5 reasons K-pop marketing works (even on old people like me)

#Hallyupopfest at the Singapore Indoor Stadium was my first upfront-and-personal exposure to #kpop; and it was a refreshing eye-opener for this (sometimes jaded) B2B marketer. After watching fans scream their lungs out to #SuperJunior performing "Sorry Sorry" on stage, here are the 5 things I learnt about #kpop that makes it the global marketing phenomenon it is today, despite the language barrier:

1)   #Product: earworm songs are designed for live performances, and are easy for the audience to pick up and sing along

2)   #Promotion: slick on-stage choreography, social media exposure etc which provides enough rotational opportunity for each group member to shine

3)   #Portfolio: A good spread of group member "brand narratives" which speak to different sub-segments of the audience, e.g. "the smoldering rapper", "the boy next door", "the happy-go-lucky guy", and of course, "the responsible leader"

4)   #Advocacy: one-to-one engagements (e.g. personal gifting, high-touch events, red carpet sessions, random play dance for fans) and special merchandising which provides ample emotional rewards to build a strong core of fanatics

5)   #Execution: nothing is left to chance in the branding and marketing of these groups, with producers maintaining tight control over the members’ private life and public behavior, down to who they can date.

Good lessons for marketers everywhere. (and my sincere apologies to #SuperJunior fans for being 15 years late to the game).