Future cities and self-organising value chains: the case of the independent music community in Seoul

Abstract

Purpose – This article aims to explore the arguments that citizens of future cities will increasingly live in virtual communities as well as bricks and mortar ones, and that some previously physical supply chains will become virtual networks or communities. In examining these arguments, the article investigates the development of the independent music community in Seoul, South Korea. Design/methodology/approach – The research is based on a qualitative case study of music fans and independent record labels in Seoul. Findings – The article shows that independent music fans in Seoul have built a self-organising, fan-dominated, value co-creating community, which has replaced the old, music label-dominated, hierarchical supply chain. The community arose from the passion of fans and their engagement with social media, rather the intentions of city planners and supply-chain architects. Originality/value – The article shows that Seoul may be an exemplar of how future cities can and will develop, particularly in terms of the ability of people to use social media to develop and run their own virtual spaces and communities, which are tailored to the way they want to live their lives.

Value Co-Creation Through Social Media: A Case Study of a Start-Up Company

“…Small firms often perceive social media as supplementary marketing, and do not know how to measure its performance (Atanassova & Clark, 2015). Specifically, small firms lack significant financial resources compared to larger firms (Burnes & Choi, 2015). Notably, start-ups use a distinct form of value co-creation (Kohli & Grover, 2008;Ceccagnoli, Forman, Huang, & Wu, 2011), which can be instrumental in creating a product or a service (Kohli & Grover, 2008).…”

“…Social media and the Internet can be an important medium for small companies or startups, as it can allow them to showcase their brands to future consumers (Burnes & Choi, 2015). However, start-ups must ensure that their marketers understand the core users of each medium and its characteristics to best utilize diverse social media platforms.…”

Bonding and spreading

“…More specifically, they typically do not have the staff, expertise or financial resources necessary to exploit social media effectively (Burnes and Choi, 2015). This limits the ability of SMEs to generates new resources and information from social media that can be used to develop their businesses (Chen et al, 2012;Marion et al, 2016).…”

“…Such technological and behavioural changes have transformed the ways in which the recording industry organises the diverse aspects of the music business, along with how its management operates the supply chain and marketing (Burnes and Choi, 2015;Graham et al, 2004;Jones, 2002;Leyshon et al, 2005). In particular, waves of new technology have altered the industry's relationships with music audiences as well as their roles.…”

“…Among other industries, the recording industry has experienced a fundamental shift in its business practices, largely in response to the rise of the internet, which has changed the production and consumption of popular music. Such technological and behavioural changes have transformed the ways in which the recording industry organises the diverse aspects of the music business, along with how its management operates the supply chain and marketing (Burnes and Choi, 2015; Graham et al , 2004; Jones, 2002; Leyshon et al , 2005). In particular, waves of new technology have altered the industry’s relationships with music audiences as well as their roles.…”