COM 101 Week 7: Culture

This week, the topic will be on Culture. Focus will be on the different perspective of Individualism and Collectivism.

http://hypebeast.com/blog/jj/2009/10/order-and-chaos-invitation/

http://www.streething.com/archives/14490

http://rcgntn.com/blog/2009/10/17/interview-jj-lin/

Presenting this week's article, is the collaboration between Singapore's Latest Street-Fashion Label, Smudge (SMG) and Japanese Ebisu, Tokyo-based label, Devilock (DVLK). With this, SMG will be the official carrier label for DVLK products in SIngapore.

Two Individualists, JJ Lin and Endo, who have decided to work in partnership due to similar beliefs and themes that they have. Being two influential bodies in the Street-Culture Industry, they both aim to bring across the message, "struggle in a positive light", which leads to the theme of their partnership, "Orders and Chaos".

Collaborating with an organization that shares similar beliefs and themes helps to pull in the elite resources of both companies. Both organizations have more options to explore different ideas in the street-fashion and come out with an idea that caters to more people. Like-minded people who share the same culture are likely to support the idea.

As Well-Known Personalities in the Entertainment and Street-Fashion Industry, both JJ and Endo does not want to use their popularity to boost sales to their product. It is inevitable that fans are likely to chase after the label because of their idol, but both still seek to reach the stage whereby people do not co-relate their labels to their achievements in the Primary industry. To them, fans and their business are two separate matters and should not be piece together as one and they do not encourage fans to pursue the label just to support them.

Taking this individualist approach helps to garner valid support from supporters and ensure stability in the long run. Should their popularity diminish, at the very least it will not affect their businesses, as compared to just catering to the fans. It also magnifies their scope in venturing into a wider area of products and services, catering to the larger market available out there.

For the youth fans especially, they pursue the label because it belongs to the artistes, they are taking the approach of a Collectivist. By acquiring the entire collection of the products, they themselves may not use it. Ultimately, these fans just want to support the artiste in all aspects. However, artiste advised that fans do not need to go to the extreme of buying the entire collection and that are other ways to show support by purchasing originals.

Overall, it is commendable that artistes take an Individualistic approach when it comes to business and not mixing it with their Primary Industry. However, more measures needed when it comes to educating youths in terms of differentiation between artistes and businesses.

Do tune in to my final post next week~ Till then!