Why I Like Rainbow
There are a lot of musicians in the Asian pop scene right now, and also a lot of girl groups. I didn't jump into the fandom because of loyalty to DSP Media, in fact I didn't even notice Rainbow for the longest time. Rainbow finally caught my attention when they debuted in Japan, because they did everything right.
Japan is the second largest music market in the world; South Korea pales in comparison. Thus, many Korean music agencies eagerly sent over wave after wave of artists, trying to take a piece of the profit pie. Most of the crossover attempts were, and still are, half-hearted endeavors that rely on the Hallyu trend. Rainbow, on the other hand, did things to convey an earnest effort at entering the J-pop industry. Let's look at their tactics.
Overseas Expansion
→ Master the language in both song and conversation.
What others do poorly: They rush into Japan and never really learn how to properly pronounce the language. To cover up, they fill with their songs with English (which makes incompetency very obvious) or they incorporate Korean words into the chorus (which is silly because Korean is an obscure language compared to English - most Japanese people won't understand the Korean lyrics). If they do learn how to pronounce words properly, they can't sing naturally. Their technically "perfect" Japanese ends up sounding like a robot playing syllables and fans can't understand them.
What Rainbow did well: They learned Japanese, plain and simple. Their translated songs sound great because the girls are able to sing in a natural manner. It's not just that the music composition translates well, it's the skill of the vocalist. Their fluency shows in interviews too. While most crossover groups have one or two key representatives speak, as the rest of the group sits in the back dumbfounded, Rainbow has everyone respond to questions. It's clear that they are attentive and focused, not just putting out fake laughter.
→ Promote diversely... and stay there.
What others do poorly: They make their Japanese debut, show up for a showcase, and then they're back in Korea within one week to promote their next Korean single. They're thinking quantity over quality, and that's the problem. It's better to take your time and do something right than to rush through many things and have your efforts wasted.
What Rainbow did well: They disappeared from the spotlight for months before making their Japanese debut. Furthermore, after making their debut, they stayed out of the Kpop spotlight still, focusing only on their next Japanese release, instead of trying to squeeze in another Korean single. During this time, they also appeared on a variety of tv shows, spaced out evenly: music performances, fan handshake meetings, and "bravery game" variety shows.
→ Market yourself considerately.
What others do poorly: They come into Japan with their army of all equally beautiful individuals, and expect fans to distinguish and like them. It's too confusing. Japanese fans have a plethora of recognizable, local artists to fawn over. The diehard Kpop fans will put in effort to learn faces; the average consumer won't want to work for it.
What Rainbow did well: Rainbow utilized a motif - their colors. They emphasized their colors with every introduction and had their colors flash behind them with every appearance in the "A" music video. This is smart advertising. It's being considerate to fans by acknowledging that it's hard to recognize members in a big group, and doing their part to help.
→ Understand the pop culture.
What others do poorly: They stereotyped their audience as fanatics of ultra cute style. As a result, many girl groups try to act overly hyper and "cute". This is an inaccurate generalization. Japan's music scene does have some strong idol contenders. But the market is also dominated by fierce visual kei bands like Luna Sea, casual bands like Do As Infinity, bohemian ballad singers like YUI, and stylish divas like Ayumi and Koda Kumi.
What Rainbow did well: Rainbow still does exude cuteness, but they do it in relative moderation. Their consumer base consists of many wota, so they put out enough sweet behavior to appear cute, but they refrain from ridiculous faces and high pitched voices. Additionally, they seem to be up to date on a basic knowledge of culture, so that they can talk about food, actresses, singers, etc. They also adjusted their fashion to reflect current trends in Japan.