[Chapter 28: The Fan Club Begins to Show Results, Achieving Astonishing Success]
It was worth noting that Bella worked exceptionally efficiently, having established fan clubs in most major cities across North America, including all of the top 50 cities.
This promotional tour was also the time to assess Bella's work achievements, with Bella, Molly, Mira, and Danny accompanying Linton throughout, along with two bodyguards provided by Universal.
Every city organized fan meet-and-greets (fan meetings or signing events), which not only boosted fan cohesion but also served as the best occasion to stimulate fans' buying power.
...
To everyone's surprise, upon arriving in each city, a large crowd of fans greeted them at the airport. They all wore matching outfits and held up support banners, "Linton takes flight, Stars follow bright."
Duke, the head of the promotional team, was astonished. The company hadn't contracted a welcome service (at that time, professional PR firms provided fan reception services).
When he realized that these fans were actually Linton's genuine supporters who voluntarily came to greet him, he was even more amazed. This was the kind of treatment reserved for superstars; was Linton really this popular?
What he didn't know was that the fan club Linton himself had formed was generating tremendous energy, and its role would only continue to grow.
...
The following promotional activities in New York were fully surrounded by enthusiastic fans. While Linton was being interviewed by the media at the hotel, fans packed the area around the hotel. When he interacted with listeners on the radio, the station's phone lines were overwhelmed with calls from fans.
Particularly during the fan meet-and-greet, held at Madison Square Garden, the venue was packed with all 5,600 seats filled, creating an exceptionally vibrant atmosphere.
In addition to performing, Linton invited several fans on stage to perform with him and prepared 200 signed posters for a live giveaway.
The fan meeting (signing event) was exceedingly successful, surpassing the previous performance segment. During the signing session, nearly every fan had a copy of the album to show support, with some buying multiple copies; one individual even purchased 50.
It was later reported that nearly 10,000 copies were sold during that signing event alone. However, this was just the tip of the iceberg. The significance of hosting fan meet-and-greets went beyond simple signings, as it primarily served the purpose of promotion, especially due to the performance elements.
...
Duke arranged for a local TV station in New York to broadcast promotions of the signing event. On the 10th, the latest issue of Vogue magazine was released, featuring Linton on the cover, which attracted more mainstream attention and further expanded Linton's influence, boosting album sales as well.
...
Even Winona Ryder in Los Angeles called to congratulate him. "I saw the latest Vogue issue; you look so handsome and sexy on the cover! Did you bribe the photographer to make you look so good?"
Indeed, Linton looked incredible on the cover, wearing an Armani suit with a white shirt, tall with a straight posture, deep-set eyes, a strong nose, and sexy lips, radiating charm.
"It's mostly just me looking that good!" Linton knew she had a vibrant personality and played along.
"...Yeah, that's true!"
Linton was taken aback. "Wait, you think so too?"
"Of course! If you weren't good-looking, would I have jumped you in a hotel on our first meeting? Enough already! When are you coming back to Los Angeles? I can hardly wait!"
"Just wait; I should be back by December 8."
"Make sure to let me know as soon as you return to LA, I'm going to squeeze every bit of fun out of you!"
...
Next, both Cameron Diaz and Naomi Watts called to congratulate him on the album's success and his feature on the cover of Vogue.
Mira also shared her thoughts during the congratulations, "Linton, I bet high-end brands will reach out for you to endorse their products; Armani at the very least will come to us. Just wait and see!"
This also indirectly highlighted the significant influence of Vogue magazine.
Quickly, he rushed off to San Francisco to repeat the promotional efforts.
...
Every city they visited allowed Linton to feel the explosive energy of the fan club, leaving him thoroughly satisfied with Bella's work. He decided to reward her with a bonus and give her a raise when he got back.
The entire promotional team was astonished, elevating Linton in their minds to the status of a super celebrity.
...
As they journeyed across the country, the promotional team faced challenges without complaint, but the results were surprisingly successful.
After a week, Linton's debut album in North America achieved a staggering 2.3 million copies sold (international statistics were a bit harder to track in real-time), matching Madonna's record for first-week sales and second only to Michael Jackson's sales miracles.
The album debuted at number one on the Billboard Top Album chart, with three new songs entering the top five of the Singles chart. They were You're Beautiful at number one, Natural at number three, and That's the Way Love Goes at number four, with 7 other new songs making it into the top 30.
Additionally, sales on the 9th and 10th reached a staggering 1.05 million copies (Billboard statistics ran from Monday to Sunday), with the total sales for the first nine days in North America hitting 3.35 million, shocking the industry.
...
Linton could clearly feel his popularity skyrocketing, and the speed of his progress significantly increased. By November 28, Linton effortlessly broke through to the seventh level of first stage.
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On December 8, after finishing the promotional tour across 50 cities, Linton and his crew returned to Los Angeles, where everyone except Linton felt utterly exhausted.
However, the results were immensely satisfying; album sales kept climbing. After breaking through 2.3 million copies in the first week, they achieved 1.8 million in the second week and 1.45 million in the third week, maintaining their position at number one on the Billboard Top Album chart.
Universal's album production line was running at full capacity; the second batch of 10 million copies had already been delivered and distributed globally, and the third batch of 10 million was already in production.
As of yesterday, according to Universal's own statistics, sales in North America had surpassed 7 million, with overseas estimates falling slightly short but still expected to reach at least 5 million.
Universal had raised their sales target to 30 million, aiming to challenge Madonna's 27.7 million copies sold globally of True Blue, which ranked second in global album sales.
Of course, Michael Jackson remained at an incomparable level; his album Thriller, released in 1982, had global sales of 60 million, with over 20 million in North America alone.
The explosive sales results plunged the entire Universal Records into a joyous celebration.
Even more astonishing, all the songs from the album entered the Billboard Top 50 singles chart, with 10 new songs landing in the top 30; You're Beautiful scored its third consecutive week at number one.
...
Back at Universal, a brief summary was made, and Daniel concluded,
"We've wrapped up the North American promotions. You all take a break for three days. Starting on the 12th, we'll kick off the overseas promotions to further activate international market sales.
Based on the sales achievements of first-tier artists' singles and albums, overseas sales should exceed those in North America. With rising star status, that proportion grows larger. For superstars like Michael Jackson, Madonna, and Whitney Houston, their albums sell far better overseas than in the North American market.
Linton, your rapid development is impressive; though you're already a first-tier star in North America, with fame close to that of superstars, your international reputation still lags behind. We need to intensify overseas promotions to enhance your international presence, and the best approach is for you to physically promote abroad.
The promotional department has already drafted a plan for this promotion cycle, targeting London, Paris, Berlin, Rome, Tokyo, Seoul, and Sao Paulo.
Each city will take about 3-4 days, with travel time factored in, making a total of 27 days. Each of these cities has our branch offices; they've prepared detailed promotional itineraries for you. You all rest for three days and depart on the 12th for London for your first stop.
Additionally, good news -- the American Music Awards (AMA) will be held on January 18 next year, and you should be nominated for Best New Artist in R&B and Soul. We're also communicating with the event organizers to ensure you get to perform live on stage, which conveniently gives you time to prepare after returning from the overseas promotions."
Daniel also shared that Universal was preparing to settle the second payment for three singles' royalties, advising Linton to arrange for an accountant to follow up for auditing confirmation.
*****
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