a touch of sexiness to it. his voice was perfect.
LikeLike