Marketing and Bubble-gum Pop
AKB48 is Japan’s crowned pop idol group, and all of their CD singles for the past two years sold over 1 million copies in Japan. What lies behind this miracle degree of success is no other than the genius marketing strategy that drives AKB’s appeal.
The members of AKB48 in their outfits from the single, “Flying Get”
Each of their CDs comes with a ticket to one of their handshaking events. It aligns perfectly with AKB48’s “brand” motto, “Idols you can meet.” Fans in Japan have the chance to shake hands with the members and talk to them…as long as they buy their CDs.
But the cherry on top of it all is AKB48’s “General Election” that occurs every year. It’s merely a fancy way of saying a popularity contest, but the cost of one vote is equivalent to buying one CD, and voting per person is unlimited. The winner of the election, who gets the most votes, will be featured in the next single, and become widely exposed to the media. This glamorous opportunity completely drives AKB’s die-hard fans crazy to support their favorite member.
These are the several points of differences that separate AKB48 from the countless idol groups in Japan. But the real challenge is how long they are able to maintain this miraculous success streak.
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Works Cited
“AKB48 Janken Tournament.” Jefusion. AKB Group, 2011. Web. Oct. 6. 2013.
St. Michel, Patrick and Daisuke Kikuchi. “AKB48 ‘Election’ Shows Marketing Brilliance.” The Japan Times. The Japan Times Ltd., 31 May 2012. Web. Oct. 6 2013.