8:17 am - 12/14/2012

Is There a Change in Album Promotions in K-Pop?


There’s no need to promote on television shows to be successful with a new song?
It looks like there’s a shift in marketing strategy trend these days. Lately, new albums and songs are able to be “hits” without the need of musicians promoting on television. “After a new song is released, focus on television promotions” tactic is becoming irrelevant. Musicians like Big Bang, Busker Busker and PSY have swept records this past year, and not to mention Lee Seung Gi who recently came out with his album and is currently topping the charts, have barely made special appearances on television.

So, what’s the reason why singers are not promoting themselves on television? The first reason is that real-time online music charts are easier to see what’s really popular among the public while on the other hand, music programs are garnering less audience viewers than before.


And if they are to promote on television, they will appear on a couple “national variety shows.” Lee Seung Gi appeared on “Running Man” and he was able to beat PSY’s 11 week record at “Music Bank.” Their promotion tactic is starting to look like actors who appear on a couple variety shows to help promote their dramas and movies.

Pop culture columnist Kang Tae Gyu shared, “As music programs become less influential, finding another effective way to promote their artists became the latest homework for music agencies. They are currently using YouTube and online music sites as platforms to market their artists.

A music industry official commented, “However, many rookies still want to appear on music programs and it’s still difficult for them to get on. However, popular artists, and especially those who are musicians before entertainers, don’t really need to focus on appearing on television to do well.
tiddlywinks103 14th-Dec-2012 07:44 am (UTC)
itsjeswee 14th-Dec-2012 07:47 am (UTC)
JYJ doesn't need music programs to make great music
ixion124 14th-Dec-2012 07:55 am (UTC)
yeah hasn't JYJ been doing this for a while
4minutesluts 14th-Dec-2012 07:55 am (UTC)
pls advise me when they find what they need then
tha_x 14th-Dec-2012 11:33 am (UTC)
miwa201 14th-Dec-2012 12:20 pm (UTC)
we_rob_banks 14th-Dec-2012 07:20 pm (UTC)
hellicoptajuuce 14th-Dec-2012 08:17 am (UTC)
well when you have over 4 music shows per week i think it's a little overkill. the entire industy is over saturated like cray, the way they promote their bands is very boring and predictable-
*video teaser
*music show debut
*possible variety show appearance
*possible acting gig
etc etc etc

tbh i think Korea needs talk shows like David Letterman or better yet, Chatty Man it would be awesome to see idols just chillin' and being themselves instead of stiff, boring and answering the same questions over and over again

nyokou 14th-Dec-2012 08:23 am (UTC)
Well, they kinda do

Doesn't Yoo Hee Yeol's Sketchbook count? ^^ I just watched Ailee's latest appearance there and it was pretty funny and cool to learn a bit more about her.
hellicoptajuuce 14th-Dec-2012 08:38 am (UTC)
yep but that is like only one tbh i like that show because he asks questions that aren't fangirl questions like "what is oppa's favourite colour?" "if oppa was a girl who would he date in the band? ^^"
uglypricetag 14th-Dec-2012 10:09 am (UTC)
radio star and beatles code?

tbh there are enough talk shows, it's just that not many that nugu idol groups are invited for the sake of ratings :3
swhyeon1991 14th-Dec-2012 11:50 am (UTC)
Weekly Idol counts too, I guess. And Gurupop lol.
sandra_hall 14th-Dec-2012 12:27 pm (UTC)
i'm just waiting for an idol act to get big enough to be on the graham norton show
hellicoptajuuce 14th-Dec-2012 01:17 pm (UTC)
most likely be psy although i don't think he is big at all in the UK
sandra_hall 14th-Dec-2012 02:50 pm (UTC)
most googled term of the year, shit is still in rotation in clubs, children in need nod. He's known. idk if it'll happen cos he doesn't seem to fussed with promoting in europe. Is he considered an idol anyway?
asnindie 14th-Dec-2012 03:08 pm (UTC)
I was hoping PSY would be on Alan Carr or Graham Norton but instead he went on awful Jonathan Ross.
sandra_hall 14th-Dec-2012 03:19 pm (UTC)
hoshit foreal? might check that out on youtube. any good?

not a jonathan ross fan, how come?
asnindie 14th-Dec-2012 03:52 pm (UTC)

Ross is abit too tasteless for me.
avieyal 14th-Dec-2012 01:05 pm (UTC)
Agreed, so many performance shows, off the top of my head I can already name 6 shows o_O

Did you watch You&I? The one hosted by Lee Hyori and Jung Jaehyung. Idk if they got cancelled or what happened but it was pretty awesome while it ran. Its sort of in the Chocolate/Kang Sora's Propose/Yoo Huiyeol's Sketchbook vein though. Yoon Dohyun's MUST is another awesome one but I think he mostly does bands, I've never heard of 'idols' being on it.

I think Mnet and sbs-mtv try to have more variety in their shows with mini "reality shows" like BtoB's Diary (which was actually quite candid lol I watched it because there was nothing else and now I'm liking BtoB so I guess it worked? ><), B.A.P Killing Camp, Infinite/B1A4/MBLAQ Sesame Player, Block B's MTV MatchUp, etc. But I guess those fall more into the "variety show" category.
hipployta 14th-Dec-2012 06:48 pm (UTC)
I recall Teen Top and Jay Park went on MUST...of course bands like FTIsland go as well.
frantastic 14th-Dec-2012 03:51 pm (UTC)
I think it's also due to the fact they promote the SAME song over and over.

Perhaps it would be better if they could promote other songs from their minis or albums, but that would imply that companies would need to start producing better material instead of adding fillers to their records.
I wouldn't mind lol
the_erotomanic 14th-Dec-2012 08:50 am (UTC)
i typed up a response that is just as long as this article, but decided not to post it. lol!

anyway, this article could've been better researched (and better-written). bottomline is, appearing on tv helps artists promote their song/album. how often they need to do it would've been a better quesstion to ask, i thnk.
in_noctem 14th-Dec-2012 08:56 am (UTC)

Well I didn't need a ~music industry official~ to tell me that.
supplanter 14th-Dec-2012 02:04 pm (UTC)
Marginally-related thoughts I've been incubating:

Ppl act like BuskerBusker and Lee Hi are actually nugus. But they're hardly random newcomers who magically made it big. They were already popular via SuperstarK3, having gained tonnes of fans and exposure through TV, before their debut. That's as much of a sure bet as you can get.

Seasoned groups should do themselves the favor of avoiding the full round of music shows. It could save them from shitty lives, or exhaustion+shitty lives. XD
fallingstarryuu 14th-Dec-2012 02:41 pm (UTC)
the thing is, it's only possible if you're a huge name or already had previous popularity from other shows (kpop star contestants, etc.) or come from a big company that can mediaplay you like no tomorrow.
palebluedot09 14th-Dec-2012 06:57 pm (UTC)
Yep. This only works if you can kill the digital charts. Most idol groups need that music show for their promo
asnindie 14th-Dec-2012 03:12 pm (UTC)
I don't think this counts though. Big Bang are huge, Busker Busker came off a popular reality show and Seung gi is one of the most popular celebs in Korea. What the article should say is music shows aren't the only exposure a musician needs, infact you can get lost among all those rookies and other singers. You need better outlets, like film and tv to get your name out there, Juniel for instance wouldn't have become a success without Illa Illa playing on A Gentleman's Dignity. Heck 10 CM sold like crazy off a CF alone.

Edited at 2012-12-14 03:53 pm (UTC)
anconeous 14th-Dec-2012 04:00 pm (UTC)
THIS. The artists used in the article don't need the music show exposure to get themselves a hit song. Lee Seunggi is freaking Lee Seunggi. Anything he does turns to gold.
asnindie 14th-Dec-2012 05:51 pm (UTC)
The article is silly, these acts are big enough that they don't need continuous promotion.
mjspice 14th-Dec-2012 04:07 pm (UTC)
Wow that's so different from Japan where celebs have to constantly appear on shows to promote themselves. :S
ashiva 14th-Dec-2012 04:51 pm (UTC)
Honestly I won't ever understand why SNSD does all the music shows as they would still sell the same amount whetever they appear in one or all the shows.
miwa201 14th-Dec-2012 05:04 pm (UTC)
mte. When TTS promoted Twinkle they went to all the music shows, even Show Champion that's not that watched. I think SM should just send them to Inkigayo and Music Bank.
anconeous 14th-Dec-2012 05:29 pm (UTC)
They can't ever skip Music Core though, because many of the SNSD girls have been hosts there.
miwa201 14th-Dec-2012 05:34 pm (UTC)
True, I completely forgot about that. I guess just the three of those shows are enough. I think SM cares about the awards so that's why they sent them to Show Champion.
plu178 14th-Dec-2012 09:15 pm (UTC)
They probably sent them to Show Champion because Shindong is an mc on there.
asnindie 14th-Dec-2012 05:52 pm (UTC)
Because SM wants to have a good relationship with all the broadcast stations.
erbalurbal 14th-Dec-2012 06:42 pm (UTC)
So sm can make deals for their rookies to be in their programs.
chibiyunie 14th-Dec-2012 06:44 pm (UTC)
I enjoy seeing my idols performs on music shows ~
hipployta 14th-Dec-2012 06:51 pm (UTC)
This article is kind of ignoring the reality of Seung Gi, Big Bang and Psy being long term music scene celebrities and Busker Busker coming from a huge reality show program.

This is kind of a useless article.

It could argue the number of appearances on music shows as a whole are overkill and that there are other promotion methods but unless you are big completely skipping the promotion cycle doesn't work. Big Bang didn't promote their repackage but DID promote at least once a week on the actual comeback album. Psy did the same and Seungi Gi is promoting now.

Edited at 2012-12-14 06:53 pm (UTC)
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