Originating from Japan, the girl band was produced by Akimoto Yasushi in 2009, where they started performing in a theatre in Akihabara, hence the naming AKB. Since then, the group has sold over 20 million records within Japan and has also gained global recognition in some countries as a raging sensation, sprouting out sister units in various countries such as JKT48 (Jakarta), SNH (Shanghai).
One would wonder the reason behind the success of AKB48, despite mostly singing mainstream bubblegum pop and mediocre dance moves compared to their Korean counterparts. I believe that it is due to their producer, Akimoto Yasushi, who saw an unfulfilled niche market in the idol industry. He produced the group with the concept “idols you can meet”. Unlike most idols in Japan who are unrealistically portrayed in the media, fans actually have many chances to meet members of AKB48 through the many popularity poll performances, handshake meetings and sign sessions. Such events were hard to come by in Japan before AKB48’s debut.
From the above facts, we can see just how important it is to have a keen eye to spot possible unfulfilled niches. Only with a keen eye, can we seize opportunities when they come to us.
Source: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-57371627-1/otaku-band-akb48-morphs-into-$200m-business/
Hey Zewei!
I thought that it was really refreshing to see how J-Pop and the asian entertainment scene has close tie ins with the business world (speaking as both a K-pop fanatic & a Sauder student). Many K-Pop groups in general have also been developed on the basis of various concepts and are leveraging on international markets, with massive merchandise and album sales worldwide. How should AKB48 approach the international market and set itself apart from it’s regional counterparts if it should expand its reach into the western market? 🙂