Kim Yu-na Ranked Most Marketable Korean Athlete

Olympia · May 21, 2013

Mathman said:
Does anyone remember tennis player Anna Kournikova? She was hailed as the most beautiful tennis player in the world and through endorsements became the highest paid female athlete in the sport (maybe in any sport?) even though she never won even one tournament. She still tops the lists as "the hottest female tennis player of all time" (the men, of course, are much hotter).

http://desktop.freewallpaper4.me/preview/5406-anna-kournikova.jpg

Factoid: Anna made People Magazine's list of the 50 most beautiful people in the world in 1998 (age 16). Michelle Kwan was on the list in 2000.

I was trying to remember Kornikova's name because she occurred to me immediately as an example that it isn't always accomplishment that makes an athlete attractive (pun not intended) to corporate advertisers. It happens that YuNa is also just about Korea's best athlete, so for once the system is benefiting the person of greatest merit.

Mathman · May 21, 2013

Olympia said:
I was trying to remember Kornikova's name because she occurred to me immediately as an example that it isn't always accomplishment that makes an athlete attractive (pun not intended) to corporate advertisers. It happens that YuNa is also just about Korea's best athlete, so for once the system is benefiting the person of greatest merit.

That is so true. There is no particular reason why a dominant athlete should happen also to be a stunning beauty. it is Yuna's good fortune that she is. :yes:

cosmos · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
I see that looks are important but so does on other countries, you will get way more endorsement when you have looks to capitalize on your sporting career, she is overhyped but on this wiki she has won some World Cup medals this year though not gold: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/2013_Rhythmic_Gymnastics_World_Cup_Series

so is it true she is now the most sought after female athlete in Korea surpassing Kim Yuna ?

I am living in Korea. Trust me. Around 90% of her media buzz comes from marketing. There are rivalries between companies behind this marketing. Samsung Electronics has hired YuNa in its promotion last few years and its rival LG electronics is backing up YJ Son. SBS gained huge profit from airing YuNa's competitions in the last 7 years. Its rival company, MBC wanted to buy the ISU broadcasting right after YuNa became hugely popular but ISU chose SBS because SBS has long been the ISU partner in Korea even before YuNa. Now, MBC is trying to sell rhythmic gymnastics in Korea, instead.

MiRé · May 21, 2013

Son has never actually won a medal in her international events. ( unless you countthe 3rd place in asian games ).
The medals she earned is not all-round medals, rather for individual medals ( hoop, ball, etc) so technicallly, the highest she gone up was 4th place in Minsk and Sofia cup. Not to mention Minsk is a level B event, and the first place was a girl who just debuted as a senior.......and none of the top contenders were in Sofia cup.

Anyways, I still believe Yuna deserves the most marketable athlete title

By the way, I think we should be careful when we talk about Son. She and her agency sued several people online because they made "comments" that offended them

sky_fly20 · May 21, 2013

cosmos said:
I am living in Korea. Trust me. Around 90% of her media buzz comes from marketing. There are rivalries between companies behind this marketing. Samsung Electronics has hired YuNa in its promotion last few years and its rival LG electronics is backing up YJ Son. SBS gained huge profit from airing YuNa's competitions in the last 7 years. Its rival company, MBC wanted to buy the ISU broadcasting right after YuNa became hugely popular but ISU chose SBS because SBS has long been the ISU partner in Korea even before YuNa. Now, MBC is trying to sell rhythmic gymnastics in Korea, instead.

IB sports is a big agency in Korea ? because she looks being heavily marketed at as the next Kim Yuna
they are probably trying to show Yuna that they can make other stars as good as her after their fallout but the achievements wont back that up, besides the RG equivalent for Kim Yuna has already happened http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeniya_Kanayeva

it was just interesting how many Yuna fans dont like her

cosmos · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
IB sports is a big agency in Korea ? because she looks being heavily marketed at as the next Kim Yuna
they are probably trying to show Yuna that they can make other stars as good as her after their fallout but the achievements wont back that up, besides the RG equivalent for Kim Yuna has already happened http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeniya_Kanayeva

it was just interesting how many Yuna fans dont like her

Sport agency business is till in its early stage in Korea and agency business is only a part of IB sports business.
In general YuNa fans don't like IB sports because this company has tried to damage YuNa's image in many ways. For me, it is a company of no ethics.

prettykeys · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
IB sports is a big agency in Korea ? because she looks being heavily marketed at as the next Kim Yuna
they are probably trying to show Yuna that they can make other stars as good as her after their fallout but the achievements wont back that up, besides the RG equivalent for Kim Yuna has already happened http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yevgeniya_Kanayeva

it was just interesting how many Yuna fans dont like her

Kinda sad that you are trying to stir up controversy where none exists and smearing YuNa fans in the process.

Yeon-Jae Son is a very pretty girl and I don't sniff at her almost winning Bronze at the Olympics if she hadn't made a mistake in the Clubs event...it shows that she does have the talent and potential to back up her hype. I am rooting for her.

However:
1) I don't see your link to the supposed article you cited earlier in the thread. Please post it...? I am the second person to ask this
2) It does not impress me that Yeon Jae was ranked most marketable last year, when YuNa was inactive. :biggrin:

That's no evidence for "dethroning"; more like the marketing machine looking for someone to fill the void. Well, too bad, so sad, YuNa is back.

3) When Korean stock markets take a dip while fans watch Yeon Jae during a major event, then perhaps we might consider discussing her as being on the same marketable level as YuNa.
4) The magnitude of Yeon Jae's athletic accomplishments is nowhere near YuNa's. Two-time World champion, reigning Olympic medalist, and YuNa's nerves are the kind that make her unlikely to "drop clubs"...and when she makes no mistakes, she isn't competing for Bronze, it's Gold. I would be thrilled if Korea were to have another athlete of YuNa's caliber but I am skeptical that Yeon Jae is it.

sky_fly20 · May 21, 2013

you make it sound like I'm trying to do smear campaign against Yuna :sarcasm:, I prefer Yuna to Son anyday
I was just mentioning Yeon Jae as I've seen many ads of her and media coverage in Korea last year

I was referring to this article: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2012/12/21/7/0702000000AEN20121221003900315F.HTML

prettykeys · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
not its not me who thinks its from an article
and I like Yuna btw

Just link us the article that claims she is the most sought-after athlete in Korea as you claimed.

sky_fly20 · May 21, 2013

prettykeys said:
Just link us the article that claims she is the most sought-after athlete in Korea as you claimed.

I posted the link :rolleye:

prettykeys · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
I posted the link

You posted the link AFTER I asked for the link twice. Good job editing your post.

And once again, it's great that Yeon Jae was voted in during a year where the voting was done before YuNa competed. I don't think you know what "dethroning" means, though.

sky_fly20 · May 21, 2013

prettykeys said:
You posted the link AFTER I asked for the link twice. Good job editing your post.

And once again, it's great that Yeon Jae was voted in during a year where the voting was done before YuNa competed. I don't think you know what "dethroning" means, though.

we'll Yuna is back isn't she ? we'll find out soon
sorry but I didn't saw your second post the quote was edited to as reply to your post #47

prettykeys said:
However:
1) I don't see your link to the supposed article you cited earlier in the thread. Please post it...? I am the second person to ask this

aftertherain · May 21, 2013

prettykeys said:
2) It does not impress me that Yeon Jae was ranked most marketable last year, when YuNa was inactive. That's no evidence for "dethroning"; more like the marketing machine looking for someone to fill the void. Well, too bad, so sad, YuNa is back.

In terms of the marketing machine, yes, Yuna was absolutely "dethroned" for that time period. No one is denying Yuna's accomplishments are vastly superior to those of Yeon Jae. But that survey was conducted in the almost-immediate post-Olympics period when Yeon Jae was arguably still in the public's consciousness. That, and she enjoyed some international attention for being the first Korean to reach the finals of the Individual AA-round of RG and, yes, for her looks as well. At that time, Yuna was still mounting her comeback and hadn't "really" returned yet as her comeback stage was at a "B" event towards the end of that surveying period. As of right now, however, I'd say Yeon Jae is kissing that top slot goodbye for the next two years and probably beyond that.

Also, if anyone is interested, here is the full Individual AA Final of RG at the 2012 Olympics. It's about three hours long; time-consuming, I know, but as someone who doesn't normally watch RG, I watched the whole thing in my spare time without any problems.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y-nyuuqmfVo

Nadia01 · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
we'll Yuna is back isn't she ? we'll find out soon
sorry but I didn't saw your second post the quote was edited to as reply to your post #47

What is there to find out?

You need some survey to know if something's true or not?

Who gets the most money per endorsement deal?

Who is considered #1 in her respective sport?

Yuna is sponsored by some of the top international corporations. She was also with Nike. (I don't remember Son being w/ Nike...)

The companies that grab Son are doing it b/c they cannot grab Yuna. You think LG is happy that their top rival Samsung has Yuna selling their air conditioners?

naan · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
we'll Yuna is back isn't she ? we'll find out soon

Son has so many haters these days, most of her news are full of negative comments, unfortunately. I think Korean people get tired of excessive hype and her agency's nasty, dishonest action. I don't think she will be able to dethrone Yuna. Yuna has been ranked No.1 in many surveys such as "most respected person", "best star", "ideal type", recently, but I can't find Son's name on the lists. Yuna's ice show tickets were sold out in 15 minutes, but Son's gala show tickets sales was awful. Yeonjae is a cutie, but no way she will surpass Yuna in many aspects - athletic accomplishments, general public's admiration, and star power.

prettykeys · May 21, 2013

aftertherain said:
In terms of the marketing machine, yes, Yuna was absolutely "dethroned" for that time period. No one is denying Yuna's accomplishments are vastly superior to those of Yeon Jae. But that survey was conducted in the almost-immediate post-Olympics period when Yeon Jae was arguably still in the public's consciousness. That, and she enjoyed some international attention for being the first Korean to reach the finals of the Individual AA-round of RG and, yes, for her looks as well. At that time, Yuna was still mounting her comeback and hadn't "really" returned yet as her comeback stage was at a "B" event towards the end of that surveying period. As of right now, however, I'd say Yeon Jae is kissing that top slot goodbye for the next two years and probably beyond that.

I bet I sound like the grumpiest pedant in all of Golden Skate, but as of 2012 YuNa Kim had been a retiree / absentee. In my mind, you can't "dethrone" someone who left the spot vacant by choice.

To me it is silly to cite a poll that was conducted from Nov. 15-Dec. 6, 2012, before YuNa had skated in any competitions for the 1.5 years prior (her NRW comeback SP was skated on Dec. 8) and claim that not only had another athlete "dethroned" YuNa, but that she would continue to do so. Hello, we are in May 2013, not Dec. 2012 so the May article is more relevant to now. Ridiculous hype such as that, coupled with a swipe at how "YuNa fans don't like her" (despite all the YuNa fans here saying it's not the girl/athlete they dislike but the hype fueled by her particular agency) is what is grating on me.

And yes, Yeon Jae was riding off the coattails of the 2012 Summer Olympics. I have no idea how her momentum is supposed to overtake YuNa's leading up to the 2014 Winter Olympics. :laugh:

On another note, Rhythmic Gymnastics is one of the most watchable sports for non-fans. It's really beautiful, and it's one where admirers of pointed toes can see real pointed toes!

Edit: I forgot to thank aftertherain for the link...I will put that on my to-watch list.

bara1968 · May 21, 2013

sky_fly20 said:
you make it sound like I'm trying to do smear campaign against Yuna :sarcasm:, I prefer Yuna to Son anyday
I was just mentioning Yeon Jae as I've seen many ads of her and media coverage in Korea last year

I was referring to this article: http://english.yonhapnews.co.kr/culturesports/2012/12/21/7/0702000000AEN20121221003900315F.HTML

I think last year- especially right after the Olympics was Son's peak as a celebrity. Now that she is not showing any improvement nor significant achievement there's nothing to back up her "marketing power" any more. And in terms of popularity, Son has never been really close to Yuna anyway. I admire her but having her as someone who can dethrone Yuna sounds bit.....

I'm actually worried about her loosing polularity, because of all media hype around her, people seem to be really tired of her nowadays..

Oh, by the way, Figure skating was already voted as the most exciting sports in olympics to watch by far margin in major Korean web portal (Daum). Yuna's just becoming more and more popular every single day towards Olympics in Korea. So I bet you don't need to worry about Yuna dethroned by anyone until then. She will hold even bigger name if she wins 2nd Olympics medal.

aftertherain · May 21, 2013

bara1968 said:
I think last year- especially right after the Olympics was Son's peak as a celebrity. Now that she is not showing any improvement nor significant achievement there's nothing to back up her "marketing power" any more.

http://fig2.lx2.sportcentric.com/athletes/14507

Didn't the RG season just start the past March or April? Anyway, looking at her results at the WC these past three years, I'd think that Yeon Jae is making steady progress. 32nd in qualifications at the 2010 Worlds, did not make the final; 14th in qualifications at the 2011 Worlds, 11th in the final; 5th in the qualifications at the 2012 Worlds, 6th in the final. Not everyone can be a Yuna, you know. (Actually, both Yuna and Mao's progressions in the sport from junior to senior level were both remarkable and extraordinary, and certainly not easily duplicated.) If anyone had told Shizuka Arakawa to give up early in her career where she didn't medal at any of her GP events between 1996 and 2002, we wouldn't have had 2004 or 2006.

bara1968 · May 21, 2013

aftertherain said:
http://fig2.lx2.sportcentric.com/athletes/14507

Didn't the RG season just start the past March or April? Anyway, looking at her results at the WC these past three years, I'd think that Yeon Jae is making steady progress. 32nd in qualifications at the 2010 Worlds, did not make the final; 14th in qualifications at the 2011 Worlds, 11th in the final; 5th in the qualifications at the 2012 Worlds, 6th in the final. Not everyone can be a Yuna, you know. (Actually, both Yuna and Mao's progressions in the sport from junior to senior level were both remarkable and extraordinary, and certainly not easily duplicated.) If anyone had told Shizuka Arakawa to give up early in her career where she didn't medal at any of her GP events between 1996 and 2002, we wouldn't have had 2004 or 2006.

Yes she made progress but it was mostly before London Olympics. After she finished 5th at Olympics, the expectation on her became higher given that all top 4 competitors in RG in Olympics retired/or chose to have short leave etc. That is why I said Son did not make 'significant' achievement after Olympics, i.e. She did not achieve things what people expected in this year's competitions so far, which was necessary to keep her own 'marketing power'. I don't have any intention to diminish her. I think she is great in her own way. I was just trying to explain why she would not have same 'marketing power' as last year.

I hope that we can focus more on figure skating related topic from now on. I really don't want to talk about RG here....

Mathman · May 21, 2013

prettykeys said:
I bet I sound like the grumpiest pedant in all of Golden Skate,...

Pul-lease. Bronze at best.

Question: Is the Yeon in Son Yeon-Jai the same as the first syllable in Yuna's name?

Kim Yu-na Ranked Most Marketable Korean Athlete

Olympia

Mathman

cosmos

MiRé

Match Penalty

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

cosmos

prettykeys

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

prettykeys

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

prettykeys

sky_fly20

Match Penalty

aftertherain

Nadia01

naan

prettykeys

bara1968

aftertherain

bara1968

Mathman

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