- b.stage has unveiled the “2024 Fandom Trends Report,” featuring data-driven insights on trends in the fandom business space.
- b.stage’s global reach has extended to fans in 224 countries around the world, including major markets like the US, Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, Mexico, and beyond.
- Key factors for successful fandom business development include global reach, membership programs, branding strategies, reward programs, and fan engagement.
SEOUL, Korea - February 22, 2024 - "Happier fans, stronger business. Global fandom grows with b.stage." b.stage, a fandom business total solution, revealed today how digital transformation—merging content IPs with IT technology—is propelling the world into the era of fandom technology, or “fandom tech.” Detailing key market insights in the newly released “2024 Fandom Trends Report,” b.stage emphasizes how this new era of fandom tech is breaking down barriers of space and time to unite global fans and amplify their impact.
b.stage’s “2024 Fandom Trends Report” includes an introduction to the latest trends in K-POP, entertainment, and esports, alongside significant insights into the fandom business. It also features data offering an in-depth look into the expanding universe of fandom, including comprehensive global country statistics and analysis of cumulative page views.
According to b.stage, 2023 witnessed an impressive global engagement, with fans from 224 countries accessing fan community platforms created using the solution. Notably, over 155 countries engaged with various fandom-related products, including merchandise and digital services offered by b.stage. An outstanding 98% of fans who joined b.stage remained active, revisiting the platform at least once. The United States, South Korea, Japan, Saudi Arabia, and Mexico topped the list of countries with the highest engagement, showcasing b.stage's extensive global reach. Additionally, fans from Indonesia, the Philippines, France, Brazil, among others, accessed the platform, indicating its widespread use across Asia, North and South America, and Europe. This diverse engagement underscores how fandoms across different sectors, from K-POP to esports, creators, and brands, are coming together on b.stage to strengthen their influence and connections with each other, blurring the traditional boundaries of the fandom marketplace.
Global fandoms connect through community and share experiences with each other
While artists and fandoms use b.stage for a variety of purposes, the most important use case is communication. Artists not only update their global fandom about their professional activities but also share glimpses of their daily lives, enhancing the connection with a personal touch. This interaction includes writing star stories (67.4%), leaving comments (18%), and reacting to posts (12.1%). Fandom is also a key way for fans to connect with artists, with nearly half of the users (50%) leveraging communities to interact directly with artists and share concert reviews among each other. Other popular forms of interaction include reacting to content (41.6%) and commenting (8.5%).
Artists such as H1-KEY, UKISS, and Melomance are leveraging b.stage to foster meaningful connections with their global fandoms. H1-KEY celebrates their second debut anniversary by actively engaging in comment parties on b.stage's Community boards, creating a direct line of communication with fans. UKISS has established a new fandom hub on b.stage to reconnect with international fans, with the group members making daily visits to the platform to engage and reciprocate their fans' affection. Similarly, Melomance enhances fan interaction by sharing performance reviews and updates through the Star Story and Community features, offering fans insider perspectives and strengthening their bond with the audience.
K-POP artists are actively using b.stage to target global fans even before debut
According to the report, K-POP artists are strategically using b.stage to connect with global fans even before their official debuts, aiming for an international presence from the outset. This approach is in response to fans' eagerness to support K-POP artists pre-debut and play a role in their global success, facilitating private spaces for interaction. As a result, b.stage has become a go-to platform for emerging K-POP groups like TIOT, POW, YOUNG POSSE, ONE PACT, NXD, ALL(H)OURS, NOMAD, Gyubin, and others, helping them to establish global fandoms ahead of their debuts.
The IT solutions provided by b.stage allow artists and fans to connect for real-time two-way communication anywhere in the world, further encouraging fandom growth. Features like Live Chat and Private Messages on b.stage enable artists and fans to interact closely without the barriers of time and place. For example, the multinational rookie girl group X:IN engages with fans from countries like Russia and India via 1:1 TALK in b.stage POP, a feature designed for real-time fan interactions. Similarly, global pop sensation Jamie Miller has created a global fan “playground” on b.stage, directly connecting with fans through Live Chat, demonstrating the platform's effectiveness in building and nurturing global fan communities.
Innovative strategies like rewards and memberships are expected to increase fan satisfaction
Artists, creators, esports organizations, and other brands are trying out innovative ways of increasing fan satisfaction.
Chungha, Han Seungwoo, and ALL(H)OURS engaged global fans by hosting an "Official Fandom Name Contest" via b.stage's Survey feature, offering fans a unique opportunity to influence their favorite artist's fandom name. Similarly, programs like JTBC's "Phantom Singer 4," "Veiled Musician" by Wavve, and the Filipino audition show "Dream Maker" used b.stage polls to conduct the final voting, provide support, and gauge popularity, empowering fans to actively partake in the star-making process and enjoy the thrill of participation. "Surveys" further increased fan engagement by allowing fans to participate in important decisions between artists and fans.
An emerging trend is to reward fans for participating in various events with digital rewards such as badges, emblems, and photo cards. The popular podcast VIVO TV, by Song Eun-i and Kim Sook, provided automatic digital rewards to visitors of the "Eun Eun Seki Pop-Up" through QR codes. K-POP artist MCND distributed exclusive digital rewards to fans registering on the official platform during his "Oddventure Tour 2024" in Europe.
Membership programs on b.stage are proving to be a powerful tool in building fan loyalty across various genres worldwide. From K-POP artists like ONE PACT, and Lee Chae-yeon, to top esports teams such as T1, Dplus KIA, and DRX, and even pop musicians like Jamie Miller, a wide range of performers are successfully attracting membership sign-ups from all over the world through b.stage. Fans who sign up for membership receive benefits such as priority access to concerts and events and exclusive content. In addition, many of the artists and stars take advantage of b.stage's differentiated features, such as enhancing branding through customization to create a stronger connection with their fans and a more diverse fan experience.
"With the rise of IT technology, content IPs from K-POP, gaming, and entertainment have gone global, transcending barriers of time and space,” said a representative from b.stage. “This has ushered in the era of 'fandom tech,’ significantly boosting the influence of global fandoms. Through the '2024 Fandom Trends Report,' filled with expertise and insights from bemyfriends—a company at the forefront of the fandom business—we aim to help you craft a successful strategy in this new era.”
In related news, b.stage held its first media day on February 20 under the theme of "2024 b.stage Media Day: All About Fandom Business.” The event showcased b.stage's initiatives, accomplishments, and global reach over the last three years, supported by data and customer testimonials.
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