Ed Sheeran's secret strategy

To view this email in a browser, [click here](. INC. THIS MORNING Ed Sheeran's secret strategy Good morning, I was surprised to learn this: Ed Sheeran is about to break the record for the most money any artist has ever made on a single tour. The singer’s current tour, called Divide, launched in 2017 and runs through an August 26 show near London. By then, he will have made $750 million or more, [according to projections]( by the Wall Street Journal. That would be enough to break the $735 million record currently held by U2 for a tour between 2009 and 2011. It's an impressive milestone, and even more impressive given that he charges significantly less per ticket than other performers, thus bringing in less money per show. The difference: He simply takes the stage a lot more often than competing performers -- 94 shows during 2018, at an average ticket price of $89. Compare that to: - Drake ($116 per ticket last year, 43 shows) - Jay-Z and Beyonce ($117 per ticket, 48 shows) - Taylor Swift ($119 per ticket, 53 shows) - U2 ($132 per ticket, 59 shows) - The Rolling Stones ($155 per ticket, 14 shows) His shows feature low production costs -- his set is basically just him on a stage with a guitar -- and giveaways to fans, like declining to sell the front row and then giving those tickets to fans in the nosebleeds or those waiting outside without a ticket for free. They also showcase an aggressive anti-scalping effort. I don't pretend to be a giant Sheeran fan, though I like what I've heard. Forty percent of his fans are girls and women between the ages of 13 and 34, so let's just say I'm not exactly in his main target demographic. But I haven’t been able to stop thinking about how Sheeran’s strategies translate to business success. Picking one or two things that resonate with fans (or customers) and doing them repeatedly. Treating the people who pay you like royalty. Don't be afraid to be authentic and transparent with your fans. People connect most readily with other people -- not corporate brands. SPONSORED CONTENT [Connect with tech’s most ambitious minds, on stage and on the record]( The Wall Street Journal’s premier technology conference, WSJ Tech Live, takes place on October 21-23 in Laguna Beach. Secure your ticket to experience on-stage interviews, lively offstage discussions and networking opportunities with WSJ editors, top executives, founders and investors from the most renowned companies in the world. [For a $500 discount, use promo code INC.]( HERE'S WHAT ELSE I'M READING TODAY: Multiple former WeWork executives are [suing the company for discrimination]( ahead of its IPO. --Inc. A new privacy experiment found that [Google Chrome has become “surveillance software.”]( --The Washington Post [Barbara Corcoran says she won’t hire]( anyone who wears high heels to an interview. --Inc. [Microsoft bans (or “discourages”) its employees]( from using Slack, AWS, or Google Docs. --GeekWire Hate your job? Here’s how to know [when it’s time to quit](. --Inc. This entrepreneur crafted a nationwide plan for cheap and clean energy. [Here’s how it all went wrong.]( --The Wall Street Journal Bill Gates says [this is the biggest mistake]( Microsoft ever made. --Inc. [Oregon’s state capitol shut down on Saturday]( after “credible threats” by far-right militia groups. --Willamette Week --Bill Murphy Jr. Contributing Editor, Inc.com Story ideas and feedback actively solicited. Find me at [billmurphyjr@inc.com](mailto:billmurphyjr@inc.com?subject=), or on [LinkedIn]( [Facebook]( and [Twitter](. [Click here]( to forward to a friend. This email was sent by: Mansueto Ventures 7 World Trade Center, 29th Floor New York, NY, 10007, [Unsubscribe]( • [Update Profile]( • [View in Browser]( • [Forward to a Friend](