GOING FISHING
Singalong’s popularity builds on Korea’s emergence as an entertainment powerhouse
‘Baby Shark’ creator is looking to snag more catches by expanding business,
“Baby Shark (Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo Doo)” is the YouTube sensation that’s been viewed more than two billion times and made the Billboard Hot100 chart last week as its top new entrant. The jingle has also become such an earworm that late-night-show host Jimmy Kimmel proposed throwing those responsible in jail for life.
Love or hate it, the South Korean company behind the oneand-a-half minute song about a family of sharks is now seeking to capitalize on the success by expanding its kid-oriented entertainment business.
Seoul-based SmartStudy Co.’s Pinkfong is planning to release short videos via Netflix Inc., a cartoon series and a musical in North America this year, one of the company’s founders said in an interview this week. The startup, which has recently signed various merchandising deals, may also develop games that work with Amazon.com Inc.’s Alexa and Alphabet Inc.’s Google Home voice assistants, he said.
The popularity of the singalong builds on Korea’s emer- gence as an entertainment powerhouse. Korean pop, or Kpop, has grown into a $6.5-billion industry thanks to the success of the likes of boy-band BTS, which has signed commercial deals with big companies from Hyundai Motor Co. to Barbie-maker Mattel Inc., and Psy, whose “Gangnam Style” is at more than three billion views and counting.
“We’ve added the ‘K-pop factor’ into our songs, such as very trendy beats and upbeat rhythms,” said Seungkyu Lee, who’s also the chief financial officer at SmartStudy. “If you’ve ever heard of ‘Baby Shark,’ you might feel the importance of community. In a group, we should walk or swim together.”
SmartStudy has found its niche with kiddie pop, targeting children aged between 1 and 4 with addictive, dance-along videos. It was established in 2010 by three former online gaming employees.
Lee said the Korean educational app-to-video maker’s early days were tough but that its business grew fast after the “Baby Shark” video went viral.
Digital sales account for about 70 per cent of its total business, with the rest mainly coming from physical sales such as merchandising, he said.
Lee says the company will be developing content for older children — aged 5 to 8 — and that he’s looking beyond sharks by closely examining penguins. “I really liked Madagascar,” Lee said, in reference to the DreamWorks Animation films that featured some penguins.