http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/art/2008/12/201_36567.html
By Han Sang-hee
Staff Reporter

1. The Death of Celebrities in 2008

The suicide death of actor Ahn Jae-hwan because his debt shocked the nation. Then, the suicide death of Korea’s commercial queen and sweetheart, Choi Jin-sil, friend to Ahn and his wife/comedian Jung Seon-hee, jolted the nation. Choi’s death hit the nation hard, with fellow celebrities following suit, including transsexual actress Jang Chae-won, model Kim Ji-hoo, and vocal group M Street’s leader Lee Seo-hyun.

Many stars passed away, leaving the entertainment industry and its fans grieving.

The first celebrity to leave fans was Kim Chang-ik, youngest member of the group Sanulrim. He was followed by famed composer Lee Young-hun, who died in February after suffering from colon cancer. In April, Turtleman from the pop group “Turtles” died from a heart attack, while Kim Min-soo, member of the pop group Monday Kiz, passed away after being involved in a motorcycle accident.

Model Ion also died in a motorcycle accident. Most recently, actor Park Gwang-jeong passed away after suffering from lung cancer.

2. The Popularity in “Real” Reality Shows

This year welcomed various reality shows, some new and some simply upgraded. The key factor of this year’s reality programs is that the shows represent raw realism. MBC’s “Infinity Challenge” showed its group practicing for a Latin dance competition and also a nationwide aerobic competition. KBS’ “One Day Two Nights” presented a celebrity group visiting villages and carrying out tasks and games along the way. MBC’s “We’ve Got Married” put popular celebrity couples in “marriages” and showed them living in the same house, and spending time together like other married couples. SBS joined in the fun with “The Family is Out”, which brought a number of celebrities to the country picking fruits and vegetables, working in the fields and cooking things for themselves.

3. The Comeback of Big Stars and Rise of Idol Groups

The pop scene this year was busy with the return of big stars as well as the rise of hip pop idol groups. Singer Kim Gun-mo appeared with his new album, which was made with composer Kim Chang-wan for the first time since their split 13 years ago. Ballad singer Shin Seung-hun also returned after holding concerts in Japan. Singers Kim Jong-kook and Jo Sung-mo returned after finishing their military service, while “JYP” Park Jin-young, Rain and even Seo Tai-ji returned to their loyal fans. Female singers were also strong, with Baek Ji-young and Lee Soo-young gracing the stage with new tunes.

The rise of the idol groups — Big Bang, Wonder Girls, Girls’ Generation and newcomer SHINee — wowed fans with distinctive styles and catchy songs. Individual activities that group members pursued were also interesting. Tae-yang from Big Bang released his own album, while Yu-na from Girls’ Generation was tapped for the main role in a KBS drama.

4. Big Classical Artists Visit Seoul

Numerous classical stars visited Korea to the delight of fans.

The Vienna Boys Choir started 2008 with their angelic voices, followed by the London Philharmonic Orchestra as led by conductor Vladmir Jurowski, cellist Pieter Wispelwey and pianist Peter Jablonski.

Crossover tenor Andrea Bocelli visited Korea the first time in eight years last April, wowing fans with his charms and charisma. Pianist Martha Argerich and maestro conductor Chung Myung-whun dazzled fans with their joint performance. Young maestro Yannick Nezet-Seguin and pianist Li Yundi graced fans with their tunes. Finnish conductor Esa Pekka Salonen performed with the Los Angeles Philharmonic Orchestra, Sir Simon Rattle with the Berlin Philharmonic and Gustavo Dudamel with the Simon Bolivar Youth Orchestra of Venezuela.

5. Stars Moving Out to Hollywood

Several celebrities knocked on the U.S. market with their albums and films.

Singers BoA and Se7en are currently stationed in the U.S., appearing on television, Web sites and newspapers. They are striving to captivate American fans. BoA is planning to release her official album next year, while Se7en performed at a concert in Seattle and will release his album early next year.

Rain has been one of the busiest stars both here and in the U.S. After his small role in the Wachowski brothers’ “Speed Racer,” he was tapped for the main role in the upcoming movie “Ninja Assassin”, slated for release next year. Jang Dong-gun and Lee Byung-hun will separately appear in the U.S. movies “Laundry Warrior” and “G.I.Joe: Rise of Cobra”.

Female actors have also jumped into the Hollywood stream. Jun Ji-hyun appeared in “Blood: The Last Vampire” and Bae Seul-gi joined the cast of a global project film called “Finale.” Han Chae-yong will fly to New Zealand next year to shoot the movie “Soul Mates,” a joint Korean-New Zealand movie.

6. Various Plots in Local Dramas

Dramas of 2008 saw many experiments.

Many drama-makers looked for storylines within their own territory, touching on the lives of people in the broadcast business. “On-air” became popular for dealing with the life of a stubborn celebrity and her manager. Kim Ha-neul played a cocky actress, bringing herself once again to the spotlight for her trendy fashion style and good acting skills.

“Worlds Within” also made headlines with its catchy plot, about the struggling lives of actors and drama producers. Its two main characters were played by Song Hye-kyo and Hyun Bin. “Spotlight” delved into the lives of news reporters, yet failed to gain popularity despite famous actors like Son Ye-jin and Ji Jin-hee. Classical and culinary plots were also popular this year. The hit drama “Beethoven Virus” touched on the orchestral journeys of musicians as well as a stubborn maestro conductor. “Sikgaek” offered simple culinary dishes and recipes around the nation.

Last but not least, art fans had the chance to enjoy “The Painter of Wind,” which told the story of two of Korea’s most famous artists back in the Joseon Kingdom (1392-1910).

7. Forgery Scandals Hit Local Art Scene

The art scene in 2008 was smeared with forgery scandals regarding works by some of the nation’s most famous artists.

The late Park Soo-keun’s painting “A Wash Place” made headlines when it was sold at an auction for the highest price ever, 4.52 billion won. But its authenticity was soon questioned as a local art magazine pointed out its differences from the original as seen in Park’s Collection book.

The Korean Art Appraisal Association carried out an appraisal due to Seoul Auction’s request, clarifying that the work was the original. Despite the clarification, Park’s famous painting continued to spark controversy. It was sent once again for appraisal by other appraisal organizations here and in Tokyo, only to bring yet again the same result.

8. Idol Groups Leading the Local Fashion Scene

Fashion advice in 2008 was smart and simple: follow your favorite stars. Soaring idol groups did not only affect the pop music industry, but also the fashion scene. Young fans wearing clothes similar to those of their favorite singers were nothing new. But this year fans and stars alike brought trend after trend all through the year.

Male groups dominated the fashion scene with their tight skinny jeans and high-top shoes. Big Bang was one of the most popular groups this year, and the members successfully brought out their personalities with distinctive hairstyles, both baggy and skinny pants, and even makeup. SHINee was new to the pop scene, but their simple and easy-to-follow looks captivated fans, complete with colorful shirts, jackets, high-top sneakers, and tightly fitted jeans.

The Wonder Girls and Lee Hyo-ri were the center of attention wherever they went, with their chic and glamorous styles. The five-girl group brought retro back to the fashion scene, with colorful stockings and simply dresses. Lee expressed her style with sexy, tight fitted leather pants, hats and leggings.

9. Sluggish Movie Market Ever

For movie fans, this year was not fruitful. The market share in local movies was the lowest since 2001, a staggering 42 percent as compared to the 52.3 percent last year. 113 films were released nationwide, but only seven exceeded an audience of two million.

Foreign movie studios like Warner Brother and Sony Pictures also shut down their operations, citing sluggish sales and the downloading that prevented viewers from buying DVDs at full price.

Despite stagnation, there were still catchy movies that brought fans to theaters, such as “The Chaser” starring Ha Jung-woo and Kim Yun-seok, and “The Good, the Bad, the Weird” starring top male stars Jung Woo-sung, Lee Byeng-hun and Song Kang-ho.

10. Stars Rush to Stage

The local theater industry is enjoying a boom of popularity despite the economic recession. This is mainly due to its star-studded marketing strategy.

Star power apparently led to the success of musicals and plays this year. Top singers such as Choi Sung-hee, better known as Bada, Ock Ju-hyun, Park Ji-yoon, Dae-sung from the boy band Big Bang, and King-in and Hee-chul from Super Junior, rushed to musicals, pushing up ticket sales.

Also, celebrity movie stars such as Ko Soo, Hwang Jung-min, Choi Hwa-jung and Han Chae-young returned to the stage in various big-name plays as part of “Yeongeuk Yeoljeon 2” as programmed by veteran actor Cho Jae-hyun.

The strategy of casting celebrities worked to attract young audience members. But some critics said that it was only a temporary measure, which merely pursued commercial success without theatrical artistry.

sanghee@koreatimes.co.kr

http://www.koreatimes.co.kr/www/news/special/2008/10/260_32613.html
By David Kilburn
Korea Times, 13 October 2008

The attraction of transforming a country into a brand is easy to understand. Brands add value, both for their owners and their consumers.

According to U.S. brand expert John Gerzema, author of The Brand Bubble, brand value now accounts for about 30 percent of the market capitalization of companies on the S&P 500 index, up from 5 percent 30 years ago.

Today, the 250 most valuable global brands are worth $2.2 trillion, more than the GDP of Italy.

Google’s brand value makes up 50 percent of its market capitalization. PepsiCo shows a tangible book value of $9.8 billion against a market value of $108 billion, showing how much investors bank on the value of brands rather than the company’s more tangible assets.

Taking the S&P ratio as a guide, a government might assume that transforming their country into a brand might add 50 percent to the value of their economy.

However, this goal is more difficult to achieve for countries than for consumer products. The differences are fundamental. Product brand managers can choose the name, packaging, pricing, decide exactly what to pour into the package, how and where to distribute it. They also change any or all of these variables and take their brand to consumers around the world.

Governments lack this degree of control. Geography, climate, language, population, history and many other factors are unchangeable. While a consumer brand might appeal just to one group of people, a country involves everyone.

Countries are multi-dimensional and far more complex than products. Copying an approach developed for consumer goods is no guarantee of success.

The complexity of country branding is revealed in studies by the U.S. consultancy FutureBrand which publishes an annual report (http://www.countrybrandindex.com) covering the top country brands, based on quantitative research among 2,500 frequent international travellers, plus data from other sources.

FutureBrand’s 2007 report ranked countries across a wide range of criteria: Authenticity, History, Art & Culture, Resort/Lodging Options, Families, Outdoor Activities/Sports, Beach, Natural Beauty, Environmental, Rest & Relaxation, Safety, Rising Star, Value for Money, Fine Dining, Shopping, Nightlife, Friendly Locals, Nice to Live In, Ideal for Business, Easiest To Do Business In, Easiest to Extend A Business Trip In, Conferences.

Based on scores across these wide ranging criteria, the top country brands in 2007 were, in rank order: Australia, USA, UK, France, Italy, Canada, Spain, New Zealand, Greece, and Japan.

Across all FutureBrand’s categories, Korea only appeared once among the top 10. It ranked 10th for shopping. This is disappointing considering that Korea is home to eleven of UNESCO’s world heritage sites, and has three intangible cultural treasures cited as “Masterpieces of the Heritage of Humanity,” also by UNESCO.

Korea also possesses vast expanses of beautiful unspoilt scenery, and a very distinctive cuisine ? all examples of factors that other countries have successfully exploited. Yet Korea only ranked 21st for history, 31st for Art & Culture and 39th for Authenticity. For natural beauty it ranked 58th, for Fine Dining 45th, and for Resort/Lodging options 53rd. There is only one conclusion: Other countries are more successful in competitively pitching their own benefits to travellers.

However, the news about Brand Korea is not completely bleak. Young & Rubicam’s Brand Asset Valuator has been tracking brands for over a decade.

A recent analysis of trends from 1997-2007, found that Brand Korea has started becoming more approachable to Japanese consumers. It has achieved greater momentum among Thai adults, in such terms as “Prestige,” `Cutting Edge” and “Fashionable.”

Over this same period Brand Korea’s personality for Chinese adults has improved, especially as “Fashionable.” This suggests, unsurprisingly, that different opportunities and problems pose themselves for each country.

Though Singapore was not ranked the first in any of FutureBrand’s categories, it was still ranked among the top 10 on 10 different criteria. Only the United States, Australia, New Zealand, and Canada did better.

Singapore is one of the most successful countries at marketing itself. The rise from a swampy island to iconic brand status began when Singapore Airlines introduced their “Singapore Girl” advertising campaign in 1972.

In those distant days, flights from the Far West to the Far East stopped in Singapore to refuel, with a stopover opportunity for passengers. The Singapore Girl became a metaphor for “Asian values and hospitality” which conveniently projected Singapore itself and helped tourism.

Brand Singapore gradually came into being. By the early 1980’s tourism had become the third most productive sector of Singapore’s economy and contributed 5 percent to GNP. But by 1986, hotel occupancy was falling and the tourism growth rate was also in decline. With typical thoroughness, the Singapore government researched the views of visitors. They found that about 70 percent of tourists came from Asia to see Singapore’s economic miracle, and were not disappointed.

However the 30 percent of tourists from outside Asia were hoping to experience something of the island’s romantic historical image and were disappointed. Why travel half way round the world to see a modern city just like back home?

Since visitors from outside Asia had been tourism’s growth sector, their disappointment discouraged friends from visiting. In a report, the Singapore government’s Tourism Task Force concluded, “In our efforts to build up a modern metropolis, we have removed aspects of our Oriental mystique and charm best symbolized in old buildings.”

Teams studied how other countries preserved historical legacy, especially their old buildings. Demolitions were stopped. Money was poured into the repair and preservation of what little remained of old Singapore.

Care was taken to ensure the historical authenticity of old buildings was retained. Within about six years, the remnants of Old China Town, Little India had been rescued. By 1993, revenues from Tourism had grown to 10.3 percent of Singapore’s GNP.

From a tourist destination, Singapore successfully developed as a logistics hub, an international conference and trade show venue, and a financial centre. This year Formula 1 Sing Tel Singapore Grand Prix became the first floodlit night time race in F1 history. Night time, so that viewers in Europe could watch daytime.

About 30 million TV viewers watched the race in Singapore’s main European markets. A sell-out crowd of over 100,000 watched the race track-side in Singapore. There was a time when a slogan, logo, advertising campaign, and a promotional film were enough to promote a country, but that is history.

Branding is not simply a logo or slogan that changes with each advertising campaign. While many follow this approach, it does not maximize what a country can achieve.

Traditional marketing tools are useful but, according to researchers at Media Edge/CIA, 76 percent of people now rely on what others say versus 15 percent on advertising. 92 percent of consumers now cite word of mouth as the best source for product and brand information, up from 67 percent in 1977.

The direct experience of others carries more weight than advertising campaigns or government pronouncements. In this new world, every visitor to Korea is a potential advocate. Every businessman, journalist, tourist, English teacher, overseas student, and migrant worker will have tales of experience to tell, whether in gatherings such as the World Economic Forum, via the Blogosphere, or simply talking to friends.

The internet facilitates the free flow of information, anecdotes, experience, opinion, and recommendation on a tremendous and growing scale. Review sites such as Digg (http://digg.com) and Reddit (http://www.reddit.com), are now the third-most-common use of the Internet after e-mail and search. Social Networks are increasingly important: if Facebook were a country, it would be the 10th largest, bigger than Japan.

Even consumer brands have been slow to recognize the significance of these changes, but now they are rapidly embracing the internet. One example of what internet strategies can deliver is the story of how the Mexican Tourist Board successfully promoted the Mayan ruins at Chichen Itza to become one of the new Seven Wonders of the World (http://www.new7wonders.com).

The project was devised by their long term PR agency, Burson-Marsteller, which re-created the site in the virtual 3-D world Second Life (http://secondlife.com), giving visitors a chance to experience this ancient civilization. The site drew more than 33,000 visitors on launch day, gained extensive media coverage, and many top PR awards. Chichen-Itza was voted one of seven new wonders in July 2007. The economic benefits were almost immediate and far outweighed the $17,000 spent on Second Life. “Since being named a wonder of the world, the number of visitors to Chichen Itza has increased 75 percent,” said Juan Jose Marti Pacheco, secretary of Tourist Promotion of Yucatan, this February.

The sad conclusion is that Korea’s promotion overseas has been consistently mismanaged and has therefore achieved fewer results than countries that have accurately understood their opportunities and problems, and followed a strategic path to get results.

Who Is David Kilburn?

David Kilburn is from the U.K. He worked in the advertising industry for 20 years and has been a professional journalist in Asia for 25 years.

He has lived in Seoul for 20 years. He is also founder of kahoidong.com, an organization formed to protect the remaining original hanok of Gahoi-dong, and Chairman of 3c World, a social networking project.