Little Tigers. [Photo provided to China Daily]

More than clones

Zhu says she is keen to create stars with something special rather than just South Korean Japanese pop star clones. This month her company plans to open a school occupying four floors of an office building in Tianjin that will recruit young people who hope to become pop idols.

One of the hardest tasks in creating a pop group is coming up with something that is highly distinctive and in which the members themselves have highly individual styles, thus setting the group apart from other pop acts.

"Content is crucial. We will design courses tailor made to each student. Some will be good singers and other good dancers. If you want to attract fans you have to make maximum use of your own specialty."

Any young person keen on an acting or musical career used to have to go through a talent agency or had to find somehow impressed enough with them to want to record their music or to get them to stage professional performances, she says, but now, by virtue of the internet and social media, they can attain overnight fame simply by posting a video online.

Besides looking for newcomers to the scene, Zhu is also interested in young performers who already have a fan base online.

"With a fan base and us giving them training they are highly likely to strike success in the market. For attractive young men and women the idea of being in a pop group can seem highly glamorous, but it involves extremely hard work, and you really need to enjoy what you are doing. Yes, you may look fabulous on stage, but behind the scenes you have to go through a heck of a lot physically and mentally."