What is it about?
This research explores how the explosive popularity of K-pop in Indonesia, particularly among the NCT Dream fandom, shapes consumer behavior. We focused on a real-world collaboration between the healthy instant noodle brand Lemonilo and K-Pop group NCT Dream. Using data from over 1,000 Indonesian fans, we analyzed how fan identity, emotional and behavioral engagement, and attitudes toward brand and celebrity influenced purchase intentions. Surprisingly, it wasn’t the brand image that predicted purchases—it was fans' attitudes toward the celebrity that truly drove buying behavior.
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Photo by Melissa Askew on Unsplash
Why is it important?
K-Pop isn’t just music—it’s a social movement. Our study reveals how fandoms act as communities that influence each other’s behavior, with fan-to-fan connections (customer-to-customer identification) and community belonging (customer-to-community identification) playing critical roles. The findings offer valuable guidance to marketers: to sell to fandoms, tap into their emotional ties and social bonds—don’t just advertise the product. This is especially vital for Southeast Asian markets where the Hallyu wave reshapes consumer culture.
Perspectives
I co-authored this paper with my undergraduate student Raffi Fairuza Tertiano. We obtained respondents beyond the expected original sample, due to a viral call for respondents campaign utilizing the Fandom communities.
Assist. Prof. Imam Salehudin
Universitas Indonesia
Read the Original
This page is a summary of: Fandom Power: Examining Customer Engagement, Attitudes, and Purchase Intentions in K-Pop Fandom-Brand Collaborations, ASEAN Marketing Journal, June 2023, Universitas Indonesia, Directorate of Research and Public Service,
DOI: 10.7454/amj.v15i1.1208.
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