Korean stars have seen clothes and shoes they wear on soap operas flying off the shelves in China. Now, they want to cash in on the trend.
韩国明星发现他们在偶像剧中所穿的衣服和鞋子在中国十分畅销,他们从中嗅到了商机。
YG Entertainment Inc.—the Seoul-listed artist-management powerhouse whose clients include rapper Psy, boy band Big Bang and girl group 2NE1—this week launched a fashion brand called Nonagon that targets young consumers around the world interested in street dance and pop culture.
首尔上市的韩国娱乐公司——YG Entertainment Inc.推出了一个名为Nonagon的时尚品牌,该品牌针对全球喜欢街舞和流行文化的年轻消费者。YG Entertainment旗下艺人有鸟叔朴载相(Psy)、男子偶像组合Big Bang、以及少女组合2NE1。
On Oct. 2, it will launch a cosmetics brand that uses bold colors and is also targeted at young consumers. The company is especially looking to market its products in China, where Korean TV shows are hugely popular among young and well-to-do, fashion-obsessed Chinese consumers.
今年10月2日,YG Entertainment将推出一个面向年轻人的、用色大胆的彩妆品牌。该公司十分看重在中国展开营销,在中国那些家境良好、崇尚时尚的年轻人中,韩剧十分流行。
“We’ve always contemplated the idea of delving into more scalable, derivative consumer-product businesses, leveraging our existing talent pool,” said Yang Min-suk, CEO of YG Entertainment. “Fashion and cosmetics are naturally the optimal options.”
YG Entertainment的首席执行长Yang Min-suk表示,他们一直在考虑发展可扩展的衍生消费品业务,发挥现有人才的力量。他说,时尚和彩妆自然是首选。
L Capital Asia, the private-equity arm of LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton, is helping YG to venture into the fashion arena. It said in August it is investing up to $80 million for a 11.5% stake in YG. The move gives the consumer-goods companies L Capital invests in easy access to Korean stars, who are major trend-setters in Asia.
LVMH Moet Hennessy Louis Vuitton旗下的私募股权公司L Capital Asia正在帮助YG Entertainment进军时尚圈。L Capital Asia今年8月表示,将投资至多8,000万美元收购YG Entertainment 11.5%的股份。L Capital由此得以轻松地和引领亚洲潮流的韩国明星搭上关系。
“The Korea wave is going really deep in China,” said Ravi Thakran, a managing partner at L Capital Asia. “One of the best ways for companies to get into China is through Korean celebrity endorsements.”
L Capital Asia执行合伙人Ravi Thakran说,韩流正深入中国社会,企业打入中国市场的一个最佳方式便是请韩国明星做代言。
The likes of Chanel, Gucci and Louis Vuitton have used product placements on Korean TV dramas to broaden their appeal to young Chinese consumers.
香奈儿(Chanel)、古驰(Gucci)、路易威登(Louis Vuitton)等品牌都曾将产品植入韩国电视剧,以提升其对于中国年轻消费者的吸引力。
“YG’s key focus is in China,” said Mr. Thakran. “Half of its growth should come from Greater China.”
Thakran说,YG的关键重心是中国市场,其业绩增长中有一半应来自大中华区。
Globally, celebrities often sign contracts with perfume houses to associate their name with a signature scent as a form of self-promotion. As Korean pop-stars become a world-wide phenomenon, they are also exploring new ways to monetize their power.
放眼全球,名人常常会与香水品牌签约,将其名字与一款标志性香型挂钩,作为一种自推广的形式。随着韩国流行明星红遍世界,他们也在探索新的方式运用其影响力创造财富。
“The influencers will add a hip and cool impact, and they will get royalties from the products as compared to simple endorsement,” added Mr. Thakran.
Thakran补充说,名人将增添一份新潮炫酷的影响力,而且相比于单次代言所得,他们将能从产品中获得特许权使用费。