Kakao Entertainment to Co-design K-pop Global Strategy with Atlantic

Kakao Entertainment is forming a strategic partnership with Atlantic Music Group·AMG, a subsidiary of Warner Music Group, to jointly establish global growth strategies for K-pop artists. Kakao Entertainment announced on the 7th that it has signed the partnership and will cooperate in everything from strategy formulation to music production, distribution, marketing, and promotion. The plan is not merely to introduce completed K-pop music overseas, but to jointly design strategies from the early stages of entry by considering each artist's musical color, activity stage, and competitiveness in the global market. The two companies intend to promote the overseas expansion of artists and music intellectual property (IP) by combining their respective accumulated K-pop business capabilities and global music market networks.

Cooperation from strategy formulation to production, distribution, and promotion

The scope of cooperation for this partnership includes establishing global growth strategies for K-pop artists, as well as music production, distribution, marketing, and promotion. Kakao Entertainment will provide capabilities accumulated across the overall K-pop business as a Korean entertainment company, while Atlantic Music Group will combine its business experience and networks established in the global music market. The two companies have decided to jointly prepare global activity plans by considering the direction of the artists and music, as well as the characteristics of each IP, from the stage of preparing for overseas entry.

The cooperation between the two companies includes not only music production and overseas distribution but also activities in local markets. According to related reports, the scope of cooperation includes promoting song camps and global artist features during the music production stage, as well as music distribution and digital marketing using global streaming platforms and social networking services (SNS). Local promotions, such as appearances on overseas TV and radio including North America, and fandom communication will also be promoted together. Through these tasks, a cooperative structure will be established that leads from music production to overseas promotion and the expansion of touchpoints with fans.

Kakao Entertainment stated that the purpose of this cooperation is to gather the capabilities of both companies to discover the potential of K-pop artists and IP and expand them in the global market. The company plans to combine its capabilities in music IP planning, production, distribution, management, marketing, and fandom communication with Atlantic Music Group's A&R, marketing, promotion capabilities, and global network. The two companies intend to create various synergies throughout the global activities of the artists.

Participation of Atlantic Records, 10K Projects, and 300 Entertainment

Atlantic Music Group is a core music group under Warner Music Group, housing Atlantic Records, 10K Projects, 300 Entertainment, and others. Atlantic Records has produced world-class artists such as Bruno Mars, Charli xcx, Coldplay, Charlie Puth, Cardi B, and Miley Cyrus.

Atlantic Records' achievements also include the song ‘APT.’, which features Rosé and Bruno Mars. Atlantic Music Group possesses labels with different musical fields and business capabilities, and plans to utilize the networks and experience of these labels for the global expansion of K-pop artists. The plan is to use not only the artist and production capabilities of Atlantic Records but also the business foundations of its subsidiary labels as assets for cooperation.

10K Projects was introduced as a label with strengths in discovering rising artists. 300 Entertainment is a label with creative capabilities centered on hip-hop and R&B. Kakao Entertainment announced that it will promote new label partnerships for global K-pop expansion by organically combining the global music business capabilities and networks of Atlantic Music Group, including these two labels.

Combining Kakao Entertainment's K-pop business capabilities and local networks

Kakao Entertainment has accumulated business capabilities across the entire K-pop industry, including music IP planning, production, distribution, management, marketing, and fandom communication. Atlantic Music Group possesses A&R, marketing, promotion capabilities, and networks built up in the global music market. The two companies plan to combine their respective areas of expertise to jointly plan the music and global activities of artists, and cooperate in local promotion and the expansion of fandom touchpoints.

Atlantic Music Group mentioned Kakao Entertainment's experience in discovering artists and expanding touchpoints between artists and fans as the foundation of the partnership. Atlantic Music Group stated, “Kakao Entertainment has built excellent results by discovering artists and diversifying the touchpoints between artists and fans,” and “We expect this to be a meaningful opportunity to create growth for artists together and deliver resonance to fans worldwide by combining the expertise of Kakao Entertainment in the K-pop business with Atlantic Music Group's global network and artist nurturing capabilities.”

Kakao Entertainment stated that it would go beyond introducing music to the global market and would jointly establish strategies from the early stages of entry by examining the musical color, activity stage, and market competitiveness of each IP. The A&R and marketing/promotion capabilities of Atlantic Music Group will be used to connect music production with local activities. Kakao Entertainment will support the global activities of each artist based on its experience in K-pop planning, production, management, and fandom business. The roles of the two companies were presented in a form that combines the expertise and networks held by each company.

First collaborating artists and projects remain undisclosed

Through this partnership, the two companies will jointly establish global strategies for K-pop artists tailored to the characteristics of each IP. The scope of cooperation is known to include song camps at the music production stage, artist features, distribution and digital marketing through streaming platforms and SNS, and overseas TV/radio appearances and promotions. Fandom communication is also included as a subject of cooperation. Kakao Entertainment stated that through this, it will expand touchpoints with the global fandom and increase the global influence of K-pop.

The first K-pop artist or project that the two companies will work on together has not yet been disclosed. Kakao Entertainment explained that it plans to jointly design strategies by considering the musical color, activity stage, and global market competitiveness of each artist. Atlantic Music Group expressed its intention to grow with artists by combining its global network and artist nurturing capabilities.

Kakao Entertainment stated, “This partnership is meaningful in that it gathers the total capabilities of both companies to jointly discover the potential of K-pop artists and IP and expand them in the global market,” and “Based on the expertise and networks each has built, we will expand touchpoints with the global K-pop fandom in various ways and continue to expand the global influence of K-pop.” The two companies plan to expand the scope of cooperation from strategy formulation for each artist to production, distribution, marketing, and local promotion.

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