A TALE OF TWO SELFIES
Canada’s most famous Justins — Trudeau left, Bieber right — are converting the buzz from their star appeal differently. The PM says he hopes the attention from his world tour will help Canada’s brand. Bieber? Well, Ottawa fans can snap a selfie with him —
How much would it be worth to snap a selfie with Justin Bieber before he performs in Ottawa next spring? For his fans, it might be priceless. But the marketing folks behind the Canadian pop star have no problem attaching a specific number to the experience: $2,650.
That’s how much they are charging for one selfie with Bieber when he performs at the Canadian Tire Centre next May 13. The price includes the concert, too, of course.
It’s at the extreme end of a thriving trend in the concert business of pop stars who are glad to offer fans a little extra attention on their stadium tours, for a price. Many offer special packages with a wide array of extras, from seats close to the stage to laminated tour mementos, T-shirts, back-stage parties and sometimes a chance to “meet and greet” the star.
It’s common for fans to pay $800 for a meet-and-greet package, says Ken Craig, the Ottawa rep for concert promoter Live Nation. That’s about what Carrie Underwood and Selena Gomez are charging for VIP tickets to their shows at the Canadian Tire Centre next May.
But $2,650? “God. I’ve never heard of a ticket price that high. Are you sure that’s a real price?” says Craig incredulously. “That’s the highest ticket price I’ve ever seen (at the Canadian Tire Centre).”
Canadian Tire Centre officials could not confirm his observation, saying only that prices are set by the artist.
Bieber’s fans are astounded, too, and angry. They’ve taken to social media to complain, using the hashtag #justiceforbrokeliebers. “Justin is gonna be singing sorry to himself when no one shows up to his m&g,” wrote one fan. “Justin: wants people to treat him like a normal person but wants $2,000 for a selfie,” posted @justinbieburnt. “Are they forgetting the majority of his fans are teens?” wondered @osnapitsrauhi. “What the actual f ***, do they think we’re made out of money?”
The 21-year-old Bieber is making a comeback, his status as a teen superstar somewhat tarnished after a few years of bad-boy behaviour. His North American tour to promote a new album, Purpose, begins next March. It’s already produced two hit singles, Sorry and What do you Mean?
Fans might be humming both as they ponder the price of the VIP tickets for Bieber’s tour. In Ottawa, packages start at $503 and end with the $2,650 “Ultimate #Purpose Experience,” which includes one selfie taken before the show. Other benefits include a seat in a barricaded area (“you’ll be the closest to Justin!” promises publicity material), a backstage tour, a hospitality lounge, a “merch package”, an official tour plaque “made and engraved for you”, early entry to the concert, a laminated tour tag, and a digital download of the new album.
Or fans can downgrade to the $1,225 “I’ll Show You VIP #Purpose Experience,” which includes a meet-and-greet with the Biebs and a group photo (“minimum of 4-6 people per group”).
Hefty prices for VIP treatment come at a time when the cost of regular concert tickets is holding steady or declining, says Craig. Because of the collapse of music sales, musicians tour to make money. There’s lots of competition, which keeps prices down. “There are so many bands on the road, so many shows,” he says. “Everybody is touring now. You have to price it right.”
Well-known bands who might have charged $125 for a show four years ago are now charging $90, he notes. But artists can jack up prices for special packages because fans will pay a lot for the chance to meet their favourite star. In the business, it’s called the “grip and grin.” Handshake, kiss, photograph, and on to the next fan.
Bieber appears to have taken the trend to a new price level. A check of other musicians on tour in North America failed to find any VIP packages that were anywhere near as expensive. Madonna, for example, charges $1,500 for a VIP ticket to her concerts in the Southern U.S. in January. The Material Girl does not meet and greet her fans, but her package includes, among other things, a reception with a DJ spinning her hits, swag, and a “hassle-free check in with onsite VIP hosts.”
Regular tickets for Bieber’s concert in Ottawa go on sale Friday, at relatively modest prices ranging from $57 to $146. The VIP packages are already on sale, and there were still some available Thursday.