News
A Family Business - The Nick and Aaron Carter Websites and Fan Clubs
Who would know you best, other than yourself? Your family, that's who. Bob and Jane Carter kept this in mind while deciding who would help them create websites and fan clubs for their children, Nick and Aaron. After many failed attempts by other family members and by groups outside of the family, they finally found two dedicated, honest people who were qualified to do the job very well--Steve and Deborah Spaulding, who also happen to be the brothers' uncle and aunt. Together, the Carters and the Spauldings have succeeded in bringing fans closer to the Carter brothers than ever before.
The Carters have tried to setup websites and fan clubs before so they could stop rumors, protect images, and give fans a chance to interact with the brothers; each occasion has turned out in failure or as an attempt to con fans out of their money. One group of people even stole baby pictures the Carters provided for website material. "I think they'd kinda like some baby pictures of Nick back," Deborah muses. This time, it's being done right, with hard work, dedication, and by close interaction with Nick, Aaron, Jane, and Bob. The Aaron Carter official fan club and website were created in November, 1998, followed shortly after by the Nick Carter official fan club and website were produced in April, 1999. The sites are extremely popular; Aaron's site has received about 75,000 hits since its existence, while Nick's site is at 40,000 hits (this is an estimate made on the basis that 10% of visitors to a site leave guestbook messages).
Aaron's site, at www.aaroncarterlpop.com, is one of the few places on the Internet where you can get a true picture of the 11 year old. If you live in North America, you might wonder where the "lpop" comes from. It means "Little Prince of Pop," a term that is associated with Aaron overseas. "Jane's even got it trademarked," explains Deborah. Aaron in involved heavily in the site; he gets to pick what pictures and information go on the site, with occasional help from his parents. The site also houses his fan club, which presently has about 60 members. These members are provided with stickers, posters, and a newsletter. In addition, Aaron also tries to call or personally visit fan club members on tour. The fan club is very helpful to Aaron because it "allows him to interact with other kids his age," letting him act like a regular kid instead of a famous pop star, something that is very difficult to do to otherwise.
Nick's site, at www.nick-carter.com, is very similar to Aaron's site. Nick does not play as active a role as his brother however, due to time limitations he faces while with his group the Backstreet Boys. When he does have the time, Nick checks the site and asks his aunt and uncle to remove pictures and information that he doesn't approve of. Sometimes he does get overruled by his mom or dad. "Jane made him keep a couple on," says Deborah, referring to some embarrassing baby pictures. Nick also picked the background for the website. His site focuses on presented truthful information to his fans, protecting his image and stopping rumors. Recently, Nick's site has sported information about his new tattoos. Says Deborah, it "provides (Nick) a place to talk to fans in a controlled manner," something Nick has always tried to do since day one, and continues to do so through his fan club. His club has over 20 members already, who receive what a member of the Aaron fan club would receive with a few added bonuses.
The sites are a labor of love on the part of both the Spauldings and the Carters; not one person in either family makes a dime off them. The cost of the merchandise for members exceeds the cost of an actual membership. While Uncle Steve and Aunt Deborah receive no money for their work producing the websites and organizing the fan clubs, Jane and Bob Carter cover the rest of the bills for posters, stickers, and newsletters. With two brothers leading the way, mom and dad providing support and information, and uncle and aunt producing, the websites and fan clubs truly are a family business.
