The Asia Pop wave is here: ‘It’s time for brands to ride it’
Live Nation's ‘Future Sound’ study, released last month, highlighted an unprecedented demand for Asian Pop experiences in Australia and New Zealand. Speaking to Mumbrella this week, the live event giant's new integrated marketing director, Erica Valenti, discussed what brands can learn from Asian Pop artists.
The rise of Asian Pop in recent years cannot be understated. While it has begun dominating Australian brands this year, the focus has now shifted to what those brands can be learning from the artists in the genre.
Erica Valenti, Live Nation’s new integrated marketing director – who moved across to the company in July from TikTok where she worked as head of music marketing ANZ – told Mumbrella that the September ‘Future Sound’ study showed that Asian Pop artists are the best at connecting with fans, like global hit groups such as BTS and BLACKPINK, who coin their followers as the BTS Army and BLACKPINK’s Blink’s respectively.
So great is the connection, South Korea’s Stray Kids – who only formed in 2017 – are set to play Sydney’s Allianz Stadium this weekend; a venue that has recently hosted concerts from heavyweights like Paul McCartney, Elton John, PINK and Robbie Williams.
“With a marketing lens, we can see that Asian Pop artists have a formula to build fan investment in their overall brand well before their first music release,” she said.
Stray Kids
According to Valenti, there are a number of insights from that can be applied by brands to increase engagement with their own following, such as:
- Harness & equip your super fans: Nine out of ten Asia Pop fans will do anything to meet their favourite idols including: streaming, buying merch, and travelling. In return, they want to be the first to know about any news, releases, or drops. The Asian Pop idol has a full content release strategy for new music, which relies heavily on their stans doing a lot of the heavy promotional lifting, especially when it comes to driving the algorithm or streaming. In the last 12 months, TikTok Australia reported the hashtag #KPop generated 61 million views, with YouTube being the dominating force when it comes to finding new artists. Social media has been instrumental in driving this wave as it allows the artist or band to engage fans from the very start of their journey and be part of the experience. Fostering a direct and inclusive conversation with your community is imperative in building stan culture and encouraging your brand’s super fans to amplify your message. Regular contact and ‘rewarding’ your customers for their loyalty leads to a community of advocates who will continually recall your brand and drive word of mouth and viral traffic.
- Feelings over words: We may all think that music in different languages might affect listenership or engagement, but the ‘Future Sound’ study shows that a surprising 98% of Australian fans listen to music in languages other than English. Much of this is to do with the fact that Asia Pop incorporates an upbeat energy driven by dance, fashion and catchy lyrics. 90% of fans are drawn to the genre because of its choreography and as such, have broken out into social groups online and IRL to learn dance moves. Asia Pop provides an inclusive experience with a viral energy that is evidently catching around the world. Finding ways to engage with your customers and tap into their emotions can help transcend any barriers. Words only have so much of an impact, especially if your product or service is hard to explain, so focus on how you can make them feel part of your ‘experience’ and resonate with your brand. Three out of four say that it’s not even important they understand the language of the music they listen to.
- Be where you are welcome: 97% of fans would like to see more Australian brands partner with Asia Pop idols and support the Asian community. In particular, ‘Future Sound’ showed that fans are passionate to invest in fashion (94%), entertainment (88%), and beauty (86%), which align with the trends and lifestyles of their favourite celebrities and idols.
Global brands are already taking notice of Asia Pop artists, Valenti said, noting recent examples like Hong Kong artist Jackson Wang’s collaboration with MAC Cosmetics and BTS teaming with McDonald’s.
“These collaborations not only cement the artist’s global presence, but provide brands with unprecedented access to billions of engaged fans,” she explained.
“Exploring new and exciting ways for your brand to show up is key to connection. It’s clear fans want you there, so deep-dive into their passions and interests so you can play in their space.
“Above all, brands need to lead, not follow the trends. Being part of a culture on the cusp of explosion is an exciting way to build and maintain communities for long-term growth and loyalty. One thing’s for certain: the Asia Pop wave is here, and it’s time for brands to ride it.”
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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