From B2C to B2F and from consumers to producers : how a fan-centric ecosystem and business model in the digital era can drive new forms of fan engagement, communities and dynamics. - Case study of the South Korean boyband powerhouse BTS, its label Big Hit’s business model and its mobilized fandom ARMY on Twitter.

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Volume Title

School of Business | Master's thesis

Authors

Date

2022

Department

Markkinoinnin laitos

Major/Subject

Mcode

Degree programme

Global Management

Language

en

Pages

184

Series

Abstract

When talking about Kpop there is a high chance that you first think about PSY, and his music hit “Gangnam Style”. Nowadays, it is also very likely that you might have heard of the Korean boyband BTS, and their fandom called “ARMY”. Indeed, in recent years, the band's popularity and influence became such that it transcended well beyond their native country borders to reach the international sphere, and this, not only on the musical scene. Similarly, their fandom draws attention by how huge and mobilized it is, gathering fans from all over the world in order to work towards a common goal: supporting BTS. There are many fandoms out there and fan culture is not a new phenomenon, yet I have witnessed behaviours and an impact never seen before with ARMY, that I could not find in existing studies on fandom culture. Literature covering and observing fans in a more modern environment such as on social media is still sparse. Plus, many studies usually depict fan culture as either something negative, passive or traditionally consumerist. The aim of this thesis is thus to investigate a bit more closely the Kpop band BTS, their fandom ARMY and the entertainment company behind this, Big Hit, in order to understand how creating such a powerful and active fan culture was made possible and to highlight that they can be more to fandoms that what is currently presented in academia. By conducting a netnography and by leveraging my position as an aca-fan, I was able to observe through the years the evolving business model of Big Hit Entertainment, the band’s growing success and the fandom’s daily life as a community on their most active gathering platform: Twitter. The findings showcase that a well-crafted business model and ecosystem centered around the fans (and not simply consumers) which position those same fans as producers/co-creators (and not simply participants) could create a virtuous circle enhancing psychological intimacy and loyalty, thus generating exponential growth and success. What I call the “business to fans” (B2F, as opposed to B2C) strategy leads to new types of fan engagements and fan dynamics where fandom is not an “after-thought” and is not simply consumerist anymore. Thus, the BTS & ARMY case study can have great implications and set new standards for the future of fandoms. Moreover, the B2F strategy when correctly developed and applied could be leveraged by any businesses that want to create growth and a devoted community.

Description

Thesis advisor

Bhatnagar, Kushagra

Keywords

fandom, fan culture, fan marketing, consumption communities, consumer loyalty, psychological intimacy, fan engagement, consumer-producer dichotomy

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Citation

Permanent link to this item

https://urn.fi/URN:NBN:fi:aalto-202211206515

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[gradu] Kauppakorkeakoulu / BIZ