[GENERAL] The AKB48 Thread

It was reported that AKS would shift its focus to "internet business" thus Yahoo and Line's executives were recruited as board members. And, you(?) said this "internet business" meant the shopping website.

Also, it was reported AKS's main source of income was "merchandise/goods". It was unclear if goods included CD or only those non-CD merchandises, t-shirt, towels etc. If not included, we can now understand why the election was canceled, it was not that profitable to the company. My assumption is, also for theater CD, distributor gets a big chunk off the sale.

NGT's scandal might also play a big role, not directly because of the incident and the aftermath, but factors lead to the incident. Clearly, NGT's members had inappropriate relationship with rich fans for election boost. The agency surely had been aware the inappropriate relationship existed yet turned blind eyes on. The scandal woke it up telling the issue could not be neglected anymore. And, the best way to put it off was to cancel the election. Members also commented the election created the sense of strong rivalry thus, the teamwork was weakened. The election rivalry might also be a factor members in NGT didn't get along (Nishigata fraction vs. Maho fraction).

However, the election cancellation did not explain the single release hiatus. AKS can release non-election single in stead. The big change in the management team possibly is the biggest factor to this.

No. The agency's reputation does not have much to do with its acts, A clear evidence is IZ*One which is also a group linking to AKS and Akimoto and has been very positively responded. Slope groups also tie to Akimoto.

Hmmph. IZ*One with 12 members and most of its time away from Japan in another agency's care can
- sell 300k+ copies per each single
- throw Japan tour with 4 stops including 1 at Saitama Arena.
The profit margin clearly is much greater for IZ*One.

What slow change? The board shuffle was a big change. I suspect the new board is designing the new strategy for AKB.

 

Please read yourself again:

Wrong !
I pointed what exists since early days.

They do pretty much since day 1 (you can also check the voting methods)

See above

They do pretty much since day 1 (with DMM), and they launched eizo center last year

What internet business ? the obvious would be to find something online that can compensate for all the TV time / ads deals they don't have anymore.
You have to realize that during their peak years (around 2012), AKB48(groups) idols were absolutly everywhere and on everything, they could even have been engraved on your toothbrush. Nowadays they have more groups / girls and their amount of sponsors is a slice of what it used to be.

It is very clear
Goods = pretty much every salable things. Why discs wouldn't ?
Every record label takes a % from the sales. (obvious)

During 10 years they run an event that generates much more CD sales than usual, TV rights, sells out a stadium twice in a day, has a positive impact on the hosting city, spread the AKB48 name around Japan and beyond, guarantees some incomes for 2 to 3 month, and it would be not profitable enough ? what kind of nonsense is this ?

In the 48 groups case, really ?

No election also means lowered budgets for the following releases / events

They're at the bottom of the wall with no choice but to rethink all. I don't call this a slow change either.

You said it yourself: another agency.

 

The Sakamichi series might have it better than the 48G because they are a completely different entity and marketed differently.

AKS has spent millions to make the 48 brand recognisable and that is now costing them.
NGT isn't AKB, but they both share the same number at the end of their names, which relates them and hurts the mothership hen something goes wrong with its offspring. That's just how marketing works.

As for what's coming next... with SKE and NMB releasing, I hope HKT gets a chance as well before AKB comes in and takes those possible sales away.
AKB could come back with an album for Christmas or something, but I still wish they gave us stages ddd

 

Does anyone know if AKB48 has performed any new songs at their current tour that might give hopes for a new single possibly coming later this year at least or is the set list for that fixed at what's already been shared in the tour's thread?

 

You did say it yourself that streaming service was not that profitable and, they even have to split this not huge of a profit with DMM. If there is no other substantial income source in internet business segment, the online shopping is surely the sole main income source of this segment.

AKB's fans may vote via internet but, they have to buy CD first to get the voting code so, no, the voting itself is not separated to internet business and is an adjunct to CD sale, unlike MNL whose fans use their online account to vote via mobile app.

This is online/internet marketing, not internet business. They are J-pop idols release contents on Abema TV but, they do not make substantial profit off these contents. These contents are simply promotion tools for the group. Online content income in no way can substitute the income from endorsement deal. 1 endorsement deal may worth 60m yens. How many accumulated views must AKB garner to reach this sum?

Digital file is salable too, is it goods? The sale from CD, music download and streaming may fall under "music sale". The income from this type of sale comes through the music label, unlike other goods.

I believe record label and music distributor are different entity. I remember from Kara vs. DSP case that it's the case. Kara's member pleaded to the court that their agency, DSP, did not pay fair income distribution from Japanese CD sale. DSP said that Kara's Japanese music label, UMJ, received only 20% cut from the music distributor and, out of this 20%, UMJ took away 12% thus, only 8% was left to DSP.

Broadcasting right, I doubt how pricey it could be. For TV broadcaster, broadcasting time is gold, and, for the celeb, TV exposure is priceless. My assumption is the broadcaster paid the right fee with broadcasting time and broadcasting cost (manpower and equipment).

They were costs to hold the election too, tangible and intangible. And, clearly, the board who knew much more than us thought it was not non-sensical to cancel.

Of course. A more extreme case was Johnny Kitagawa being accused of pedo. His business barely was affected with him being the suspect of a serious crime. A more recent severe case is happening in Korea on YGE, whose CEO accused of hiring hookers and colluding with law officers. Fans still support YGE's idols as per usual and the idols still can promote on TV fine. Fans also was furious when the criminal CEO fired a druggie idol. I read that YGE's acting business is badly affected, YGE has lost much of its power in drama industry and its actors are leaving but, that is a different topic.

AKB's image had already been not good among the public, a little worse reputation did not matter, just like how yet another racist controversy did Trump no harm. Besides, AKB is fan driven, fans who won't leave because the executive is crooked. To showbiz insiders, they are aware that AKB and NGT are separated and I still see AKB frequenting music shows despite the long absence of new single. AKB already had gotten less variety show appearance before NGT scandal.

How much does it cost to release and promote a single? Is it that costly to the point to lower the budget? I don't think the advance wage for composer and lyricist are high because they will later reap copyright fee off the music sale. Not like the cost of MV and costume is so pricey (however expensive the costume is, AKB uses just 1 costume set per each promotion), neither its recording quality is better than average. How much does an event cost AKS? Usually, each event is profitable for its own right and the scale is adjustable to its potential to monetize.

AKB has not hit rock bottom or the name of this forum had changed to Stage46. If no significant change will be made, it may one day fall even lower than Morning Musume.

I said most of the time with another agency. It still is as clear as daylight that IZ*One's Japanese activities are managed by AKS and AKS gets a big chunk of cut off these activities. You said the tie to AKS/Akimoto affected any group but it didn't.

Talking about IZ*One, the group is highly profitable but, its life is limited and will be disbanded in 2021. (An advantage of IZ*One is, unlike other sister groups, its market mainly separates from AKB, basing on K-pop fan/female demography.) Besides, it's the nature of K-pop group to last shorter. I believe the chief of AKS does not want to lose the handsome income from K-pop market and does want to grow this market even more yet, she can't reshape AKB into K-pop mold or it will lose its identity and its main wota market. I wonder what AKS will do with K-pop market.

I don't think public sentiment holds much weight on wota-based business.

If AKB has to wait for all its sister groups, won't it take forever for AKB to comeback?

 

SKE, NMB and STU are all releasing this month or next.
They just need to announce something for HKT and that should be it.

Obviously, I'm still counting on them disbanding NGT. If anything, the 2nd gen should be given the chance to transfer, but out with the rest.

And then an AKB album for Xmas.

 

Koibito inai shenshuuken has been performed in spring festival by team B.

Regarding the setlist, so far only the Osaka ones been done, so we can't say it is fixed or not. After tomorrow's concert in Sendai maybe we will have better idea.

Though, until the Hiroshima one I think the setlist will be the same with some tweak here and there whenever possible. After the Team Concerts finished, we MAY have a different setlist or concert senbatsu.

 

@welp
I am not the one who claimed / hinted that they have no online shop nor streaming service, while these exist.

Wrong, Check again.
And do the minimal searches before coming with false statements, and twisted reality, or stay away from those threads until you know better what you are talking about.

Thank you

 

I think I can answer this one.

Public sentiment aside(I know how they viewed 48G brand since Negaigoto no Mochi), I'm convinced what changed here is wota-sentiment.

To further explain, when SKE and NMB announced their single (STU included, also SKE with its audition announced), the shared reaction among each group matome is, "As long as its not AKS, it's fine." And as demonstrated by SKE48 Stand by You, these single sales hold the fort. In similar metric however, It's something HKT doesn't have answer for, which might prompted the indefinite delay(Well, I once joked that in order for HKT to survive, they better be seceding from central management hehe.). Izone are unaffected by this since you said it yourself, they are different consumer market.

I think AKS are aware of it. Given they are no longer on autopilot this year.

With explanation above, I believed what AKB have to wait here is not all sister group release(sans HKT), but for anti-AKS wave to diminish before releasing something again, which as you said it, might be forever.

With that said, I find it amusing that Trinu said about sakamichi might be better than here now. He wont say that back in 2017. And at that time, forum user consensus were "As long as fans behind the group, they dont need public sentiment. It's fine." (Ah, dont mind me on this part.)

 

You should check your source before saying something. Never give wrong info as a fact.

 

48G fans don't need the CDs, and the vote codes included in the CDs, to vote. The 48 groups all have their fanclubs that give you votes.

Though you do need the CD's in order to give mass votes. And most of those CD's are sold where exactly? Online pre-orders. If fact, the most cost-effective method for a fan looking to cast a ton of votes is by ordering Theater Editions CDs. Which are only sold online. Just some thing to consider.

Marketing is business. As you would learn in any business class.

 

Actually the fanclub acounts trick is maybe the most cost effective.

 

It's not like half the discussion surrounding the last two SSKs was about how many hundreds of thousands of votes were coming from fanclub accounts lol. Not to mention all the mobile apps, and the fact you order CDs online in the first place.

 

Wait, what's this?? dd

 

When we get them in 2026 or so, I'll be laughing at you!

 

In other news, the JRA published it's certifications
AKB48 "365 no kami hikouki" is certified triple platinium seller
Nogizaka46 "Hadashi de summer" recieved the gold certification.

For reference, gold is more than 100k downloads
triple platinium is more than 750k
https://www.oricon.co.jp/news/2140508/full/

 

I've read some comments above about AKB hiatus. I want to confirm though...
https://realsound.jp/2019/03/post-334156_2.html
Am I misunderstanding or will there be no 選抜総選挙 until 2021 because of Sasshi and IZ*ONE?

Also, when there is 選抜総選挙, how (and when) exactly do I participate in the voting?

 

I think they just got tired with the idea as it becomes routine, and come up with new kind of events. Little to no association with izone and sasshi grad. Aki-P did say that last year SSK might be the last ever. But mostly got ignored because people think...no way akb throw away their guaranteed 2-3 millions sales for one single. But here we are. Same with janken.

 

Kinda late, but...

Ongaku no Hi 2019 x Paravi Backstage (07/13)

https://www.bilibili.com/video/av59090737 (AKB part starts at 76:55)