Interview at Luminate Webinar in the U.S. on December 5
Jaesang Lee, CEO of HYBE, announced on December 5 that the company is continuing its global growth by leveraging fan data segmented by generation and region to develop localized strategies.
On this day, Lee explained these strategies and market trends during the "Superfan" webinar hosted by Luminate in the United States.
The Luminate webinar is an online seminar that covers changes in the music streaming market and analyzes superfan trends by country and region. This year, it focused on fan data from the United States and Asia, examining the growth drivers of K-pop and presenting HYBE's strategy as a key case study.
Lee stated, "Fans are not just passive listeners; they participate in all aspects of an artist's activities, and word-of-mouth on social media and within communities creates a virtuous cycle that leads to streaming." He added, "HYBE localizes its 'K-pop approach,' which integrates artist support, creation, promotion, and fan communities into a single structure, for each market."
He cited the example of Jungkook of BTS, whose song "Seven" surpassed 1 billion streams on Spotify in record time, as well as KATSEYE's achievement of 33 million monthly listeners, as notable accomplishments.
Regarding the global strategy, he identified Generation Z and Generation Alpha as the core generations. Speaking about Generation Z, he said, "They are quick to embrace new trends and are eager to express their identities," explaining that Weverse has fostered a "participatory fan culture" through features such as direct messaging, fan letters, and listening parties.
Lee noted, "Providing content to Generation Alpha, who have not yet formed cultural stereotypes, is a task for the next three to five years," and predicted, "They will adopt the K-pop model without prejudice and come to support local artists."
HYBE revealed that it is pursuing a strategy to connect artificial intelligence (AI), virtual content, and games with the play culture of Generation Alpha.
Regarding fandom strategy, he defined fans as "partners who grow together, not just recipients," and emphasized that "the structure in which interaction between artists and fans leads to new content is the competitive edge of K-pop." He further stated that the foundation for expanding fandom is "mutual trust."
He explained, "Although the nature of fandom differs by country, the essence is the same: seeking a sense of connection through music and content." He added, "We analyze local cultures and preferences, collaborate with local experts, and apply our production capabilities to fit regional cultures."
HYBE is positioning India, the United States, and Latin America as key hubs for global expansion. Lee described India as "the world's second-largest market based on streaming users," highlighting its growth potential, and characterized Latin America as a market where genre-based fandoms have formed.
Lee stated, "We will develop our overseas subsidiaries into global 'multi-homes' that enable creation, collaboration, and data exchange, and design them as hubs that connect local music ecosystems." He added, "We aim to establish a sustainable co-creation model."
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