The contemporary music industry is saturated with endorsement deals, and ad- campaigns, in hope that the artists involved will gain attention from consumers. (N/A, 2024) With the rise of consumerism, musicians have been pushed to operate as commercially constructed brands, shifting focus from the music, to external factors such as digital representation. The music industry has evolved from a “community-centric tradition to a more consumer-driven industry”. The rise of streaming services has increased accessibility, turning music into a commodity, and in a time where loneliness is on the rise, people turn to material possessions to meet their unmet social needs. (Vandergast, 2024) BTS have used this to their advantage, and created an entire universe, allowing fans to connect through relatable storylines, and shared fan theories. Over the last 12 years,BTS have marketed themselves to the top of the global music market. In order to bring K-Pop into the Western music industry, BTS have had to operate as not only a group of performers and musicians, but also as a brand, constructing their public identity through audiovisual and written communication. Branding is essential in distinguishing artists, especially when introducing a foreign act in the Western music market. Over the past few years, HYBE Corporation( formerly known as Big Hit) has focused on expanding their market in the West. BTS have been using audiovisual branding, such as music videos and album visuals, and even their own fandom colour purple. The colour is integral to BTS’ brand identity, symbolising the phrase “I Purple You” (Borahae) coined by member Kim Taehyung. BTS have developed a successful brand identity through their ability to transcend conventional musician branding and establish connection with fans. BTS’s success is heavily impacted by their strategic brand management. BTS represent how successful branding can distinguish a group from the masses and turn into a global phenomenon. The South Korean music industry thrives off of the unattainable image of idols, rooted in perfection and distance. Idols are selected to be the perfect representation of South Korean beauty standards, and idol-image is immensely important in preserving their status and popularity. (Park,2029)
A sociological survey of over 400,000 BTS fans was taken between July and September 2020. Over half of the fans that took part (50.31%) were under 18, and those ages 18-29 totalled 42.59%, with fans in their 30s totalling 4.24% and over 40s only 2.02%. 86.34% of fans identified as femalel, while only 11.3% were male, and 2,962 participants identified as non-binary. (Tizzard 2021) It is no wonder that most BTS fans are under 30 and female, as their music addresses themes of self-doubt, identity formation, mental health, and resilience. These ideas are also extended in their public messaging, with members often speaking out about taking care of each other and ourselves. These narratives resonate with adolescents and young adults, creating a sense of validation and personal connection.
Brand equity is the theory that the value a brand holds in the consumer’s minds is a direct result of emotional association and attitudes that influence a consumer’s willingness to pay for the product. (Allen 2024) This theory applies to BTS as a brand, as they need to maintain a positive association in their fans minds, in order to maintain a loyal fanbase that will support new releases, tours, and buy merchandise. Customer-based brand equity is psychological, as it is rooted in perception rather than profit. Keller, K. (2013) Strategic Brand Management:Building, Measuring, and Managing Brand Equity. Harlow: Pearson Education. Keller’s brand equity model proposes four hierarchical levels through which consumers develop relationships with brands. Salience, imagery and performance, judgements and feelings, and resonance. These levels can be used to examine BTS’ success beyond conventional metrics such as streams and album sales. Brand salience focuses on how easily a brand is recognised in various consumption contexts.
BTS has a strong global salience through their presence across streaming platforms, social media, and media coverage. One of these platforms being Weverse, a Korean mobile app and web platform launched in 2019 by HYBE Corporation. The platform was designed to give fans exclusive media access, and to communicate with artists, creating a digital eco system where the BTS brand is highlighted by combing content and communication in one platform, Weverse allows fans to keep up with content, new music announcements, and livestreams easily. BTS will often make posts asking fans questions and reply to comments, and will often go live on the app. (Irises,2023) The platform was designed with super-fans in mind, as they have become essential to the development of the music industry. Fans are able to purchase a $24-per-year membership, which offers exclusive content, artist uploads, and even pre-sale access to concert tickets. Since its launch in 2019, the platform has grown alongside HYBE Corporation and now has 162 artist communities, including Western artists as a result of HYBE being Scooter Braun’s management company, Ithaca Holdings. Weverse Live hosted nearly 5,800 broadcasts, reaching 11.3 million viewers, with the most viewed live stream being from BTS member Jung Kook, reaching 23 million views. (Marshall,2025) Keller emphasises that familiarity is a primary factor of psychological attachment, and BTS’ constant presence across multiple platforms for over a decade, even when members were enlisted to do their mandatory military service, reinforces brand salience. The K-Pop industry monopolises on parasocial relationships between fans and idols. “The parasocial relationship, typically defined as a one-sided relationship where one party expends an overt amount of time, emotional energy and even money on another figure they find fascinating, but who doesn’t know they exist.” (Tan 2023) Regular exposure to behind-the-scenes posts of the BTS members enables the fans ability to perceive the members as approachable and relatable, increasing familiarity, and therefore increasing the salience of BTS, making it easier for fans to develop a psychological attachment to the group.
Alongside the colour purple, BTS’ logo allows for visual consistency across promotional materials, merchandise and album artwork. BTS have had four different logos since their debut in 2013. The first being a visual reflection of their name, “Bangtan Sonyeodan” which translates to “ Bulletproof Boy Scouts”. “The logo was designed to promote their first album “2 Kool 4 Skool”. Designed to look like a bulletproof vest with the acronym “BTS” displayed in bold across the chest.” (Emily, 2024) The logo was changed in 2016 to match the album (WINGS) that was being released at the time, and then changed again in 2017. The current BTS logo was also created in 2017, being two mirrored trapezoids side by side with BTS underneath. This design is far more simplistic compared to previous logos, but was a strategic marketing move, as its redesign was launched shortly after BTS won their first Daesang (Grand Prize). The logo resembles an open set of doors, and is the visual opposite of the fandom (ARMY) logo, with it being two trapezoids mirrored. The imagery further emphasises high brand memorability. (Emily,2024) Not only does this make brand memorability easier, but it also ties into the second part of Keller’s Brand Equity theory hierarchy; Brand Performance and Imagery. Performance in this case is how effectively BTS as a product meet their functional expectations, them being how well they perform and how successful the music releases are. Imagery relates to symbolic meaning attached to consumption, in this case the meaning of their work. Keller, 2013) BTS’ music explores themes of self- growth, identity crisis, and questioning authority, which resonates strongly with their adolescent and young adult audiences. (Sarkar 2023) BTS extend these themes into the visual aspects of their music, by using music videos as emotional narratives rather than aesthetic showcases. BTS utilises visual motifs such as water, mirrors, fire, and empty spaces to reflect vulnerability and internal struggle, alongside certain music videos being connected through storylines. Barthes suggests that visual branding communicates meaning not explicitly, but through connotation, which is what makes BTS’ music videos successful. (Barthes ,1977) They allow fans to come together and discuss theories, meaning, and different interpretations. As a result, this positions fans as participants in meaning-making, rather than passive consumers, which reinforces symbolic attachment.
The third level of Keller’s model focuses on consumer judgements, and how their feelings shape emotional attachment and perceived value.With the rise of the ‘influencer’, authenticity has become an integral part in celebrity branding. BTS’ willingness to disclose personal struggles in interviews and performances enhances perceived honesty and deepens emotional credibility. There have been many tour documentaries filmed, where members share the reality of touring, and members will often go live after a concert has finished to speak to fans. Throughout their career, BTS have constantly expressed the importance of their fans to them.
The AIDA model allows us to understand how brands capture and maintain consumer engagement. It has four components, Attention, Interest, Desire and Action. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010) Attention, the first stage, focuses on attracting the consumer’s interest in a saturated market. BTS achieve this through establishing their own unique identity through branding. Their music videos feature high-production visuals, storytelling, and repeated motifs, which makes it easy to differentiate their work from their competitors. Throughout their career, although the logo has changed, they have been able to maintain a cohesive image, making them easy to remember. Their logo, consistent colour palette, and thematic album artwork strengthens their brand image, allowing fans to identify BTS content instantly. Once attention is gained, brands must create interest through meaningful connections. (Kotler & Armstrong, 2010) BTS do this by focusing on relatability, and maintaining common lyrical themes in their music. What makes BTS so successful is that they extend this beyond their music, constantly sharing behind-the-scenes content and personal reflections. This not only maintains interest, but also builds parasocial relationships, which depends on fans’ self-perceived connections to the artists, despite the lack of reciprocal interaction. (Stever, 2009) The third stage of Kotler and Armstrong’s AIDA model is desire, which involves persuading the audience to develop a preference for the brand. BTS’ branding heavily relies on emphasising identity and social belonging. Fans experience symbolic gratification from relating to BTS’ messages of self-empowerment. Again, the brand plays on the parasocial relationships built, in order to maintain a loyal fanbase. This is then further instilled in the fans’ minds through giving them access to special merchandise, VIP concert experiences, and digital events, BTS’ brand focuses on not only being a group of musicians, but also as an enabler of emotional support and motivation. (Kezz,2020) The last part of the AIDA model is action, which converts desire into engagement, such as purchasing merchandise and attending live shows. Competitive performativity among fans makes engagement simpler when there is already an established fanbase. Competitive performativity is ”where fans of certain idol groups engage in activities online and offline that put them on the offensive and/or defensive role specifically in regards to their idols’ and fandoms’ image and success.” (Tinaliga, 2018) This motivates fans to not only support BTS out of personal enjoyment, but to help BTS outperform rivals in global charts, award shows, and streaming metrics. This competitiveness encourages fans to actively promote and stream BTS creating a sense of community within the fandom.
BTS demonstrates how a musical brand can successfully use marketing theories to achieve global success. Through the Brand Equity theory, and the AIDA model, the group has managed to create a strong brand identity, and loyal fanbase. BTS ‘position in the music industry reflects a combination of authenticity, community-driven engagement, and successful marketing strategies. Their strategy incorporates psychological attachment, fan engagement, and deliberate branding, illustrating how a musical brand can achieve both commercial success and enduring fan loyalty, without hindering their authenticity as artists in a highly competitive, over-saturated industry.
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