- Son Ho-young of god takes top spot in fan-voted 'b.stage Puppy' campaign
- Winner featured across the b.stage app, Gangnam's VPLEX digital billboard and NAVER fandom ads
- More than 14 million cumulative votes cast by fans in over 30 countries
SEOUL, July 21, 2026 — Global fandom platform b.stage is expanding the benefits it offers to artists and fans. As part of that effort, Son Ho-young of the group god took first place in the "b.stage Puppy" fan vote.
The vote invited fans to choose the artist they most often call "puppy," a term of endearment used by Korean fans. It was held through b+PICK, the voting section of b.stage+, the global fan-to-fan service operated by b.stage. Son finished first after a close race that continued until the final hours of voting.
Son will be featured in a large-format digital billboard advertisement on the VPLEX building in Gangnam, Seoul. He will also appear on the b.stage app's splash screen and main home banner. The second-place finisher receives a pop-up banner on the b.stage app, and the third-place finisher receives a home banner placement. Fan votes translate directly into tangible support for artists, connecting fans and the artists they champion.
The app placements are notable because fan support appears at the forefront of a platform where artists are actively engaged. b.stage serves more than 400 global clients and over 1,200 artists who communicate with fans worldwide. Through the splash screen — the first thing users see when they open the app — and the main home banner, fan support reaches both artists and fans directly.
The benefits extend beyond the platform as well. b.stage has provided rewards spanning online and offline channels, including outdoor advertising, NAVER fandom ad placements and space-based events. Fan support now reaches beyond fandom platforms into portal search pages and city centers, drawing strong response from fans around the world. b.stage plans to continue broadening the range and variety of these benefits to support the growth of client IP and enrich the fan experience.
b.stage enables IP holders across K-pop, e-sports, sports, acting and musical theater, and content to build their own fandom platforms and operate fandom businesses. Participatory fan votes — organized around artist birthdays, comebacks and seasonal moments — are one part of that effort, widening the ways fandoms can support the artists they follow. Across 15 votes held this year, cumulative participation has surpassed 14 million votes, with fans from more than 30 countries taking part, including highly engaged markets such as Vietnam, Taiwan, Hong Kong, the United States and Japan.
"Fandom grows stronger when support comes back as a real result," a b.stage official said. "b.stage has worked to make sure fans' voices are inscribed on the platforms where artists are active, on portals and in the middle of the city. By building a structure where fan participation leads to artist growth, we will create a fandom business ecosystem where fans and artists grow together."
Meanwhile, b.stage+ is currently running a new "b.stage Teamwork" vote. b.stage+ is a direct-to-fan (D2F) service offered by b.stage, supporting a wide range of fan activity on a single platform through fan votes, lucky draws, fan signing events, real-time two-way communication and online commerce.
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