This article explores the reasons behind Robbie Williams' failure to achieve mainstream success in the United States despite his immense popularity in the UK and other parts of the world.
Paramount Pictures made an unprecedented decision in September to forgo the wide release of the film in mid-January due to poor ticket sales in limited markets. This last-minute decision may have cost the studio some potential income, but it also may have saved them the embarrassment of having one of the lowest-grossing releases in years. In modern cinematic history, the public's lack of awareness follows a weak marketing campaign.
That could not necessarily be said for the film's trailer, which had been widely circulated since October. Reviews proved to be positive, and the original song “Forbidden Road” even earned a nomination at the Golden Globes. However, the marketing campaign seemed to make a critical error in appealing to American viewers; although the film’s trailer refers to its subject as “one of the most famous musicians in the world,” a vast majority of those in the U.S. have no idea who he is. The film is the story of how Williams came from an impoverished background to become an absolute phenomenon in his home country of England. The film makes the creative choice to depict him as a computer-generated monkey, which Williams stated was a reference to how the media attention he received made him feel like a “dancing monkey” during public appearances. Nonetheless, the film is an otherwise accurate depiction of the shocking rise and fall of Britain’s signature “pop star bad boy.” During his 2006 Close Encounters tour, Williams’ career began at 16, when he became the youngest member of the British pop band Take That. Although the group was conceived to be a collaborative effort, Williams was clearly the star player and took precedence on the hits 'Could It Be Magic,' 'I Found Heaven,' and 'Everything Changes.' It didn’t take long for Williams to become a standalone sensation, as his brilliant cover of George Michael’s “Freedom” was followed with universal acclaim for his single “Angels,” which skyrocketed to the top of the British charts and sold more than 3,000,000 records in Europe alone. Global domination was clearly on Williams’ mind, as his tour for the album led to sold-out concerts in Australia, Latin America, and several European countries. By 1999, he had signed with EMI Records and planned to extend his tour to the U.S. and Canada while completing work on the compilation album. The irony of the self-deprecating album title may not have landed with American listeners. Why Williams never cracked the American market has always been a subject of debate, but it ultimately came down to the fact that his sensibilities seemed exclusively British. One of Williams’ standout music videos was 1998’s “Millenium,” which parodied the James Bond films with references that may have made sense only to those who grew up with 007 as a national idol. In a revelatory interview, Williams expressed frustration that Americans “had zero understanding or knowledge” of who he was. His snarky sense of humor and playful attitude, which his home country had found charming, simply came off as smug. The issue Williams faced was that America was already so big and filled with imported music that another act failed to stand out. It may be easy to survey the cultural inclinations of England based on a few tours, but Williams struggled to find the right approach to a nation that was so vast and diverse in terms of its musical interests. His failure was certainly not from lack of trying, as he attempted to establish broad international appeal by collaborating with Nicole Kidman on a well-received cover of Frank and Nancy Sinatra's “Somethin’ Stupid.” Unfortunately, the greatest exposure most Americans had to Williams was in the 2003 release of . It didn’t help that Williams’ attempted American conquest coincided with a particularly challenging period in his personal life. As noted by instances of mooning the audience, shouting out swear words and making constant lewd references. It’s easy to forget how repressed the American music scene was in the early 21st century
ROBBIE WILLIAMS MUSIC INDUSTRY AMERICAN MARKET UK POP STAR MARKETING
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