The Marketing Bestie Podcast with zoeunlimited - the step by step rebrand that SAVED katseye

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Starting point is 00:01:32 How did a narwharly? branding mistake turned child labor disaster into a billion dollar brand, Cat's Eye. I think that people are going to be so bad. Today, Do you do? Good. Sall done you. Oh,

Starting point is 00:01:53 Jail-do-so. If there was a group cursed to flop, it must be Cat's Eye. Despite pretty privileged, massive talents, the strongest industry backing, all the data point to a disaster. the graveyard of Korean wannabe K-pop groups, the scripted exploitation of children. It feels like we've reached a breaking point. I'm done.

Starting point is 00:02:19 The amazing chemistry of a corporate retreat icebreaker. Sophia just gave me the dirtiest look on planet Earth. The milking of teenage mental health into content. You have to create that drama. You have to create that competition. It's entertainment. It's entertainment. Everything came with a twin. of cringe.

Starting point is 00:02:41 And that was my first impression of Cats Eye 2, until the Cat's Eye, as we know today, became the shit. Face Offendi coach Glossier, cover of Team Vogue Nylon, Billboard 21 under 21, and got A-List artists like Camila Cabello using their sound. How? Are we all hypocrites or is there something much darker about what we actually reward in pop culture? Brutal. It's all marketing, babe. As your marketing bestie, who graduated top 1% UCLA business economics, we're going to explore how a tweak in branding turned a destined disaster into a huge hit.

Starting point is 00:03:30 And how you can take things from Katz Eye Story and apply to your dreams. Because by brand, I don't just mean slapping your name on a t-shirt. Branding is about how your future client, future boss, future boyfriend sees you. And yes, you have one. These girls all hate each other secretly. I bet she's like making her fake accounts to ask that question. No, honestly, it's probably her. She punched me in the nose a long time ago.

Starting point is 00:03:59 I'm creating the series to analyze pop culture brands from a marketing perspective because I want all of us to unlock the potential to build successful businesses and personal brands. How does it feel to be so iconic? Join the free email list below for a free additional marketing knowledge and I am so excited to talk about the five genius branding secrets of Katzai. But there is a small caveat I will mention in the end that they should watch out for because no brand is impeccable. The question you all have is probably, is Katzai temporary hype or are they built to last? Cat's eye 1.0.

Starting point is 00:04:37 No shame, but 14-year-old Zoe's dream was to become a K-pop idol because who wouldn't? These young, gorgeous girls always wearing the triniest fits with the coolest hair driving the hottest cars, showing off their talents, being proud of their heritage and culture. and always seem so happy. Why wouldn't anyone want to be exactly like them? And that's exactly why 120,000 young girls sign up for Dream Academy. In hopes of becoming one of six girl group members after two years. That is 0.05% chance. Now why would any rational parent want their child to go through that?

Starting point is 00:05:21 They're starting to like question, do I even want to like be here? I don't recognize myself really anymore. Having the TV just show your picture and like you're out of here. That's like crazy to me. It's entertainment. Well, you do have hype. The powerhouse behind BTS, teamed up with Geffen Records, a legacy label under Universal Music Group that worked with Olivia Rodrigo, Lana, Gaga, Selena, Kendrick,

Starting point is 00:05:46 a billion dollar experiment that cannot fail. Except, can it? dying what in the toxic environment when some of these girls were 14 TLDR on the show it's literally the Roman gladiators except instead of sweaty slaves killing each other with weapons for the entertainment of the rich it is teenage girls whose dreams are killed minute by minute for the happy and healthy minds of the world to be entertained have you got to ER with a dash of dance moms without moms JoJo! Have you learned nothing? I did not watch the show, but from a marketing angle, it is a PR machine in three ways. First, global casting equals built-in international hype. Second, the more cruel, the more drama there was, of who deserves or does not deserve to be on the show in the group.

Starting point is 00:06:35 You voted me out. You've voted me out. You have listened to me. I love every single one, but you can't pick every single one. The Adela versus Manon drama. Manon, she's getting so much attention. You know, people are upset because she doesn't put a lot of effort. But then there's some people like, men all. The more tax, eyeball, money, which leads to third. The clips were made for TikTok, not TV.

Starting point is 00:06:59 60-second performance cuts, dramatic crying confessions flooded with comments of people picking their favorites. It's a viral marketing strategy, not just for Dream Academy, Cats. This episode is brought to you by Tell Us Online Security. Oh, tag season is the worst. You mean hack season? Sorry, what? Yeah, cybercriminals love tax forms. But I've got TELUS online security.

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Starting point is 00:09:47 Which makes the eventual winners, Cat's Eye feel first manufactured, second, like a product that came from everything wrong in the industry. It started obviously feeling more like a competition, but it just didn't align with my values. It just felt like a drama show that got its messy attention. But soon we'll follow the ashes of every other global group that ever existed. A group of UN about.

Starting point is 00:10:14 not pop stars targeting everyone so no one feeling quote-unquote cringe and korea boo another manufactured k-pop wannabe group but from a Netflix reality show but I was run the brand started branding break the f*** out guys I am so excited to talk about this and breaking down cat's ice rebrand into five key success factors each especially the last is essential to their seemingly overnight success Yes. Nothing is a coincidence. First, unique value prop.

Starting point is 00:10:53 The biggest marketing win for Katzai is that it did not try to be something it is not. A K-pop group, which I think is the biggest downfall of all the past global groups. When you brand yourself after someone or something else, you can only ever be second best. Imitation is not flattery, it's embarrassing. The cross-cultural branding that would have felt so scattered and lead to no brand, actually feels quite representative of LA. Instead of purposely trying to mold them into a Korean girl group, Katai ironically feels and looks like an organic friend group in LA.

Starting point is 00:11:30 We're back, baby. We are fucking bad! With members from the Philippines, Korea, Switzerland, the US, so now it has one major advantage. Because instead of competing, with Blackpink, Twice New James, La Seraphim, they're in a separate lane. And this lane, well, has a lot of talented people. but pales in comparison when it comes to branding power.

Starting point is 00:11:52 And when you become the best brand in one category, it is very hard to not become bigger than the category. Think Black Pink, BTS. They started as the top of K-pop and now has become global. And the best part is you now cover key global markets, US, Korea, Southeast Asia, Latin America, Europe, instead of becoming Frankenstein K-pop wannabe. Oh tok, what doke, oh-tok.

Starting point is 00:12:18 You now have a Pinterest moonboard of the world's coolest girls made into one group chat. Second, visual brand in the digital age, no matter if the product is audio or visual, a brand needs a visual identity. This was so crucial to Sabrina Carpenter growing from just another forgotten Disney child to trendsetter. And it's how Cat's Eye avoided a catastrophe. Instead of trying to look like Frankenstein K-pop, look like Walmart version of Black Pink, they tapped into a different aesthetic. Hyperfeminine futurism that is ethereal, iridescent, soft glam meets sci-fi. Think if Ceyram Room joined a hype girl group, got styled by a Pinterest algorithm in LA. Everything feels fresh, new, and Genzi.

Starting point is 00:13:00 Floating text overlays a la Genzi, IG stories, and TikTok edits, and most importantly, there is unity through variation. Each girl has a distinct personal aesthetic, cool girls, soft girl, edge girl, ethereal girl, but together they form one cohesive brand visual. The typography, high-texts-serif, wide-curning, clean and neutral. Debut visuals use water, mirrors, and glass, symbolizing clarity, depth, and duality. And this is so important when we go into their current and future endorsements, leading to third associations. With the backing of Geffen and Hybe. It is no surprise that tons of brand collaboration opportunities will flood in.

Starting point is 00:13:45 So the challenge is not saying the right yes, but saying the right no. And here's what their team did well. Every association only make Cat's Eyes brand more clear instead of confusing. I keep getting all of these game ads and I'm not really a gamer, but remember this name, Travel Town. Okay, I'm going to tap on the lightning and make more and make all these. Starting with the labels themselves, Geffen and hype intrinsically come with the associations with all the notable artists from BTS to Olivia Rodriguez, Selena Gomez, Lana Del Rey, to Lady Gaga. that gives an immediate blue chip stamp of approval. Next, the Ice Spice remix, instant relevance injection.

Starting point is 00:14:27 Katzai had hype, but Ice Spice brought to heat. And moreover, Ice Spice has the right type of Gen Z audience that would appreciate Katzai. Katzai got introduced to millions without a single concert. The most confusing thing about Katzai, and especially their recent release, NARly, is figuring out who's my bias. It was about brand placement and getting Katzai in the room. So what about brands? Very curated picks.

Starting point is 00:14:53 Fendi as the intro to luxury, coach as a practical pick for their young female demo, gentle monster for the insider status and fashion. Think Black Pink Jenny, the Lialish, Rihanna. But at the same time, not losing the young, campy, unsuriness. What's smart about the partnerships is they always allow the individuality of each member.

Starting point is 00:15:13 Everybody, wow. Six shade tinted lip oil with glossier, six different bath bombs and soaps with lush, and the Monster High Part So fun, aligned with the tween audience and the nostalgia for girlhood for young women. Visually, the Y2K with spooky soft aesthetics also reinforces their message of diversity and self-expression, and this of course gets amplified. By fourth, algorithm, design. Since pre-debue, Dream Academy was literally a data collection machine.

Starting point is 00:15:44 Global voting, engagement tracking, comment analysis, fans unknowingly, A.B tested the members. Girls who performed well on TikTok move forward. Because they're not tied to a specific country, language, or style, the algorithm can push them anywhere. No national controversy, no local bias. They are a blank slate made for maximum reach. Katzai's lyrics are genius and strategically engineered to work on two levels. First, singable in real life and second, loopable on TikTok. Ahem.

Starting point is 00:16:14 Hottie, haughty, like a bag of talkies. I'm the shit. I'm the shit. Very catchy, unsurious, and very easy to remember. they use really well, hook first meaning second. Songs are structured to get the catchiest part in under 20 seconds. First pre-chorus or hook is front-loaded to maximize chances of going viral. And then the vocal simplicity means crowd participation.

Starting point is 00:16:40 Narlies are easy to sing, even off-key. Built for TikTok duets, dance routines, and get spun into pop culture quickly. quickly. Many lyrics are structured like affirmations or real captions, built for virality. But we of course still need to address the elephant in the room. How in the world? After a manufacturer, dog eats dog environment, are they a group? Why are you upset that we're frustrated at you?

Starting point is 00:17:17 Fifth, authenticity in manufacturing. The survival show culture has a baked-in paradox. The built-in cut-throw nature where nobody is your friend. We're not forming a friend group, we're forming a girl group. And the fact that all of a sudden, you need to be best friends for life with these people. Like open up hoos right now. I'm so tired of that one. Who's Gabriella?

Starting point is 00:17:41 We don't like her. We just stop out. You keep bringing her up. But the genius part about Katzai is they don't have to. Even the lyrics play on being unhinged about taking all hate and being envied. So on the flip side, the stand culture for each single member, due to the previous rivalry is also much, much stronger than normal in other groups. What was the point of putting Mano in the group if y'all are just constantly mistreat her,

Starting point is 00:18:06 disrespect her, and leave her out of things? Beyond just group chemistry, what is the ultimate factor that made Katzai, Blackpink, BTS, but killed the many talented but overlooked global groups? The question, do they go well together? Let me explain. Even in a K-pop group or a US group, oftentimes there are just members who don't fit. Sometimes things just feel like stitched up body parts in a Frankenstein. Which is why picking not just the right girls, but the right girls for each other to create Katzai was the most strategic marketing of all.

Starting point is 00:18:55 Undoubtedly, all the final contestants have the talent, but Emily and Isrella are a little too soft and too sweet. Which would mean the group branding direction cannot go the full gnarly and gnarlier. Had Katzai gone the cute-egyo K-pop route, it would have been an utter failure. Because A, it will be extremely unnatural to most of the girls and end up feeling like korea booze. B, it does not have the current global appeal. Mind you, everyone in Katzai is so young from 15 to 21, but there is a lot of mature appeal in their branding from the choreography, choreography to outfits that bridge the unhinged teenagehood and womanhood and surprisingly the world of K-pop and Western pop that instead of ending up in the graveyard of both is becoming something to be feared in both

Starting point is 00:19:47 with all the brandy wins what is one main caveat they should watch out for reality TV fans are not music fans a lot of audience still come for the drama not the songs but when that drama gets repeated too often It gets tiring. Whether intentional or unintentional, leaving members out of music videos shoots definitely get the conversations going. Wow, hey people. But at the end of the day, you don't just want an audience who only care about the tea of a divorced family, but a community that can support the girls as they grow. The key is to find the balance between sensationalist media attention and true artistry. But let me know in the comments if you think Katzai is on its way to become the biggest girl group ever Or it's just hype if you learn something here send it to someone you love give it a five-star rating

Starting point is 00:20:49 For email us all resources are linked below this is your marketing best use Zoe unlimited episodes are available on all podcast networks Apple Spotify YouTube if you like this episode make sure to check out these other two I made just for you Rose in lasagna, medium power, 15 minutes. Sounds like Ojo time. Let's play. Feel the fun with Play Ojo. The online casino with all the latest slot and live casino games. What you win is yours to keep with no wagering requirements.

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The Marketing Bestie Podcast with zoeunlimited - the step by step rebrand that SAVED katseye

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