DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and do not reflect the views held by the entirety of PAKSA MNL and fellow MNLoves.
In times of the pandemic where mass gatherings are banned and entertainment-based live events like concerts are out of the picture, Hallo Hallo Entertainment are looking for means to keep MNL48’s financial cogs working. As of now, they are relying on the sales from the online selling of singles and merchandise.
But this alone won’t save their skins financially. Rather this is nothing but a band-aid solution that is losing its adhesive. They need a long term one.
As of this writing, MNL48 has still no alternatives for their Live Theater Stages and instead, they let themselves, including the members and its staff, into a standstill. AKB48 and their sister groups are now slowly restarting their Theater Stages Lives and other live events through the help of livestreaming and providing Live On Demand services.
HHE should have planned to do the same from the get go, esp. the majority of their revenues came from MNL48. I mentioned in one of my previous columns that should do something similar with AKB48’s previous project, OUC48. They have the resources needed, such as their social media accounts, Zoom, and Kumu, to do it.
They also should think of continuing or restarting their own Theater Stage Lives. Their MNL1 - Party ga Hajimaru yo needs to keep going despite of the pandemic. Even if their theater remained closed, they had their Movie Stars Cafe. Since majority of their live events are held there, they should also use it. Aside from that, they also need to focus on grabbing the opportunity to provide livestreaming and Live on Demand for their audience. They are willing to pay for it. Of course, they need to observe health and safety standards. A skeletal force for their staff and a limited number of members performing is enough to make it running.
The management should know the impact the pandemic made both to their company and the idol group, esp. in financial terms, and instead on relying too much on the sales coming from their singles and merchandise, which is marred with problems like delays in their deliveries and providing the least number of alternatives for payment.
Indeed, complacency is the worst enemy of MNL48 in this time of the pandemic and not just the antis. If the management will not think of something and do something to save them from a potential financial ruin instead of relying to a single solution, the future of the group will become uncertain in the long run. They need to think outside of the box.
Do not let the pandemic become an excuse. It is important to be safe in this tough times, but remember that you need to keep the money wheel for MNL48 turning.
“Kung gusto, may paraan. Kung ayaw, may dahilan.”
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There are many cases of the higher ups from HHE practicing their complacency and relying too much on either one financial source or MNL48’s fans’ generated hype for a single.
Because of this, they are not become proactive and wanted to rely on them rather thinking and doing something that is out of their working habit. They always go for the compliance. Lagi silang umaasa sa “pwede na” imbes sa “may idadagdag/ibabawas pa.”
Take the idol group’s 5th single, High Tension, for example. It was over hyped to the point that the management lost their focus on the others. One of which is the packaging for the single. It’s layout was poorly made and they relied on Copy+Paste for the picture too much, they become almost blurred in the included Mini Photobook.
Things such as these should have second thoughts and reconsideration before releasing it for public consumption.
Their packaging for 365 Araw ng Eroplanong Papel was so decent despite some of the fans criticizing the background used to be generic. Why stop there?
I am hoping that the 6th Single, RIVER, will not go to the same treatment. The fans are hyping for this and they put on everything to welcome the group’s new single. Now, the ball is on the higher up’s court. Do not settle for less. Do not rely on your limitations. You have the proper resources. Use them!
Stay safe and have fun.
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