Making of K-Pop: Competitive Strength and Business Model Analysis

This report analyzes the competitive strengths and business model of the K-Pop music industry. It discusses the concept of cultural hybridity, the evolution of K-Pop through globalization, and the idol system's role in creating multi-talented entertainers. The report highlights the industry's focus on connecting talent with consumers, localizing Western music, and leveraging social networking services (SNS) for digital distribution. It examines the viability of the K-Pop business model, noting its success in Asia and its emphasis on catchy melodies. The report also provides recommendations for sustaining competitiveness, including focusing on diverse and original lyrics, combining dance and vocal skills, and strategically promoting music and artists. The report emphasizes the importance of long-term investment in building competence and accessibility for consumers to ensure continued success in the global music industry.

Running head: MAKING OF K-POP
Making of K-pop
Name of the Student
Name of the University
Author note

1MAKING OF K-POP
Competitive strength of Korea’s pop music industry
In the global music industry, Korean pop has revolutionized and many K-pop singers like
SNSD, TCQX, Wonder Girls, Psy who has currently attracted unprecedented followers in
Europe, Asia and North America. They possess competitive strength as they have unique cultural
phenomena resting on the concept of cultural hybridity. They have evolved through a
complicated globalization process, musical content that originated from European or Pop
Asianism. K-pop have evolved in the global music industry through a new musical content and
made efforts to spread to the social capital and global talent pools in the former disconnected
music industry instead of making efforts to emaluate and modify the Japanese pop culture. This
depicts that in the global music industry, Korea occupies structural hole existing between East
Asian and Western music industries (Russell 2012).
The idol system and star factory in Korea is breeding multi-talented entertainers where
they have refined the true relationship between consumer and artist. The K-pop industry is
focused on the creation of connection between the talent and consumers to bring out the artist
and not just the music. They also worked to import the westernized music, melodies, fashion and
language to Korean music industry. They followed the concept of localization and led to the
creation of pseudo-hip Korean culture. They have their own global strategy to localize the
western music into K-pop and present it internationally into the global market, as music can be
relatable and crossed between the cultures based on their unique production (Koo and Sung
2016). Furthermore, they use new technologies as social networking services (SNS) being the
most connected country in the world. K-pop focuses more on digital distribution and touring and
becomes the highest share in the global music world (Hong 2014).

2MAKING OF K-POP
Likely viability of Korea’s pop music business model
K-pop have emerged and shown a dramatic rise in the major regions from Indonesia,
Vietnam, South Korea, Singapore and much more. K-pop is a soft and powerful tool having
highest overseas profit that began since 1997. This shows a rise in the success of the Koran
music industry in the global market taking it overseas and rising of cultural tourism. This shows
that K-pop is emerging, impressive and enjoyed in Asia, however, it is marginal on a global
scale. Moreover, K-pop put emphasis on the catchy melodies instead of lyrics and lack of
elaboration. There is lack of diversity and originality in the fast-paced industry that is taking a
heavy toll. Over a period, it is evident that K-pop culture will decline, as music industry is
dependent on few similar brands and standardization of content (Lie 2012).
Recommendation for Korea’s pop music agencies
To sustain competitiveness, K-pop industry has to focus on the lyrics that offer diversity
and originality with content standardization. They should focus on the combination of dance and
vocal skills with original content and tech-savvy fan base that actively use social media. There
should also be systematic production of music and promotion in a well-planned manner by the
Korean music industries. There should also be commercial application of K-pop `as promotion
strategies should be based on singers, songs and fan base. Concisely, it should not be forgotten
that strategic long-term investment led to the success of K-pop despite of the fact that content are
poorly established at the outset. Therefore, K-pop industry should focus on building competence
and accessibility for the consumers, opportunities for brand exposure for the long-term success in
the global music industry (Oh and Park 2012).

3MAKING OF K-POP
References
Hong, E., 2014. The birth of Korean cool: How one nation is conquering the world through pop
culture. Picador.
Koo, S. and Sung, S.L., 2016. Asia and Beyond. Made in Korea: Studies in Popular Music.
Lie, J., 2012. What is the K in K-pop? South Korean popular music, the culture industry, and
national identity. Korea Observer, 43(3), p.339.
Oh, I. and Park, G.S., 2012. From B2C to B2B: Selling Korean pop music in the age of new
social media. Korea Observer, 43(3), p.365.
Russell, M.J., 2012. Pop goes Korea: behind the revolution in movies, music, and Internet
culture. Stone Bridge Press.