Fan-Centric Marketing: How K-Pop Taps into Devotion to Drive its Commercial Success
Korean pop music, more commonly referred to as ‘K-Pop’, has seen exponential growth in popularity due to its vibrant performances, catchy music and devoted fan base. At the centre of K-Pop and figurehead for marketing, Li (2022) refers to K-Pop performers as ‘human brands’, which refers to the persona which is used for marketing communication. The K-Pop ecosystem for promotion, despite being in a market without much differentiation between promotion styles, products and performers and the cultivation of a relationship between idols and fans is capitalised on to ultimately sell group merchandise. Therefore, this article will explore how the K-Pop industry utilises brand distinction, content creation and consumer engagement to engage consumers and sell their products.
KoreaTravelEasy, 2019 (K-Pop idols at an awards show)
Brand Distinction
The K-Pop industry is bound by a cookie-cutter template on norms for promotion and product. For instance, as per Korea’s strict standards of beauty, idols have a standardised look to promote interest and avoid scrutiny by online netizens. Each group has similar characteristics of promotion, whereby they promote new songs by performing on the same shows and platforms and releasing the same kind of merchandise. Most groups do not make their own music, leaving little room for creativity outside of acting as a figurehead for the concepts and activities provided to them. As a result of this uniformity, companies rely on brand distinction to quickly differentiate themselves whilst setting expectations for a consistent brand identity. This is mainly done by creating a certain kind of strict brand identity, also known as a ‘concept’, which entails the type of music released, fashion and merchandise design. Through consumer brand identity, This concept is typically connected to the overall brand identity of its company in which a fan can identify—such as ‘sound’ in music or a specific style—building on pre-existing consumer expectations and loyalty to a familiar brand. Therefore, in a market where its products or ‘groups’ are so similar, the industry streamlines the consumer’s understanding of brand identity by setting expectations for a consistent, easily digestible and identifiable brand identity that they can identify with and support in society (Shams et al., 2024).
Building Interest: The Fight to Be On Your Screen
Koreaboo, 2024 (K-Pop dance challenges on TikTok)
Once their brand identity is established, companies capture the attention of consumers by building interest and consolidating their brand identity through the constant release of controlled content and music that fans can engage with. Unlike most Western pop artists, K-Pop groups churn out several albums a year in order to stay relevant and utilise their weeks of promotion. Constant content through TV show-style videos on YouTube, short-form content on apps like TikTok and pictures on Instagram create a steady stream of brand awareness that is accessible everywhere at any time. The social aspect of social media could affirm or influence consumer opinion of a brand as trust in a brand grows if another consumer gives a positive review of said brand (Nielsen, 2012; as cited in Shams et al., 2024). This can be seen in various fan-made content which affirms positive reviews of the brand, such as video compilations, which reinforce brand trust and loyalty. Content is controlled to show a polished image that reinforces brand identity through idols’ given personalities. For example, idols may be given a ‘persona’ by either the company or fans which dictates their actions, often in relation to a certain personality trait (Wang, 2023). This clearly distinguishes the brand of an idol as it gives them the incentive to continue these traits, making them more identifiable for consumers to quickly capture interest for brand choice (Schiavone et al., 2021; as cited in Shams et al., 2024). As the idol is the brand and centre for marketing communication, increased popularity means increased brand awareness for continued sales of merchandise and concerts.
Cultivating Consumer Loyalty
Kpop Concerts, 2018 (K-Pop Fanmeeting)
K-Pop culture is heavily dependent on fan-idol interactions where fans personally contribute to the success of their chosen groups. Once fans become acquainted enough with a group, companies capitalise on consumer loyalty by creating a sense of responsibility for the success of the group they support. This is mainly because of two factors: relationship building through the reciprocation of devotion between and the system of how a group can gain popularity and success. Consumer loyalty is built by fan-idol interaction through omnichannel communication. This includes online livestreams, calls and messaging through apps like Weverse or Bubble, or offline events like fan meetings where fans line up for a few minutes with their idols. In comparison to the more well-known parasocial relationship, characterised as a one-sided connection with a media performer, a ‘one-and-a-half sided’ relationship forms where performers engage back, creating reciprocal interaction (Dibble et al., 2016; as cited in Kowert & Daniel, 2021). This is furthered by Roh’s (2024) findings that suggest that this participatory culture and active response of inviting fans to engage with them creates a feeling of close connection. Furthermore, the system of success is built through receiving awards for the most streams on music, most music video views and album sales all of which relies on fan contribution. In this way, fuelled by devotion to the groups, fans are willing to show their devotion by buying lots of albums and streaming content, as outlined by Li (2022) where the brand value of celebrities is positively correlated with the consumption behaviour of fans. Thus, a cycle is built—fans have a relationship with the idol and thus feel compelled to show their devotion by aiding them monetarily and therefore become personally responsible for the success of their idols, expecting even more reciprocation from the idol.
Overall, the K-Pop industry creates a specific brand identity by making easily identifiable content for fans to connect with through concepts and personas communicated through online channels. A reciprocal relationship forms through fan-idol interaction, prompting fans to buy various merchandise to support the brand. Other brands can take note of the way that brand identity is constructed in such a digestible, short-form way to be received in such a short space of time.
Bibliography
Kowert, R., & Daniel, E. (2021). The one-and-a-half sided parasocial relationship: The curious case of live streaming. Computers in Human Behavior Reports, 4, 100150. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chbr.2021.100150
Li, Y. (2022). Exploring the Branding of Korean Entertainment Industry from Human Brand and Brand Loyalty. Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research/Advances in Social Science, Education and Humanities Research. https://doi.org/10.2991/assehr.k.220504.337
Roh, Y. C. (2024). Fan culture, technology, and the parasocial: How the K-Pop industry advances relations between celebrities and fans. DG. https://repository.digital.georgetown.edu/handle/10822/1088588
Shams, R., Chatterjee, S., & Chaudhuri, R. (2024). Developing brand identity and sales strategy in the digital era: Moderating role of consumer belief in brand. Journal of Business Research, 179, 114689. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jbusres.2024.114689
Wang, Z. (2023). The construction and influence of celebrity personas. Journal of Education Humanities and Social Sciences, 19, 235–239. https://doi.org/10.54097/ehss.v19i.11040
Images
https://www.koreaboo.com/news/dance-challenges-become-major-component-kpop/
https://www.koreatraveleasy.com/product/seoul-music-awards-ticket-k-pop/