Bono and the U2 Band - Case Study Example

? Bono and the U2 Band Institute Bono and the U2 Band The Life of Bono In 1960, the Republic of Ireland was a small nation on the edge of Western Europe without much claim to rock-and-roll fame. Stereo- types of leprechauns and shamrocks overshadowed any true representation of the culture, and it seemed like the last possible location for a burgeoning rock scene. Into this uncertainty was hurled Paul David Hewson, who later became Bono Vox (Ferran Adria and Svejenova, 2005). Born in Dublin on May 10, 1960, Paul David Hewson was the product of a mixed Protestant/Catholic marriage and attended Mount Temple Comprehensive School, the first ecumenical school of its kind in the city. At Mount Temple in 1976, he joined the first of a series of groups that eventually became U2. He took the stage name "Bono Vex" from a hearing aid shop. In 1979, Bono and fellow U2 members Dave Evans (“The Edge”) and Larry Mullen, Jr. became involved with the Shalom community, a charismatic Protestant Bible study group. The association ended when Shalom's leaders demanded that the band members choose between their budding rock and roll careers and membership in the community (Svejenova et al, 2010). His Works Although he was no longer formally linked to the charismatic movement, biblical imagery and spirituality were a dominant theme of Bono’s lyrics on U2’s early albums, such as October (1931) and War (1933). Thus, as the band moved toward superstardom, many in the American Contemporary Christian Music community embraced it. However, the band's refusal to identify with the conservative moral and political ethos of American-style evangelicalism-compounded by Bono's fondness for alcohol, earthy language, increasingly antinomian spiritual style, and criticism of U.S. foreign policy in songs like “Bullet the Blue Sky” (l987) alienated many evangelicals during the mid-1980s and afterward. Nonetheless, he remained an enormously influential figure for his dedicated fans as well as aspiring evangelical musicians, even as projects like Achtung Baby (1991) and Zooropa (1993) and Bono's stage characters, caused many evangelical pop culture observers to write him off (Ferran Adria, Svejenova et al, 2010). By the mid-1980s, Bono was a ubiquitous presence in various humanitarian efforts supported by popular entertainers. In 1984, he appeared in the Band Aid video “Do They Know it is Christmas?” on behalf of Ethiopian famine relief; this was followed by a live performance at the Live Aid concert in 1985. U2 was a prominent part of the six-city Conspiracy of Hope tour of America on behalf of Amnesty International in 1986. Bono’s vehement, profane denunciation (included in the film Rattle and Hum) of a bombing by the Irish Republican Army (IRA) in 1984 allegedly earned him a spot on an IRA death list. Advocacy Vs the Business Model Looking at Paul David Hewson’s struggle for positive change to the world, it is also clear on the other side that throughout his advocacy, he also benefitted in so many ways. According to Ferran Adria, he mentions that every successful business model should have a driving force. In this case, the publicity gained by Bono and the U2 Band was entirely influenced by the advocacy practiced by Bono. The music initiates a business venture where Bono and the band have benefited from the commercial activity involved. The business model has been fully developed by creativity and innovations established by Bono, such as the establishment of organizations to fight against AIDS in Africa, have tailored his career to prominence. The theoretical model we advance has several implications. First, awareness of the "why" of or the motivation behind the project initiation can help identify appropriate mechanisms for its realization as well as relevant ways for measuring performance. Second, the study of performance - at the heart of advocacy in the Strategic Management field — could be enriched by acknowledging new metrics that have to do with identity expression, such as authenticity and affect the latter capturing the value appropriation and sharing with relevant audiences. Third, research in strategic management and in particular, the growing domain of business models can be extended with studies of phenomena in which fulfilling the needs of the creator, rather than those of the customers, are of importance in understanding and shaping the value proposition. Bono’s Involvement Bono has involved himself in numerous activities. During the 1990s, Bono became increasingly identified with efforts to address the problem of disease and poverty in the Third World. In 1999, he met with members of the Clinton administration, such as Treasury Secretary Lawrence H. Summers and raised the issue of Third World debt relief. The following year, he persuaded Senator Jesse Helms (R-NC) to support funding to fight AIDS in Africa, appealing to the conservative legislator by quoting from the Bible. In 2002, Bono established the Organization DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade in Africa) and sought out links with the Republican administration, meeting with President George W. Bush and escorting Treasury Secretary Paul O’ Neill on a tour of impoverished regions of four African countries. Later that year, he headlined a tour of colleges in the American heartland— including the evangelical Wheaton College, where he praised alumnus Billy Graham to promote student activism in the battle against AIDS in Africa. As a legitimate artist, popular entertainer, and effective advocate for global causes, Bono has been accepted by both secular and evangelical audiences. His reputation with evangelicals rests on the evident Christian motivation for his tireless humanitarian work. For his part, Bono sees conservative U.S. Protestants as an important moral force that can be harnessed lot relief projects and social justice. Rattle and Hum The band made good on that promise in 1987 with The Joshua Tree, a chart-topping effort on both sides of the Atlantic that went on to win the Grammy award for Album of the Year. Its singles, “I Still Haven't Found What I’m Looking For,” and "With or Without You" also quickly went to number one in the United States. Time magazine ballyhooed that they were the hottest ticket in rock ’n’ roll. The band sold out stadiums the world over, the first time they had played venues of that size consistently. The band filmed and recorded various shows from the tour for a 1988 documentary and album called Rattle and Hum. At that point in time, U2 tipped its hat to elements of American music. They recorded Rattle and Hum at the legendary Sun Studios in Memphis, shared the stage with Bob Dylan and performed blues great Billie Holiday. U2 band also returned to its roots by covering the Beatles’ “Helter Skelter.”After taking some time off, the band reconvened in 1990 in East Berlin to begin work on their next studio album. Brian Eno and Daniel Lanois were again tapped to produce. Achtung Baby received stellar reviews and gave those who resisted U2 until this point a reason to jump in the pool. To take advantage of all the enthusiasm, the group set out in 1992 to embark on their American which lasted for than four year (Rosen, 1981). U2’s project Rattle and Rum attempted to exploit a temporal logic that covered a variety of rock standards combined with the writing and recording. This failed eminently and spectacularly and U2 went from being the biggest band in the world to hanging its head in shame. The main reason for this was that songs in the album were not moving fast. Then again, the album featured artist like The Beatles who by that time were not that popular. The album received so many critics and that the previous album was a big hit and the fans expected the same thing if not bigger (Brynjolffson et al., 2011; Elberse, 2010). The London Tour In December 1979, U2’s first London tour began which included club gigs like the Hope and Anchor and the Rock Gardens. This period also saw the release of U23, a three track EP that gave U2 their first chart success in Ireland. Having borrowed financial support from family and friends to maintain some of their shows, U2 played the debut London Gig and dedicated it to the well-wisher, family and friends who supported them during the beginning of their journey to stardom. However, during the London Tour, investors had to play some part. This was because the tour required more than ?3,000 for it to be successful. This was advantageous as well disadvantageous to the band and to the investors themselves. One of the most important attributes of investors is the willingness to provide the funds at any one time when the funds are urgently needed. They also bring knowledge and essential information especially during the starting phase of the beneficiary. They also brought experience of having been in your shoes and knowing how to build a successful event. The disadvantage of this funding is that investors require a higher return on investment. This might affect the overall profits of the band. The advantage of investing is that, the investing company gets handsome earning from charging a higher return on investment. However, it is a risky business since the investing company may get low or no income in case there are problems experienced by the beneficiary (Kappel, 2008). Reference Brynjolfsen, E. Hu, Y. Smith, M. (2010). Long Tails vs Superstars: The effect of Information Technology on Product Variety and Sales concentration patterns. Information systems research, 21, p.736-747 Elberse, A. (2010) Bye-bye bundles: The unbundling of music in digital channels. Journal of Marketing, 74, p.107-123 Kappel, T. (2008). Ex ante crowdfunding and the recording industry: A model for the U.S.? Rosen, S. (1981). The economics of superstars. The American Economic Review, 71(5), 845- 858. Svejenova, S., Planellas, M., & Vives, L. (2010). An individual business model in the making: A chef’s quest for creative freedom. Long Range Planning, 43(2), 408-430. Svejenova, S. (2005). ‘The Path with the Heart’: Creating the Authentic Career’. Journal of Management Studies, 42(5), 947-974. Read More