Taylor Swift and her new album spark the debate: Are you using K-pop marketing strategy?

Hello to the entire community of Mad about Korea! If we know something like Hallyu fans, it’s about K-pop marketing and the art of collecting. Multiple album versions, photocards, and Random and special editions are part of our culture. Therefore, when the world of Western pop is surprised by the tactics of Taylor Swift, we can’t help but smile and think: ‘Welcome to the party’.

the launch of ‘the life of a showgirl‘ has put a global discussion on the table: is it Taylor Swift Adopting (or perfecting) the K-pop marketing strategy to dominate the lists? We are going to immerse ourselves in this issue that, according to many fandoms, have observed, it has many points in common.

The ‘Swift effect’ that is familiar to us

to be fair, Taylor Swift It’s not new to this. already in 2020 released nine vinyl variants of ‘folklore‘and more than 20 editions of ‘Midnights‘In 2022 (Including four versions that formed a clock, does it ring a bell?). his album 2024, ‘The tortured poets department‘, also exceeded the 30 variants.

but with ‘the life of a showgirl‘, the debate has intensified. The tactic is clear: to create a sense of urgency and exclusivity that motivates the ‘Superfans‘ to buy multiple copies. And it is here where the comparisons with the K-pop they become unavoidable.

Taylor Swift en la mira por copiear estrategia del marketing del K-pop — Taylor Swift, The lofe of a Showgirl

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What exactly is the ‘K-pop marketing strategy’?

For those who are not so familiar, the K-pop marketing model evolved years ago. It’s not just about selling music anymore; It’s about selling one Fandom identity and an emotional connection with the artists.

Entertainment agencies release multiple versions of the same album, each with unique covers, Photobooks different and, of course, the coveted goodies random (hello, photocards!).

Fans buy these versions for several reasons:

For collecting: For all versions and photographic material.
To support (charts): Multiple purchases help your idols Favorites escalate in the sales charts.
BY ACCESS: Album purchases are often the ‘entry’ for raffles of FANSIGNS (autograph signatures) or Videocalls (video calls) exclusive.

The example of BTS and the artistic connection

An iconic case is that of BTS. His ‘Love Yourself’ trilogy is the perfect example.

‘Love Yourself: Her’ (2017) had 4 versions: ‘L’, ‘O’, ‘V’, and ‘E’.
‘Love Yourself: Tear’ (2018) had 4 versions: ‘Y’, ‘O’, ‘U’, and ‘R’.
‘Love Yourself: Answer’ (2018) had 4 versions: ‘S’, ‘E’, ‘L’, and ‘F’.

When they were put together, the covers of each album in the trilogy formed a connected work of art. Interestingly, Swift did something similar with the ‘Midnights’ vinyl that, together, formed a clock.

BTS Love yourself photocards — Love Yourself, BTS

The ‘k-popification’ of pop: more than just albums

Although Western pop stars have always had deluxe editions, the escalation of this tactic coincides with the global rise of K-pop in this decade. The K-pop marketing model, based on loyal ‘superfans’ with great purchasing power, proved to be incredibly effective worldwide.

It is no coincidence that last year, albums of enhypen, , seventeen and Stray Kids were in the Top 20 of the best sellers in the world according to the IFPI, rubbing shoulders with the Taylor Swift, , Billie Eilish and SZA.

The data does not lie: the rise of the variants

According to the Luminate data firm, the average number of different physical variants for each album in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 (the US list) Jumped from 3.3 in 2019 to 8.9 in 2023. The change is obvious!

And it’s not just about albums. We are seeing how other key elements of culture K-pop They infiltrate the West. the rapper doechii, for example, offered a Lightstick Official as merchandise on his recent tour! For us, a Lightstick (such as BTS Army Bomb or Seventeen Carat Bong) is a symbol of fandom identity, not just a souvenir.

Doechii saca su lightstick siguiendo los pasos del K-pop — Doechii’s Lightstick

You can also read Stray Kids closes Gira Dominate in a big way and confirm new album!

The big differences: why is K-pop still unique?

Despite the similarities, there are crucial distinctions that make K-Pop marketing stand out. As the music critic points out Lim Hee-Yoon, the model K-pop It is based on two things Taylor Swift (as a soloist) you don’t have:

Groups with multiple members: This allows an almost infinite variety of goodies and versions. Stray Kids (8 members) released 16 versions of their album ‘Karma’ in August. seventeen (13 members) has specific ‘carat’ versions for each member.
The ‘commercialization’ of the interaction: This is the key point in the marketing of the K-pop. In the K-pop, the physical album is literally a lottery ticket to win a fansign or one videocall. This motivates the more dedicated fans to buy hundreds of copies to ensure their access.

The B-side of success: criticism and environmental impact

This model of ‘hyper-collectionism’ is not free from criticism, and fans of the K-pop We know it well. the practice of buying dozens (or hundreds) of albums just to bring out the photocards or win a fansign, to then discard the CDs, has generated enormous concern for waste and environmental impact.

Billie Eilish publicly criticized this marketing strategy of the K-pop last year on Billboard, saying: ‘I can’t even express how wasteful it is‘.

Ironically, the fans of the K-pop They have been raising their voices against these practices of the agencies for years.

Las photocards son fundamentales para el marketing del k-pop — K-pop Photocards, Enhypen

A future without CDs? The case of Lim Young-Woong

In response to these concerns, we have seen interesting movements in Korea. The popular singer lim young-woong He chose not to release physical CDs for his latest album. Instead, he published a photo album printed with merchandise, but without the album, thus giving up competing in the lists based on sales of physical CDs.

Will the industry change? The difficult balance between profit and sustainability

Although criticism grows, the reality is that the K-pop It depends greatly on these sales. Kwak Young-ho, CEO of Global Hanteo (Korea’s main sales list), told Korean media that sales of physical albums ‘They are still the only way to generate the maximum gain in the shortest time‘.

According to Kwak, an artist needs to sell at least 200,000 Copies per album just to keep up your career. Therefore, it is almost impossible for agencies to give up this income model.

There has been talk of solutions, such as an environmental impact certification system (similar to the ‘carbon label’) for each album. However, being the K-pop One of the main cultural export products of Chorea, it is unlikely that we will see significant regulations soon.

But as the Lim critic concludes: ‘As sustainability concerns increase across industries, K-pop should not be immune to that scrutiny‘.

Meanwhile, we see how global pop adopts the tactics that marketing K-pop perfected, for better or for worse.

And you, K-Lovers, what do you think? Do you think that Taylor Swift was too ‘inspired’ in K-pop marketing strategy? Is it a fair tactic for fans or is a line being crossed? We want to read your opinions in the comments!

See you in the next update of Crazy about Korea!

(Source of Information: The Korea Joongang Daily)

Los K-pop lightsicks son un símbolo de pertenencia — K-pop Lighsticks

FAQs on K-Pop Marketing

Here we answer some of the most common questions that arise when comparing the sales strategies of Taylor Swift and the marketing of the K-pop.

1. How many album versions did Taylor Swift recently released?

While our article mentions a hypothetical album, the real cases that started this debate were their previous albums. To ‘Midnights’ (2022), released four editions on vinyl and CD with different covers that formed a clock, in addition to exclusive editions for stores (such as Target) and later digital versions with more songs (such as the ‘3am Edition’ and the ‘Til Dawn Edition’).

With ‘The Tortured Poets Department’ (2024), the strategy was intensified: In addition to the standard version, it released four collector editions (‘The Manuscript,’ ‘The Bolter,’ ‘The Albatross,’ and ‘The Black Dog’), each with a different cover and a Bonus track exclusive. Adding the vinyl color variants, CD editions and cassettes, 15-20 versions were easily exceeded.

2. What is a K-pop ‘photocard’ and why is it so important?

A photocard (or photo card) It is a small collectible photo of one of the members of the group, printed on a material similar to that of a credit card or postcard.

Its importance is that They come randomly inside the physical album. If a group has 8 members and 3 versions per member, there may be more than 24 photocards different. Fans buy multiple copies of the same album in the hope that they will get their favorite member’s card (their ‘Bias’) or to complete the collection. This has created a huge exchange culture, resale (where some weird cards are worth hundreds of dollars) and, of course, is a key driver in mass album sales.

3. K-pop invented the strategy of the multiple versions?

No, but he perfected it and climbed it to an unprecedented level that makes it study as a business model at prestigious universities such as Harvard and Oxford.

Launching multiple luxury covers or editions is not new. In the 90s and 2000s, Western pop artists (including BOY BANDS such as NSYNC or the Backstreet Boys) and rock bands were already releasing special editions, alternative covers or Bonus tracks for different regions or stores.

The big difference of ‘K-pop marketing’ is the randomness and the Direct link with the fandom. The K-pop It doesn’t just give you a different cover; gives you Random inclusions (photocards, posters, stickers) and use the album as a Lottery ticket to gain access to FANSIGNS (autograph signatures) or video calls with the idols. This combination is what really drives mass purchase.

4. What are the main criticisms of this K-pop marketing model?

The criticisms are two and they are very serious, both for the K-pop As for Western artists who adopt it:

Environmental Impact: It is the strongest criticism. mass production of CDs (which many no longer use), plastic packaging, Photobooks And international shipments generate a huge carbon footprint. The images of fans who buy hundreds of albums have been very popular, they release the photocards And they discard the rest, creating tons of garbage.
Fan Exploitation: Many critics (and even fans) feel that these tactics pressure fanbases (often very young) to spend excessive amounts of money. A feeling of ‘obligation’ is created to support their artists on the charts (the Charts) or to feel a connection (winning a fansign), which can be financially harmful.

5. Are K-pop agencies doing something for the environmental problem?

Yeah, they’re starting to react Due to the pressure of fans and global criticism. Although the physical CD is still the king of profits, many agencies now offer alternatives:

Platform Albums (Platform Albums): They are smaller versions (sometimes the size of a photocard) that do not include a CD, but a QR code or an NFC card (such as ‘little’ or ‘kit’ albums). The fan scans the code in an app to get the digital music, the Photobook digital and the photocards physical, drastically reducing plastic and paper.
Ecological materials: Large companies such as HYBE (BTS, Seventeen) and JYP (Stray Kids, TWICE) have started using Forest Certified Paper (FSC), soybean-based inks and biodegradable plastics in their packaging.
Weverse Albums /Nemo: They are other variants of digital albums that seek to reduce the waste of the physical CD.