Marketing With K-Pop Stars Needs Its Own Playbook
“That term ‘worldwide handsome’ is something only BTS fans understand—because that’s Jin’s nickname,” Nam said. “It’s that one extra level of investment to do that kind of research to understand the fans.”
A generation ago, few American brands would have made such an effort. Korean pop music was mostly popular in Korea until Park Jae-sang—better known as Psy—burst onto YouTube in 2012 with “Gangnam Style.” K-pop went supernova.
And it hasn’t stopped. According to data from the Korea Foundation and Ministry of Foreign Affairs, there are 225 million K-pop fans worldwide—a 25-fold increase from 2012. In America, music analytics firm Chartmetric reports that 15% of the population identifies as K-pop superfans. K-pop buffs tend to be young (most are 18-24, according to entertainment data firm Luminate) and 67% of them say they’re motivated to spend money to “show support” for their favorite acts.
Last year, American Express teamed up with girl group Blackpink for a pop-up shop in New York City. “Millennials and Gen Z are our fastest growing customer segment,” Amex’s VP of global brand sponsorships Shiz Suzuki told ADWEEK, “so we want to be where they are and provide them access and experiences to the artists they love.”
American Express joins a who’s who of blue-chip consumer brands including McDonald’s, Coca-Cola, L’Oréal, and Levi’s that have inked endorsement deals with K-pop artists over the last three years. (None of these companies responded to ADWEEK’s request for an interview.)
But for all of K-pop’s obvious benefits, a corresponding set of challenges, complications, and hazards lurks just behind the stage curtain.
“There are so many nuances culturally—even just the language barrier,” Nam said. “It’s really tough for brands outside of Korea to navigate the landscape. It’s very convoluted.”
Big stars, different rules
The edgy marketing that a company might do with a Hollywood celebrity won’t fly when it comes to K-pop, Nam said. Brands should be prepared to “respect Korean values and traditions.”
Take wardrobe, for example. While you will almost always see K-pop talent sporting flashy—and often designer—apparel, you’ll also see more clothing than flesh.
