Welcome to the Asia Scout Network and Insights Scoop In 2006, Mindshare pioneered a qualitative research initiative called the Scout Network in response to the emergence of a new globally-connected youth culture melded together by the Internet. Conceptually, the Scout Network is a listening mechanism that keeps our teams in touch with what’s happening on the ground with the new generation of digitally connected youth. Structurally, it consists of a group of urban trend watchers living across key cities around the world who contribute reports on what’s happening on the ground in areas such as fashion, music, sports, digital applications, gaming, etc… Input delivered by these scouts are then sifted through and balanced with the larger context of global trends as monitored through assorted blogs and publications. Drawing from principles in qualitative research and youth trends, we tease out the issues that jump out of the mess of information, link them to media and marketing, and disseminate them through recommendations and reports such as this one that we call the Insights Scoop. Who are these ‘trend scouts’ that we’ve selected to collaborate with us on the research? The main criteria is that they are cultural creators in their cities. By this we mean that they hold positions as DJ’s, designers, artists, musicians, lifestyle reporters, and content aggregators – jobs that keep them plugged into the latest cultural shifts in youth lifestyle. Our trend scouts’ ages range from 24-34 years-old, which typically gives them the maturity to give context to their observations yet still be in touch with the younger generation. The Scout Network is global but operates independently by region. In Asia-Pacific, the Asia Scout Network currently spans 11 cities, with 1-2 city scouts’ representing each city: Tokyo, Sydney, Shanghai, Taipei, Mumbai, Singapore, Jakarta, Kuala Lumpur, Manila, Bangkok, and Ho Chi Minh City. For the full collection of the scouts’ articles, check out our blogsite: www.asiascoutnetwork.com. The PDF copies of these issues also contain links to the articles connoted by underlined words like this. ENJOY!
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS With the Asia Scout Network heading into its third year, we’d like to take the opportunity to thank those who have contributed to the project from past to present. In addition to our city scouts, we have benefited from the continuous support of the following individuals: Stephanie Bell (Mindshare Regional), Navaneeta Das (Mindshare Regional), Paul Gibbins (Mindshare Thailand), Liz Harley (Mindshare Sydney), Selena Hong (Mindshare Taiwan), CindyTC Huang (Mindshare Taiwan), Alistair Lennie (Mindshare China), Hani Mahdi (Mindshare Regional), Girish Menon (Mindshare Vietnam), Tze Lian Ng (Mindshare Malaysia), Mark Patterson (GroupM Regional), Rajeev Poduval (Mindshare India), Pathamawan Sathaporn (Mindshare Thailand), Rathakorn Surbsuk (Mindshare Thailand), Ed Tam (Mindshare China), Zanyasan Tanantpapat (Mindshare Thailand), Duangkamon Tanchitpitchaya (graphics designer), Jeffrey Tsui (Mindshare Regional), Thitiporn Unchurit (Mindshare Thailand), Varidda Voraakom (Mindshare Thailand), and Shardul Wartikar (Mindshare Japan). Thanks also goes to Ian Stewart for helping to conceptualize the project many years back.
Mindshare Asia-Pacific: Achara Masoodi The Scout achara.masoodi@mindshareworld.com James Chadwick Leader, Business Planning james.chadwick@mindshareworld.com
01
FAME in Asia SOMA
the
hips
In this 9th issue of the Insights Scoop, Mindshare’s Asia Scout Network explores the concept of fame. While the observations do not delve into of who’s hot or not in celebrity culture, it offers a glimpse into the way young people relate to the idea of fame and celebrities. At its simplest definition, being famous means being recognized by many people. The previous conduits of fame were limited to the broadcast media, which meant that being famous required your face to be worthy enough to be on TV, in the cinemas, magazines, in the newspapers, or on radio. Today, broadcast media still is key to public fame, but the Internet and social media are now providing alternative ways of building recognition for oneself. Apart from that, the fragmented passion-based tribes created and connected by the web means not all kinds of fame will be relevant to all people. Does the traditional concept of a celebrity - someone famous for their entertainment or sporting skills, how they look in haute couture, or just for their eccentricities - still resonate with the digitally connected youth?
02
We asked our scouts to look at
the celebrity scene, its media, the famous people they follow, how brands are using/misusing celebrities, and their interpretation of fame.
The city scouts are: Tokyo - Ayumi Ai, Aiko Mizuno Taipei - Lokavid Chen Sydney - Michelle Mossfield Shanghai - Kitty Jiang Singapore - Ginette Chittick Mumbai - Daya Kingston Kuala Lumpur - Liyana Raja Aznil Jakarta - Stirling Silliphant, Niza Santo Manila - Dang Sering Ho Chi Minh City - Van Nguyen Bangkok - Tintin Cooper
Their profiles can be viewed at www.asiascoutnetwork.com/our-scouts
03
the headlines CAPTIVATED BY
Star Power
1 (See page 04)
Celebrating
Creators 2
Inspired by Heroes (See page 12)
(See page 07)
3
ATTRACTED Everyday
Acces- Supersibility stars to
(See page 15)
4
(See page 18)
5
04
CAPTIVATED BY
Star Power As long as beauty, money, and talent in showbiz and sports remain aspirational, Asians attraction towards celebrities has and will remained undiminished despite digital distractions and the proliferation of reality TV. If anything, the explosion of media channels and the instant accessibility of content on the web may have even fueled an even stronger interest into the world of celebrities. Although it is difficult to assess the effectiveness of product endorsement by celebrities, there will always be a segment of Asian youth that follows the brand that wields it. This comes out strongly especially among the mainstream population in emerging economies or where it involves a series of highprofiled, A-list celebrities on show. Brands noted for their clever use of celebs are those that have clearly brought out the stars’ personalities and attitudes in their campaigns and effectively projected them onto the brand. However, while we acknowledge the power of superstars in attracting attention, it is also important to note the negative sentiments towards celebrity endorsements, especially in more developed economies, relating to: - clutter: the ubiquitous nature of celebrity endorsements diluting the credibility of star power - relevance: the celebrity’s personality and image being notably unrelated to the brand or product category
05
TOKYO Samantha Thavasa’s Hollywood Dazzle Samantha Thavasa is a hugely popular Japanese accessories brand aimed at young women that has been hawked by celebrities respected for their international influence as fashion trendsetters, from Paris Hilton to Sarah Jessica Parker. “I was really surprised when I found out that a very trendy bag brand, Samantha Thavasa was actually a Japanese brand. In the advertisement and launch events, they always use famous foreign celebrities such as the Hilton sisters, Victoria Beckham, Beyonce, Penelope Cruz, Sarah Jessica Parker. I thought it was a New York brand in the beginning... Using popular foreign celebs contribute highly to the brand image and its success.” - Ayumi
SYDNEY Converse’s Indie Superstars Converse’s latest campaign cemented its position in leading edge culture by recruiting a series of established and emerging musical stars revered by the indie music community. “The campaign kicked off with a musical collaboration between Pharrell Williams, N.E.R.D, Santagold and Juliana Casablanca (of The Strokes)... Converse [and its ads] have featured emerging music artists such as MGMT, Kid Sister, YACHT, Bradford Cox and members of Gallows, Fiery Furnaces, Does It Offend You, Yeah?, and Care Bears on Fire... Whoever is working behind the scenes at Converse has clearly done their homework. As any 18-25 year old with an interest in music and fashion would know, these are the musical stars of today and tomorrow, not too cool that they’re unrecognisable, and not too pop as to be un-cool. “ - Michelle
CAPTIVATED BY STAR POWER
06
MUMBAI Bollywood Aspirations Increased exposure to Bollywood-related content throught the explosion of media channels has fortified the attractiveness of celebrities and the associated glamour. “India in recent days has seen a massive media explosion. Satellite channels, internet channels to print magazines have increased in leaps and bounds and many of them have Bollywood as their mainstay. Add to this celebrity endorsements and that means its showering Bollywood! Punit Ahuja who runs his own business Speedlinks says, “Today the concept of celebrities has got broader and the media bigger. There is a craze for glamour like never before, probably because the wide exposure to TV and cinema. Earlier, it was the rare occasion when families would go out to watch films, today it’s not so..” - Daya
SHANGHAI Celebrities Influencing Purchase Celebrity endorsement seem to influence purchase among teens & early twenties. “In China market, the charisma of a celebrity mainly have a great influence to youth aged 14-24. In this life stage, people is easily driven by celebrity. ’I eat Ke Ai Duo (an Ice cream brand from Unilever) only because JJ is the celebrity’; ‘I wear [Nike] Air Force because O’Neal is its celebrity’, such similar verbatim comes out most often in my interviews with young people aged 14-24.” - Kitty
MANILA Selling On The Same Stars The celebrity endorsement scene hints towards clutter and a sense of fatigue at the usual popular celebrities repeatedly used by advertisers. “Celebrities are practically everywhere and endorsing everything from ballpens to medicine, food establishments, clothing brands, bags, watches, telephone lines, beauty centers, shampoos, and even schools. The brands are absolutely banking on the safe choices of choosing the usual faces to make sure they sell. And these brands do sell with the endorsements of these stars.” - Dang
CAPTIVATED BY STAR POWER
07
Celebrating
Creators
While the celebrity scene will always remain on the spotlight, young Asians are also turning their attention onto individuals who are, in essence, “creators”. Creators are people behind-the-scenes – the producers, architects, designers, and entrepreneurs who have masterminded products that have achieved broad recognition. This implies that fame in the minds of young Asians is no longer exclusive to those who front the media in the entertainment and sports territories. There is as much admiration and idolatry towards the less obvious individuals in the background who create the elements that make up the culture they live in today. They are showing an interest towards the makers and the story of origin of the products, services, brands, or even celebrities that they consume as part of their culture in design, fashion, music, film, and entrepreneurship, among other areas. This shift from the ‘superficial’ adulation of celebs to the more ‘insightful’ adulation of creators may be driven by young people’s increased access to information, allowing them to dig for a deeper understanding of the things around them. It is also a manifestation of the larger youth consumer trend towards a need for transparency and realism.
08
PRODUCERS
HO CHI MINH CITY Music Wizard - Duc Tri
TOKYO Revolutionizing Ms Japan Universe Ines Ligron Ines Ligron is the director for Japan’s Miss Universe who is publicly credited for injecting sophistication into local beauty queens and coaching them into the top finishes of the Miss Universe pageant. “Ines has since produced three top 5 finishes in the Miss Universe pageant within a span of four years beginning with Miyako Miyazaki finishing 5th in 2003, Kurara Chibana finishing 2006 Miss Universe 1st Runner-Up, and Riyo Mori winning Miss Universe 2007... Although the “kawaii” trend is still strongly attached to many people’s minds, her vision and attitude were especially accepted by the young females who opted for independence and intelligence. Ms. Ligron also worked hard to promote the competition not as a bimbos’ cat walking parade but as a chance to express the internal beauty, the substance, each contestant has gotten, with the outer beauty as an extension of what’s inside. Furthermore, over the past several years many young females here witnessed what is called “Ines’s Magic”; she changes her contestants who are rather conservative, ordinary Japanese girls into stunning, self-confident women, or “sophisticated ladies,” in a very short period of time.” - Aiko
Celebrating Creators
Duc Tri is a music producer primarily recognized by local music enthusiasts for launching the careers of a series of famous pop artists. “With the background of Berkeley music school, it’s like nothing that [Duc Tri] can’t do in the showbiz. From composing music for some blockbuster movies (Nu Tuong Cuop, Ao Lua Ha Dong) to launch a “from zero to hero” artist, he keeps moving forward with no barrier. Primarily known for his work in pop, he has produced albums and singles for a number of artists from the mid 1990 to present. Now, with his music company Music Faces, he has been (and still) produced for artists Ho Ngoc Ha, Le Hieu, Pham Anh Khoa and the winner of “Vietnam Idol”2007 Phuong Vy” - Van
MUMBAI FILMMAKER Rajesh Touchriver connects with youth through his unique styles of award-winning movies that reflect reflect a predominantly Western treatment but with subjects remain rooted in local culture. “While Indian youth enjoy Bollywood, on the other hand, they are also open to films that take them beyond the realms of fantasy and bring in an edgy realism. Rajesh Touchriver is an international award winning film-maker who has managed to make realism fashionable. He steers clear of melodrama and his films reflect a predominantly Western treatment but the subjects remain rooted in their original reality. This is probably what makes them connect with Indian youth who are today at the crossroads of Western and Indian culture and can relate to them.” - Daya
09
ARTISTS & DESIGNERS
TAIPEI Spud - Hair Style Artist
KUALA LUMPUR
By cultivating his own individualistic style, ‘Spud’ achieves recognition among the young and trendy through his humble skills of a hairstylist.
Pop Malaya – T-Shirt Designers
“Spud works in a famous hair salon, ZOOM, in the trendy East Taipei. The salon is reputed for the fact that many pop stars assign the salon to do their hairstyling [such as Rainie Yang, the hit actress/singer]...Spud stays true to his own vision in terms of hairstyle and by it interprets one’s own singular statement.”
“True to word that fame can be found in the weirdest corners, KL’s own Pop Malaya, an independent t-shirt label by a group of youths has managed to climb onto the fame ladder as their label is put in the spotlight by TIME magazine...Turning durians, Malaysian prime ministers, evergreen artists like P. Ramlee and old school as their inspiration, Pop Malaya has caught the eyes of other independent celebrities and are being worn at gigs, concerts and even award shows. So successful are they with their Pop Malaya brand that they came up with Pop Rina, their sister brand.”
- Lokavid
- Liyana
The artist collective behind the t-shirt label Pop Malaya gains fame as their designs are strutted about by independent celebrities.
ENTREPRENEURS
SHANGHAI CEO Aspirations Stories of famous entrepreneurs making it big while in their twenties are fueling the young generation’s conquest for wealth and fame. “The aspiration to fame is especially outstanding among [18-30 yr-olds]. To them, fame is associated with attracting attention, rich life, and getting recognition... This trend may start from the appearance of [CEO’s in their twenties] around 2 years ago... When talking with some youngsters, I found that they are reading biographies of successful entrepreneurs to prepare for personal future, even those who are in senior high school.”
Celebrating Creators
10
SCOUT BYTES
Celebrity Creations With the concepts of stardom and ‘creation’ resonating with young Asian’s values today, the combination package of both can be powerful. Celebrities who realize that their names can be monetized in ways beyond product endorsement are already riding on their celebrity status to come up with their own selfbranded labels:
SHANGHAI Nic Lee - “Nic Is Coming” “Apart from his role of VJ, Nic is also the founder of an indie brand ‘NIC IS COMING’. He always wear his own design before camera, which enable his brand enjoy great reputation among part of youth. Perfect union of his dual roles creates a stream of local fashion. In leading edge’s mind, Nic has become the leader in vogue of China.”
Celebrating Creators
SYDNEY George Gregan In A Cup - “GG Espresso” “...George Gregan is the former captain and scrum half for the Australian Rugby Union team... Perhaps in a realisation that the professional career of a sports star is more limited than most, George Gregan established his own cafe and catering company called GG Espresso. Beginning with one cafe in the city centre, GG Espresso has now expanded to having 11 cafes throughout the Greater Sydney area.”
11
MANILA Stars Collaborating with Fashion Labels “Clothing brands know that when a celebrity injects his/her own personal style and creativity, their products serve as an extension of that person young people want to emulate. Celine Lopez, a socialite celebrity, created a denim line, R.A.F for Plains and Prints in 2007. Fashion designer celebrities are also sharing the limelight such as Ivarluski Aseron, who is currently working on a collaboration with clothing brand Folded and Hung.”
With young Asians focusing on product creativity as much as celebrity persona, this could present an alternative way for brands to use celebrities beyond product endorsement. One way is collaboration with celebrities to produce product lines that reflect the celebrity’s unique style and personality, a common strategy in the fashion and apparel industry. Could there be other alternative ways for brands to work with a creator’s skills, and could brand collaboration be applied to more conservative industries, like FMCG’s?
US Designer Packaging for Cleaning Products A classic case study of brand collaboration in a conventional category comes from Method, an American household products brand. In 2006, Method collaborated with designer Karim Rashid to produce innovative packaging for low-involvement products ranging from hand soap to laundry detergent, as part of a campaign that disrupted the stagnant landscape dominated by FMCG giants.
Celebrating Creators
12
inspired by
heroes
Celebrities may be admired of their looks, money, and glory, but there is also a following for people who have made a name for themselves through sheer talent, hard work, and grit. Young Asians connect strongly with ‘heroes’, people with awe-inspiring stories of how they have overcome tremendous barriers and challenges and emerged with success and dignity. Such stories of perseverance touches upon the reality that young people face in their lives, providing a can-do attitude to inspire them to move on with their dreams. The respect holds for those who have taken the path less trodden, endured a fall-out in their careers, or tenaciously dedicated themselves to their passions. The attraction towards these individuals lies less in their looks or even skills, but in their stories, strength of character, and philosophies in life.
13
MUMBAI Sarath Babu’s Road To Riches A 28-yr-old entrepreneur who was born into a poor family refused the safety of a high-paying corporate job to start what is now a highly successful business. “Sarath Babu, 28, could have easily walked out of the campus with an offer letter promising him a 1 crore salary in a foreign country but instead shocked the world as he chose to strike it out on his own.....He started his Food King Caterers in a small way... but today it has grown to a multi-crore business... Students at a Coimbatore college (South India) started an entrepreneurial venture of their own inspired by him recently.” - Daya
KUALA LUMPUR The Famous Face of KL’s Sporting Arena 26 yr-old Datuk Nicol Ann David, the first Asian woman ranked World Number 1 in woman’s squash, inspires Malaysia’s young generation with her sporting career. “It’s not so easy to become a celebrity in KL if you’re a sportsman (or woman). But one young lady has managed to turn her sporting career into one that inspires the young generation to push themselves forward and to make things happen. Datuk Nicol Ann David, Malaysia’s professional squash player, currently ranked as World Number 1 in women’s squash is the first Asian woman to be ranked as number one in the sport and proudly a Malaysian. This talented young lady is looked up upon by youths around the country as an inspiration and a role model. - Liyana
Inspired by Heroes
14
TAIPEI Freddy Lim: Black Metal, Youth Activism, and Taiwan Independence Admiration for Freddy Lim - organizer of Formoz Festival, lead singer of black metal band, and political activist. “[When Freddy took charge of Formoz, the equivalent of Japan’s Fuji Rock Festival], it developed from a local festival to an international scale in just a few years time.... All these achievements are accomplished before he was thirty years old. He is also the lead vocal of the famous band – CthoniC... they went on international tours and gave more than 100 gigs, [including 20 in America’s Ozzfest]..Now Freddy still runs the “Guts United Organisation” [through which] he tries to summon enthusiastic young people and change the status quo of Taiwan in the crisis of losing its independent direction and voices under Ma’s pro-China policies. In December 2008, he had a talk with Dalai Lama to express his support for Tibet independence...he will continue the second “Free Tibet” concert this year to challenge the China sovereignty.” - Lokavid
HO CHI MINH CITY Linh Nga: Perfecting Dance Linh Nga perseveres through 10 years of rigorous training in China to return to her home country as a qualified professional folk dancer. “Emigrating to China at the age of 12, she learn the perserverance and standing sacrifices. To “survive” and stand out in this famous academy [Beijing Dance Academy], the cradle of a lot of world-famous artists (Zhang Ziyi, Zhong Li Ti and Wang Yan… ), she pushed herself beyond her limit every single day. The result is no-surprise to everyone, Linh Nga graduated with an excellent degree of Chinese folk dance... Unlike her classmates, Linh Nga chose Vietnam to come back.” - Van
Inspired by Heroes
JAKARTA Rima Melati: Screen Legend Rima Melati inspires with her lifetime commitment to the entertainment industry and social work. “..Rima Melati. 69 today, and a true survivor, she’s still active on and off screen. Tanta Rima (‘Auntie Rima’) was a catwalk model in the ’60s, singer, actress and director, whose films screened at festivals in Amsterdam. More recently, Tanta Rima participated in a wayang [traditional Javanese shadow puppet] play titled Banjaran Gatotkoco at Gedung Kesenian Jakarta. Just a few days ago, she went back to the catwalk at a fundraiser show for schools in South Jakarta. She also received a WHO award in 2006 for her work with anti-tobacco foundation Yayasan Indonesia Tanpa Tembakau.” - Niza
15
ATTRACTED TO
Accessibility
Asian youth connect with celebrities who project themselves in an accessible and down-to-earth manner, showing signs of disregard towards stars seen as too glorified and distant. ‘Accessible’ in this context means being real - facing the same emotions, situations, and lifestyle as normal people, as opposed to living the superstar life removed from the rest of the world. This has likely translated to the attraction towards gossip columns, reality stars, and celebrities with authentic, funloving personalities, for the fact they are presented like real people and are therefore more accessible than the average higher-grade celeb. It reflects a definite trend towards ‘reverence from a distance’ being usurped by ‘up-close-and-personal familiarity and interaction’.
16
TOKYO Magazines Turn To Reader Models Youth fashion magazines use ‘reader models’ to connect even better with their readers. “Today, magazines for girls have started using their readers as their models. Tsubasa Masuwaka is now one of most well-known amateur models from Popteen for a few years already. It is believed that she had made impact of roughly US$ 1 million on Japanese fashion industry. All the clothes, accessories, and any items she wore in magazines or appeared in her blog would become popular; thus contribute the increase in sales! ... Because she’s just a girl next door, people feel much closer to her fashion and her lifestyle than professional models. They are perceived to have lived physically and financially in a perfect world like in Hollywood. Tsubasa is only 150cm (4.9ft) tall. For magazines, using amateur models can save cost for models and also sometimes those amateur models have much bigger influence on their readers than professional models.”
KUALA LUMPUR Celebrity Stalkers Celebrity gossip blogs keep fans close to their idols. “Then there are your yummy-gossip-exuding blogs.Most of these blogs are owned by individuals who are in the celebrity social circle like reporters, artist managers, photographers and even make-up artists...Do I watch and follow these tabloid-infested websites. I sure do. Why? God knows, I’m a tabloid junkie but to others, perhaps it’s one way that they feel closer to their idols.” - Liyana
- Ayumi
SYDNEY The Sway Of Celebrities The glamour of A-list celebs may be too unreal for youth. “..there is something about [Nicole Kidman’s] uber-celebritism (new word!) that makes me less sensitive to the things she says, does and indeed, sells. …In fact, Sydney-sider or not, I can pretty much say the same thing for most of the celebrity-based advertising that I see, particularly when those celebrities are of the international A-list kind. It just doesn’t reach me. I need connection. I need a touch of reality. I am more influenced by the people around me, and know I could be persuaded to purchase something by a B, C, D or E celebrity whom I had had some contact than I could by a major celebrity.” - Michelle
ATTRACTED TO ACCESSIBILITY
17
BANGKOK Fame is Friendly Famous people appear friendly and blends in with the local crowd.. “Fame in Bangkok is a funny concept, its not like the untouchable, completely removed reality of the american Brangelina, or the English “Posh n Becks”. Celebs here are easily acessible, and Thais like those who are friendly, or at least appear to be so. Famous people can’t appear to arrogant or distant, or act like tortured geniuses...For example this week I went to a concert to see Thailand’s biggest indie band gone mainstream, Modern Dog. There were just 200 people in the crowd and [the lead singer] was in arms reach. Anyone can talk to him, he’s a lovely guy. Sometimes he even plays in Pla Dib restaurant down the road. You wouldn’t see Coldplay banging out their hits in the local pub would you?” - Tintin
TOKYO Fashion Leader with a Touch of Reality The appeal of Kaela Kimura, voted as the 2008 fashion leader, is the fact that she is ‘not-too-trendy’. “A multi talented female singer, Kaela Kimura was voted by highschool girls as the number one fashion leader in 2008. High-school girls like her “not-too-trendy” and her uniqueness. She is also full of surprises, her loveable personality and adventurous character keeps us amused in so many ways! She even wears a mustache in her new album jacket!” - Ayumi
SHANGHAI Being Authentic Creates Accessibility Taiwanese rocker connects with youth through humor and a bold, authentic attitude. “A-Yue, normally known as Chang Chen Yue, a Taiwanese rock music performer... The playful impudence and raw profanity (sometimes) became more addictive than funny. But he also has the softer side as captivating. Slow melodies, tender lyrics gave him some of his biggest hits, not to mention some lyrics that made him look like a lovesick puppy that you would feel pathetic and sorry for him and laugh at his plight... Though he is not the best singer... he makes up for his lack of range and vocal capabilities with catchy beats and easy and simple lyrics...His humor in lyrics and the true and bold attitude he put in music is his charisma.” - Kitty
ATTRACTED TO ACCESSIBILITY
18
Everyday
super starS
Fame has become flat. Once reserved for stars known for their good looks, hit films, and exciting personal lives, the traditional notion of fame is now being infiltrated by the likes of ‘ordinary’ people. Gaining fame and admiration is relevant to young Asians and consequently, they are taking up the opportunity to become ‘everyday superstars’ though the opportunities offered on TV, magazines, and online. The flat scene of everyday superstars generally consists of four scenarios which ranges in terms of the size and type of audience. - the reality star, born out of their engaging personalities on reality TV shows - the web celeb, starting out as an online viral then eventually transitioning into mainstream media - the niche celeb, whose popularity revolves around a specific passion tribe, such as indie music or anime - the layperson, through the narcissistic notion where they are satisfied with just themselves or their friends as the audience Not everyone will aspire to the same situations of fame, but scenarios may overlap with the individual having little control over the results. For example, the reality star may also turn into a web celeb through a video clip posted online, or a blogger recording his personal thoughts may find himself becoming a popular read among a certain community.
19
SYDNEY I’m a Star Youth enjoy getting their pictures taken at parties and seeing them published in print and online. “Photographers are hired by the magazines to frequent gigs and night clubs, taking photos of Sydney’s youth, getting out, down and often dirty with each other... the shots also undeniably act to increase the readership of the magazines by giving young readers a chance to look at the one thing they love to look at the most - photos of themselves. It also gives them a chance to show all of their friends the one thing they love to show their friends the most - photos of themselves... What’s more, there are many more magazines that are now using this concept [to go online], meaning overall there are many more photos of people floating about, and many more chances to be photographed.”
MANILA Fame Is Easy With blogs, YouTube, and reality shows, no one holds the monopoly to fame. “With the saturation of reality shows on television, “ordinary” people get an equal shot at having their 15 mins of fame...[also] with blogs and Youtube, becoming famous can be easy...if you really want to be. With today’s web tools, people can promote themselves and become their own publicity agents. Eventually, bloggers are sealing book deals and two guys lip-synching to a pop song get their own segment at a comedy show on TV. Print and TV executives have found talents through the web via popularity and hits on the sites...Today, no one holds the monopoly to fame.”
- Michelle
- Dang
SINGAPORE Infamous Fame Reality TV contestant pursues his own fame through notoriety. “He appeared in Singapore Idol in yellow trunks, totally out-of-tune with his singing and out of sync with what’s normal and not. He started out by hovering iconic Tangs shopping mall asking random women if they wanted their brows plucked in public by him....Now we go to his site when we feel extremely bogged down and stressed...to get some laughs watching his silly video rants, weird pictures of himself, and badly written blog posts...But hey, he’s famous, or rather infamous! He’s got several companies under his belt, a talent agency full of scary looking talent, a movers/delivery service, he’s also written a book and on his blog, he’s got ad banners! So in a twisted way, say what you want about him, he’s made it.” - Ginette
Everyday Superstars
20
KUALA LUMPUR You Don’t Need TV for Fame Reality stars make way for the niche celebs of the underground music scene. “Youths of today still crave for their fame and glory but not so much of the in-yourface type of way. Hence why reality shows (singing, acting, amazing races etc) is not really their cup of tea any more. The new way to fame is all about doing it “underground” style. They want to connect with things that seem real to them, and what’s real to them is what’s close to the heart... The upcoming artists who are a hit with the youth are mostly the underdogs or independent bands....Apart from the underground music scene, the internet is another way of finding fame, although many famous bloggers or site owners won’t claim that they do it for the fame.” - Liyana
HO CHI MINH CITY Local Blogger Fame for a Westerner A 27 yr-old Canadian gains mainstream fame after blogging in the Vietnamese language for 3 years. “for Joe aka Mai Van Dau....3 years of learning Vietnamese and writing blog (in Vietnamese of course) has launched him to Fame. Thousands of people don’t check out Joe’ blog everyday for no reason. He speaks, writes like a Vietnamese...known as a pageview millionaire, he is now working for VTV6 ( the nation channel ) as a MC and act in the TV serie ( Nhung chang trai da cam). Joe has just released a book, collecting his most favourite blog entries from 2006 to present... we can’t deny that since blogging became popular, it’s easier to become [famous].” - Van
Everyday Superstars
TAIPEI Taiwan’s ‘Otaku’ God Lucifer Chu achieves fame as the leader of niche online community projects. “[After earning over 1M USD from translating the Lord Of The Rings epic novel, Lucifer Chu] started Fantasy Culture Art Foundation aiming to pursue and establish a space for fantasy literature writers in Taiwan. He is the project host for MIT OpenCourseWare Chinese Translation Project. [which] freely shares all MIT curriculum resources and welcomes different language versions, [gathering] volunteer translators from the internet... each article on his blog has pageviews rating from 80,000 to 190,000.. [when] he announced his wedding news on his blog, the pageviews bursted through 20,000 in less than two hours. And it even made the headline news on Yahoo.” - Lokavid
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SCOUT BYTES
The Age of Micro-Celebrities Another new term has emerged from the Internet primordial soup. ‘Micro-celebrity’ refers to the the phenomenon of fame in a small scale gained through online presence through blogs, podcasts, Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, or any other DIY media platform. The number of followers of a micro-celebrity can range from as little as 10 to up to the thousands. When the micro-celebrity’s fans grow to mainstream or cult status, that micro-celebrity becomes the web celeb. That in itself is nothing new, but the notion of micro-celebrity also gives rise to another important cultural implication - that people who create an online presence are all playing their role as micro-celebrities because they know, or think, that there will be someone watching them. Social media is teaching people to live in front of crowd. Young people especially are becoming adept at the social skills of micro-fame, learning how to manipulate their online ‘brands’ through the logos, images, fonts, and the content they link to. For brands looking to engage teens and twenty-somethings, this gives rise to a few questions: Is there an appropriate way for brands to be part of the culture of micro-celebrities? Is the rise of the micro-celebrity another sign of the Long Tail diluting the value of traditional celebrities? If so, could celebrity endorsements by superstars as we know ever shift to online personalities with a relatively small but clearly defined audience? More about micro-celebrities on Wired
Fame for a micro-celebrity can grow far and wide and cross over to mainstream media, with neither control nor consent from the subject: Pictured above, 19-year-old Australian girl Clare Werbeloff has become an internet celebrity after giving a false account of a shooting outside a Kings Cross nightclub to Nine News on May 17, the video clip of which was posted online. According to Viralblog, it has led to “job offers, television appearances, radio and magazine interviews across the country, 85 interview requests from the world’s media in a day, a Facebook fangroup “Clare the Kings Cross bogan fan club” with 26,000 fans, over 800,000 views on YouTube and 550,000 on MSN Video, a Kings Cross Shooting meme competition, 40,000 online conversations on Australian blogs, news sites, forums, videosites, microblogs and various other sites, a reference in federal parliament, an offer of a bikini shoot, a thank-you from Aussie troops in Afghanistan for cheering them up and a host of internet entrepreneurs cashing in on the “chk chk boom” craze with a range of T-shirts from $8.50, coffee mugs from $11.99, ceramic beer steins from $13, caps and other souvenirs. And Claire may be casted as the new presenter for a series of pop culture stories.”
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