"When Kim Min-seok gave the go-ahead in June 2016 to publish a 90-second clip of a children's song, he had no idea what he was unleashing. It became a global phenomenon, clocking up more than 16 billion views - YouTube's most watched video ever. That song was the incredibly catchy Baby Shark. Not only has it captivated toddlers and terrorised adults around the world, it laid the foundations for its creator Pinkfong to become a media business worth hundreds of millions of dollars."
"Founded in 2010 as SmartStudy, the firm made digital content for children up to 12 years of age. It had just three employees, including Mr Kim and the firm's chief technology officer, Dongwoo Son. "The office was tiny - even smaller than this," recalled Mr Kim, gesturing to the conference room he was calling from. It was so small "we didn't even expect a salary at the time", he said through a translator."
A 90-second clip of Baby Shark released in June 2016 amassed more than 16 billion views and became YouTube's most watched video. The viral song propelled Pinkfong into a global children's media business with a valuation exceeding $400m after its South Korean stock market debut. The company began in 2010 as SmartStudy with three employees and later rebranded to Pinkfong while shifting focus to toddlers and learning-based games. Growth included expansion to about 340 employees and offices in Tokyo, Shanghai and Los Angeles. Baby Shark traces origins to US summer camps in the 1970s.
Read at www.bbc.com
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