88rising Company Expansion Plan

Mindy Wu

11 min readJun 16, 2022

88rising Company Expansion Plan

04.20.2022

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Mindy Wu

Global Music Trend Analysis

Company Overview

88rising is an American music entertainment & mass media company that is founded in 2015. The founder of the company is Sean Miyashiro and Jaeson Ma. 88rising focuses on creating a global music platform and record label primarily focusing on Asian American artists or talented artists from Asia, and take pride in their main development in the hip-hop scene. Many notable artists under the label are Joji, Keith Ape, Rich Brian, Higher Brothers, and Niki. The company seeks to bridge the gap and disconnectivity between Asian and American Music. They also collaborate outside of their music labels with other artists from different labels in South Korea, Japan, Taiwan, China, Indonesia…etc. For example artists like Yaeji, Jackson Wang, Phum Viphurit, Chungha, 9m88, BIBI, and Kohh. Some common American label artists they collaborate with and have released music on include CL, Jhene Aiko, Swae Lee, Keshi, DJ Snake, Rick Ross, Saweetie, Anderson Paak, 21 Savage

Current Paris Market Research

There is an emerging music market interested in Korean & Japanese music in Paris where many listeners seek to have more engagement with global music from Asia. Withstanding how globalized the city of Paris is, it will be the perfect European entry point to the music market for Asian American Music! The potential music market to develop here also includes more partnerships between the hip-hop scene in 88rising label with local french artists like Niho, Laylow, Damso, Lefa, leto, PLK, Alpha Wann…etc. There are many dance and techno elements in 88rising music too which can also combine with the DJ in France.

The major music genre played in the Paris music Market for teenagers to young adults (age 16–25) is hip-hop. The medium where music is introduced is through the lively nightlife scene as well as the streaming music services in France. Withstanding the great diversity in music streaming services from Quobuz, MusicDiffusion, NEWZIK, and Soundiiz, the leading digital distribution for audio streaming services is Deezer. There are music releases from 88rising on Deezer, but there is not much publication from this music artist to build up their reputation in France. From the label 88rising having 42,640 fans and Rapper Rich Brian with 51,897 fans, we compared to artists like Ninho who have 5,080,240 fans we can tell that Deezer is a dominantly French listeners market.

However, the American hip-hop scene heavily impacted the French hip-hop music market. Especially artist Pop Smoke (Deezer: 1,069,408 fans) is favored by the tremendous amount of fans in France. The commonality of specific hip-hop genre that is popular in the French music scene is Drill Music, especially UK drill and Brooklyn Drill. The current target listener has a preference for trap music with 808 kick drums, rhythmic snares, bass sound, and lyrical music on violence.

Many hip-hop listeners are also big on RnB music since the employment of type beats & instrumental rhythm is very similar. This company expansion report will cover artists and musical performances on the tangent of these attributes musical attributes to match the current French music market. Besides music distribution, we will also include other entertainment aspects in the future revenue model. The company 88rising is a mass media company that is proud of its branding strategy beyond a standard music label, therefore, the report will make sure the opportunity for expansion not only stays in the music industry but to film production (like non-musical video series), fashion, and physical sales.

From Image 1 of IFPI GMR 2020 Report. We see how the French music market is $992 million dominating in subscription audio streams and performing rights. With expanding growth market in video streams. The highlight at the end of ad-supported audio and video revenues seeing a rapid growth of 52.3% and 35.4% in 2019. Another worth noting point that makes the French market distinct is its market in CD sales and vinyl global sales is one of the largest in the European market. This information will be handy during analysis and also keep us in mind to not negate the potential market expansion in the physical distribution.

(Image 1: France Recorded Music Revenue consumption, IFPI GMR 2020)

Development of Strategy Analysis

According to glassdoor’s analysis of the top music production & distribution in Paris. We can identify the key record labels such as Universal Music Group, Sony Music Entertainment, Warner Music Group, Believe, (tech & digital marketing), Live National Entertainment, Quobuz, and Atlantic Records. Acknowledge these are the biggest running record labels in Paris, many French artists in this report came from mentioned labels.

Referencing to IFPI in 2020, France is the fifth biggest music market in the globe, which means it beholds great economic potential and creativity space. Looking at the Europe continent, there is a growth in recorded music revenue in Europe mainly in streaming, physical, and synchronization. From the development of synchronization, this report will also cover some sync licensing in films, fashion shows, public venues, advertising, and video games.

However, as an NYU Paris study abroad student that has experienced several different music French venues from techno, hip-hop, pop, reggaeton from restaurants, bars, concerts to clubs. The music industry in France has a big room for improvement: the lack of creativity in music creation across genres, following major music charts music in America, and lack of cross-cultural/cross-genre collaboration of artists. (Image 2: Europe Revenues in 2019) These three identifying lacking points are contents that 88rising has done an exceptional job at. Thus, the introduction of the 88rising business model to the French music industry to bring more innovative and international content will bring freshness into the ears of the French audience. The creativity in 88rising running their entertainment through a great media engagement platform, and continuously striving to expand audience development contributed to the successful spread of their content.

Targeted Audience

French audience across teenagers to young adults (roughly 13–28 years old) will be the focus of the report since this group has the highest market share in the streaming subscriptions and spending on festivals and concerts which contribute to performing rights. The cultural aspect of these targeted audiences is complex. The targeted audience should consist of many third culture children & young adults, study abroad international students, and younger kids who spent over 2–3 hours on TikTok as entertainment all composing the canvas for this report.

(Image 3: Music Service in-used daily, MiDIA Index ← )

(Image 4: Music Streaming subscription Market in France 2021 → )

Content for Distribution Channel

Online Music Festivals and Collection of artists performed in Music Festival

88rising’s primary marketing and distribution channel are YouTube. Beyond simply just music videos or audiovisuals of music from their label artists. There are many amazing and eye-catching contents that they create that could expand to the French channel. From their created Playlist, there are ‘Head In The Clouds Forever’, ‘Asia Rising Together’ (Image 4 on the top right), and ‘Head in the Clouds 3’ which is more like a collection of all their artists and collab artists from oversea labels. This collection of artists performed in Coachella and all the other big music venues you can think of in America. This collection can expand to the France music concerts such as Lollapalooza Paris, Main Square Festival, and Solidays Festival. For example, artists like Rich Brian resembles the French taste in the Hip-Hop market. His album Amen that is released on February 2nd, 2018 rises to №1 on the iTunes Hip-Hop Global Chart (the first Asian artist topped ranks). His music has received great worldwide recognition and needs a good market and more integration with local music artists like Ninho or Damos. (Image 5: ASIA RISING lineup →)

Aesthetic YouTube Food series with Music

Another category of the playlist in their YouTube Channel that has great values and a high potential for expansion is their food series. And we are not talking about common food videos or demos of cooking a dish. We are talking about the artistic production of food. From their collection of ‘Seoulfood’, ’88 Stories’, ‘Japan’s Greatest Bartender’, and ‘Eighty ATE’. This food production video consists of chic musical background, style aesthetic shots of the food, introduction of interesting characters in the video, as well as amazing Asian food content. These four components are what make these videos stellar. A similar model to France, a country with great emphasis on its cuisine and dining experience, will be applicable with tremendous market growth. 88rising can do a similar series to the three collections I mentioned above implementing more French cuisine or fusion in the content, and the music background can be collaborations of local French artists. These videos can even be shot in the French settings to increase their cultural highlights as well as make it more relatable to the French audience.

(Image 5: ‘Japan Greatest Bartender’ ← )

Reaction Videos

The last distribution channel content that can enter the French market is one of the company’s most original reaction videos that got them famous in 2015. Early 88rising filming reaction videos of popular African American rappers like Migos, Lil-Yatchy, KYLE, PnB Rock, Denzel Curry, and Playboi Carti to 88rising artists’ music was a great marketing strategy that avoids pigeonholing themselves in the Asian Hip-Hop label. Especially the music in these reaction videos is drill hip-hop music and even has features like artists such as Famous Dex who is known for Drill music and have similar music that French people enjoy in clubs. In addition, the exclusive collaborations with artists like 21 Savage and Trippie Redd allow them to become a global Hip-Hop music brand with greater and diverse engagement with the audience and to avoid being put into the Asian-American stereotype box. 88rising should do a similar model to enter the Paris market. The company could create videos with Parisian and local french well-recognized artists reacting to 88rising content as a strategic marketing tool. For example, invite French artists Laylow, Damso, Lefa, leto, PLK and famous DJs to react to videos of the artist’s music performance or simply videos under 88rising production. PLK can do a collaboration with artists like Keith since they share similar music tastes with more gangster rap with darker tones in their presentation. Laylow has more lyrical about issues and the flow is similar to Rich Brian’s style as well.

(Image 5: ‘Playboi Carti Reaction to Higher Brothers’ ← )

Physical Sales:

Vinyl

As mentioned before, Vinyl and physical recorded sales are big in France. 88rising has done a great deal in creating digital sales. So the vinyl design could be a great potential revenue model that has not yet been developed in 88rising. Unlike the previous business recommendations of either remodeling or copying a similar successful business model, the design and production of vinyl for 88rising is a new itinerary to add to their original business model.

Merchandise

Another key point is Merchandise. 88rising is known to have partnerships with forward-thinking brands that are very open-minded and have much freedom to integrate 88rising culture and artistic perspective into the product promotion. For example, 88rising has worked with Adidas, Nike, Pepsi, RedBull, Converse, AMBUSH, and Guess before. These product lines with 88risng all become successful sell with a great unique component of 88rising design into the collab product. On the same tangent, French is known for good fashionable brands in clothing, jewelry, perfume, and all luxurious good. This is a great opportunity for 88rising to expand their partnership with these merchandises too.

(Image 6–9, From left to right: AMUBSH, Red Bull, Guess collaboration with 88rising)

88rising Adaptation to Current French Market

Paris, the center of Europe’s melting pot consists of cuisine, art, design, music, and entertainment. The diverse French audiences from all parts of the world with high entertainment expenditure per person make it a good market for 88rising to enter. Considering how successful the company has expanded in America and Asia, it is the perfect timing for them to enter the French market. Since the pandemic restrictions are lifting with more globalization and a rising trend in the popularization of Asian, Asian-American, and American cultures in Paris. The French people are as curious as ever about unique cultures that are distinctive and aesthetically pleasing to enter the market. 88rising has everything it takes to enter the French market without being defined as simply a music label but as a digital brand engagement platform from music to physical sales.

88rising goal of delivering a more authentic representation of Asiana in Asian Americans through creative content in music, media, and storytelling will stand out from the existing entertainment industry in the French music scene.

Bibliography

Sources

Research of the Company

https://www.coolaccidents.com/news/who-are-the-88rising-artists

Author Name: Ben Madden. “A Guide to 88rising’s Game-Changing Artists.” Cool Accidents Music Blog, https://www.coolaccidents.com/news/who-are-the-88rising-artists.

https://www.allmusic.com/artist/88rising-mn0003746893/biography

“88rising Biography, Songs, & Albums.” AllMusic, https://www.allmusic.com/artist/88rising-mn0003746893/biography.

https://www.redbull.com/int-en/asian-hip-hop-scene-profile

Kawalik, Tracy. “ These Are the Artists Changing the Face of Asian Hip-Hop.” Red Bull Gives You Wings — Redbull.com, https://www.redbull.com/int-en/asian-hip-hop-scene-profile.