More: Is PSY's Gangnam Style The K-Pop Macarena Or OK Go's EU manager Emily Gonneau shares her perspective on how a Korean-language song could cross international boundaries.īonus: Justin Bieber vs. In any case, the rise of Gangnam Style seems well constructed at each level of the game.ĭae Ryun Chang, from Yonsei School of Business, takes a brief look at such factors as how releasing the song copyright-free facilitated fan ownership and creative responses. He considers that event the turning point for Psy.ġ0 Yetis believe some behind the scenes work took place that is left out of this official narrative. Materials include a slideshow/infographic/video and a downloadable Word doc.Īccording to Donnie Kwak, writing for Billboard, Psy's Gangnam Style video somehow went viral beyond Korea and caught the eye of Justin Bieber's manager Scooter Braun who signed Psy over the summer with an official announcement in early September. The folks at 10 Yetis have done a thorough job of looking at the solid base laid for Gangnam Style in South Korea including the publicity platform built by Sy's label YG Entertainment.
Media coverage of the Gangnam Style music/dance/video phenomenon has worked it way from "look at this funny thing" to "wow, that's getting popular" all the way up to "does this story ever end?" A research report by 10 Yetis, covering the viral marketing campaign for Gangnam Style, maintains that it is now in a declining stage that requires an "exit strategy" in order to leave people "wanting more." Using an illustrative case of a 2012 YouTube hit song, Oppan Gangnam Style, by Korean artist Park Jae-Sang, the artist’s attempt to lampoon the extravagant lifestyle of Gangnam District’s residents accidentally puts them on the global map. How Did Gangnam Style Go Viral? The Viral Marketing Playbook