Author's Note: Um, I have not written anything in ages, so I was a little petrified of how this was going to turn out, because of my being rusty. XD But a PM regarding the situation at the Super Show gave enough inspiration, and this is the result.
Much to the chagrin of STANDers and SNSD antis everywhere, 2009 will no doubt be remembered as the year that belonged to SNSD. The first half for certain. Not merely because of album sales (rumor has it that fans bought as many as ten copies to help the sales go well), but because SM put on a marketing campaign that I dare say no other SM artist has ever received in such a short amount of time.
From CFs to variety show and hosting appearances, to three different shows of their own (one canceled), two different mini-albums, all in the span of a half a year, SNSD is basking in the huge spotlight that SM has been good enough to set up for them.
And it is this crucial tactic to which SNSD owes much of their recent success.
If a group can stay in the public eye, they become part of the public consciousness. People are familiar with them and their music. It is publicity (good and bad) that helps people know who you are, and ultimately whether or not to patronize you.
Yes, some Sones may have gone out and bought more copies of their CD than they'll ever need, but if a group is visible for that long, and receives that much attention and promotion, the impression becomes that this group is the one that their company has the most faith in, and feels is the most successful and viable. And so SNSD is, purposely or not, being positioned to take on the role as the representatives of SM Entertainment in Korea.
No, that wasn't paranoia talking, think about it: What SM group or artist have you seen the most of in the past year? SNSD. What group has had the most promotion all year? SNSD. During no time in recent history has a company put their more popular male artists on the back burner in order to dedicate so much money and marketing to a female group. It was pretty much considered suicide once upon a time. You could say that their ability to do this shows how much the market has changed. Or you could say the money they've pulled in from other artists on their label allows them the financial freedom to do this.
SM Entertainment, through the treatment of its other acts, has singled out Girl's Generation to be their absolute poster girls. Other female artists have been downplayed into oblivion, and more popular male artists have seen their promotion in Korea cut significantly (when they aren't plugging SNSD at every turn). Everything for the past several months has been "Gee" and "Genie".
When a company shoves a group to the forefront in every way possible, and pushes everyone else into the background, there is no other message that can be sent: As of now, as of right now, SM Entertainment lives to serve SNSD.
Or do they?
The most logical and plausible explanation for the non-stop SNSD love by SM is a build up to the the SMTown09 and Dream Concerts, both around the corner.
Who can forget the humiliating rejection the group received at these events?
Certainly not SM. And so, this past year has been not necessarily about Korea finally seeing the charms of SNSD so much as SM doing everything in its power to make Korea see those charms, by making sure Korea sees lots of SNSD and in as bright a new light as possible.
In this precious window of time, with no true competition to speak of, SM has spent an unholy amount of time cultivating the image of SNSD as being their most successful, popular, and important group this year. At the expense of other, more profitable artists, SM has squeezed every drop of sweat and tears into brushing yesterday's boycotts under the rug, and embracing SNSD as their most viable talents.
What could possibly go wrong?
Will Cassiopeia have forgotten being pegged at one point as a bunch of jealous fangirls with no real reason to dislike SNSD aside from school girl envy? Will ELF have forgotten the horror that was the Dream Concert last year, poster-ripping, physical assaults and all? Will the angry fans that boycotted SNSD in an unmistakable way have gotten over their statements being painted over by SM propaganda where articles deny such events ever took place?
Add to these burgeoning questions the unmistakably uneven promotion that SNSD has gotten at the expense of their seniors (and juniors), leeching off of them almost shamelessly, receiving the lion share of the marketing, multiple albums and TV shows. All this while these other fan clubs either A.) have to wait almost a year or two at a time to even see their idols together in Korea, and for a mere couple of months B.) Watch as SM cuts back their promotion time so that SNSD has little or no competition and C.) watch SNSD be set on a pedestal as the most popular SM artists, while their idols either play second fiddle or vanish entirely.
If SM's best efforts do not pay off in terms of a "water under the bridge" mentality by these people, we could see the wrath of these fan clubs unleashed in the most publicly embarrassing way yet. It's just a matter of time before we know for sure.
In any case, after all the marketing and money spent, SM, for all their publicized attempts to build up SNSD, have got to be praying hard to the Gods of Kpop for it to have not been in vain. And if they aren't, they'd better start lining up sacrifices ASAP.
I do not know how the huge concerts coming up will play out in regards to SNSD. I do not pretend to be psychic. However, I think that this blitz by SM Entertainment involving their nine mascots has indeed been building towards these concerts specifically, and how they are received at these concerts may very well dictate their future within the company.
If, after all the time and energy spent, SNSD is booed off the stage and or protested, look for them to be thrown under the bus and a new girl group to be introduced or re-introduced. If things go badly again, I can't imagine SM going through this again in 2010 in order to have things go well at those concerts. They may very well go the way of the Grace, with little or no explanation given to Sones. If SM feels they can treat fans of their artists any way they want, SNSD fans should not think they are immune.
If things go well, SM may continue to boldly market SNSD as the future of their company and their mascots. They may let other groups stew for as long as possible while devoting even more attention to the success of SNSD. Even so, I'd like to think they aren't so stupid as to have forgotten that the majority of their financial support doesn't necessarily come from this one group.
Only time will tell how long SM keeps these girls as their mascots and whether or not it will cost them in the long run.
Leeching and Endless Promos: SM's Black Hole Becomes Its Mascot
Much to the chagrin of STANDers and SNSD antis everywhere, 2009 will no doubt be remembered as the year that belonged to SNSD. The first half for certain. Not merely because of album sales (rumor has it that fans bought as many as ten copies to help the sales go well), but because SM put on a marketing campaign that I dare say no other SM artist has ever received in such a short amount of time.
From CFs to variety show and hosting appearances, to three different shows of their own (one canceled), two different mini-albums, all in the span of a half a year, SNSD is basking in the huge spotlight that SM has been good enough to set up for them.
And it is this crucial tactic to which SNSD owes much of their recent success.
If a group can stay in the public eye, they become part of the public consciousness. People are familiar with them and their music. It is publicity (good and bad) that helps people know who you are, and ultimately whether or not to patronize you.
Yes, some Sones may have gone out and bought more copies of their CD than they'll ever need, but if a group is visible for that long, and receives that much attention and promotion, the impression becomes that this group is the one that their company has the most faith in, and feels is the most successful and viable. And so SNSD is, purposely or not, being positioned to take on the role as the representatives of SM Entertainment in Korea.
Repre-WHAAAAAAAAT?!
No, that wasn't paranoia talking, think about it: What SM group or artist have you seen the most of in the past year? SNSD. What group has had the most promotion all year? SNSD. During no time in recent history has a company put their more popular male artists on the back burner in order to dedicate so much money and marketing to a female group. It was pretty much considered suicide once upon a time. You could say that their ability to do this shows how much the market has changed. Or you could say the money they've pulled in from other artists on their label allows them the financial freedom to do this.
SM Entertainment, through the treatment of its other acts, has singled out Girl's Generation to be their absolute poster girls. Other female artists have been downplayed into oblivion, and more popular male artists have seen their promotion in Korea cut significantly (when they aren't plugging SNSD at every turn). Everything for the past several months has been "Gee" and "Genie".
When a company shoves a group to the forefront in every way possible, and pushes everyone else into the background, there is no other message that can be sent: As of now, as of right now, SM Entertainment lives to serve SNSD.
Alternative Explanation: Self-Validation
Or do they?
The most logical and plausible explanation for the non-stop SNSD love by SM is a build up to the the SMTown09 and Dream Concerts, both around the corner.
Who can forget the humiliating rejection the group received at these events?
Certainly not SM. And so, this past year has been not necessarily about Korea finally seeing the charms of SNSD so much as SM doing everything in its power to make Korea see those charms, by making sure Korea sees lots of SNSD and in as bright a new light as possible.
In this precious window of time, with no true competition to speak of, SM has spent an unholy amount of time cultivating the image of SNSD as being their most successful, popular, and important group this year. At the expense of other, more profitable artists, SM has squeezed every drop of sweat and tears into brushing yesterday's boycotts under the rug, and embracing SNSD as their most viable talents.
What could possibly go wrong?
Forgiven And Forgotten?
Will Cassiopeia have forgotten being pegged at one point as a bunch of jealous fangirls with no real reason to dislike SNSD aside from school girl envy? Will ELF have forgotten the horror that was the Dream Concert last year, poster-ripping, physical assaults and all? Will the angry fans that boycotted SNSD in an unmistakable way have gotten over their statements being painted over by SM propaganda where articles deny such events ever took place?
Add to these burgeoning questions the unmistakably uneven promotion that SNSD has gotten at the expense of their seniors (and juniors), leeching off of them almost shamelessly, receiving the lion share of the marketing, multiple albums and TV shows. All this while these other fan clubs either A.) have to wait almost a year or two at a time to even see their idols together in Korea, and for a mere couple of months B.) Watch as SM cuts back their promotion time so that SNSD has little or no competition and C.) watch SNSD be set on a pedestal as the most popular SM artists, while their idols either play second fiddle or vanish entirely.
If SM's best efforts do not pay off in terms of a "water under the bridge" mentality by these people, we could see the wrath of these fan clubs unleashed in the most publicly embarrassing way yet. It's just a matter of time before we know for sure.
In any case, after all the marketing and money spent, SM, for all their publicized attempts to build up SNSD, have got to be praying hard to the Gods of Kpop for it to have not been in vain. And if they aren't, they'd better start lining up sacrifices ASAP.
What Lies Ahead?
I do not know how the huge concerts coming up will play out in regards to SNSD. I do not pretend to be psychic. However, I think that this blitz by SM Entertainment involving their nine mascots has indeed been building towards these concerts specifically, and how they are received at these concerts may very well dictate their future within the company.
If, after all the time and energy spent, SNSD is booed off the stage and or protested, look for them to be thrown under the bus and a new girl group to be introduced or re-introduced. If things go badly again, I can't imagine SM going through this again in 2010 in order to have things go well at those concerts. They may very well go the way of the Grace, with little or no explanation given to Sones. If SM feels they can treat fans of their artists any way they want, SNSD fans should not think they are immune.
If things go well, SM may continue to boldly market SNSD as the future of their company and their mascots. They may let other groups stew for as long as possible while devoting even more attention to the success of SNSD. Even so, I'd like to think they aren't so stupid as to have forgotten that the majority of their financial support doesn't necessarily come from this one group.
Only time will tell how long SM keeps these girls as their mascots and whether or not it will cost them in the long run.
It still irks me that SNSD is unfairly promoted, and that already is enough to make me dislike them.
I agree with everything that was written. SM is certainly putting them on the spotlight this year because well... I think he wants his <b>9</b> plastics to rule the year 200<b>9</b>. This year is so unbearable because of them... As for the whole mascot thing... *sigh* I'm getting tired of SM. As much as I love, DBSK, SJ, ZLY, Shinee, CSJH and BoA. I'm really getting tired. I can't help but envy the stars in YG... they're in great condition, they're happy and taken good care of. Everyone is treated equally and as a family. What about in SM? It's obvious he only cares about his 9 plastics where his nephew is a member...
