When Kim Min-seok let a 90-second clip of a children’s song be posted in June 2016, he had no idea the impact it would have.
أصبحت الأغنية ظاهرة عالمية، حيث حصدت أكثر من 16 مليار مشاهدة – وهو الفيديو الأكثر مشاهدة في تاريخ YouTube. The song was the catchy “Baby Shark.”
وقال كيم، الرئيس التنفيذي لشركة Pinkfong، لبي بي سي من مكتب الشركة في سيول: “لم نتوقع أن يبرز هذا المحتوى عن المحتوى الآخر لدينا”. “But looking back, it was a turning point that paved the way for our global trajectory.”
On Tuesday (11/18), this path took Pinkfong to the South Korean stock market, where its shares rose more than 9% in its debut, giving the company a valuation of more than US$400 million (about R$2 billion).
Founded in 2010 as SmartStudy, the company produced digital content for children up to 12 years old.
Initially, it only had three employees, including Kim and CTO Dongwoo Son.
“The office was small, even smaller than this office,” Kim recalls, pointing to the conference room from which he was speaking.
Pinkfong has undergone several redesigns, including changing its focus on younger children.
The company grew to about 100 employees and began prioritizing games and simple educational content. “That’s when Baby Shark came along,” Kim explained.
Today, it employs approximately 340 employees, with offices in Tokyo (Japan), Shanghai (China) and Los Angeles (USA).
It appeared in the United States in the 1970s, where it is sung at children’s summer camps.
Kim also recognizes the power of song. “It’s like a K-pop song. Very fast, rhythmic and addictive,” he said, adding that the melody has an impact.They chant“(Repetition) makes it easier for children to memorize.
لكن النجاح لم يكن فوريا. The video only gained popularity when the choreography was performed at children’s events in Southeast Asia.
“There was a feeling of celebration in the office,” Kim said, with the number of views rising.
In November 2020, the clip became the most viewed on YouTube.
In 2019, Pinkfong faced a lawsuit after being accused of plagiarizing an American composer.
Kim said the win strengthened the company when it came to going public. تم تقديم طلب الاكتتاب العام (اختصار باللغة الإنجليزية لطرح أسهمه للاكتتاب العام في البورصة) قبل صدور الحكم.
Isolated success?
يقول Kim Min-seok إن الأعمال يمكن أن تنمو إلى ما هو أبعد من Baby Shark، الذي يمثل حاليًا حوالي ربع إيرادات الشركة. Meanwhile, Bebefinn already accounts for about 40% of profits.
One parent told the BBC he had mixed feelings about Pinkfong’s videos. ويقدر سليم ناشف، وهو أب لطفلين، الطبيعة التعليمية للمحتوى، لكن زوجته تعتبر بيبي شارك “محفزا للغاية للأطفال”.
It’s not yet clear whether Pinkfong will be able to create other characters with similar commercial appeal, said Min, the Korea University professor.
Bankfong’s Kim said the company raised nearly US$52 million (about R$260 million) in its stock market debut, and plans to use the money to expand its line of films and characters.
“We have achieved what many creators have always dreamed of,” Kim said.
Now the company needs to show investors that it’s not just an isolated success.
This text was originally found here.