ANALYSIS - Why Luxury Brands Must Learn from K-pop Fandoms

Luxury brands are facing a significant challenge today: maintaining their appeal and relevance in a world where exclusivity alone is no longer enough.

Recent reports have shown that major luxury houses, including LVMH and Kering, are suffering from declining sales, especially in key markets such as China. Economic slowdowns and growing cost-of-living concerns are pushing consumers to reconsider their spending on high-end goods. As a result, the luxury sector, which has traditionally relied on status and exclusivity, is finding it increasingly difficult to maintain loyal customer bases.

The question is: how can luxury brands reconnect with their customers and build lasting communities around their products? The answer lies in adopting a new model, one that has been perfected by K-pop fandoms.

What Luxury Brands Can Learn from K-pop Fandoms

K-pop fandoms offer a blueprint for how luxury brands can move beyond exclusivity and create vibrant, emotionally driven communities. Fans of groups like BTS and BLACKPINK have turned passive consumption into active participation. They engage deeply with the values, stories, and personalities behind the music, forming connections that go far beyond product ownership. This fandom culture thrives on interaction, storytelling, and shared purpose—elements that luxury brands can harness to revitalize their customer engagement strategies.

1. Shared Values and Purpose

K-pop fandoms are built around shared values, such as BTS’s promotion of self-love and mental health awareness. These emotional bonds deepen the connection between the artist and their audience.

Similarly, luxury brands must find ways to align their values with those of their consumers, whether through sustainability, craftsmanship, or empowerment. By standing for something meaningful, brands can forge deeper connections with their customers.

2. Constant Engagement

One of the most critical elements of K-pop fandoms is constant interaction between idols and fans. Whether through social media, live streams, or exclusive events, idols make their fans feel seen and heard. In contrast, luxury brands have often maintained distance between themselves and their audience, relying on an aura of inaccessibility. To foster strong communities, brands need to prioritize continuous engagement through personalized content, interactive experiences, and exclusive behind-the-scenes insights.

3. Empowering Consumers

K-pop fans do more than consume music; they actively contribute to their idols’ success by promoting albums, organizing events, and participating in streaming campaigns. Luxury brands can take a similar approach by empowering their consumers to become active participants in the brand’s journey.

Miu Miu, for example, involved loyal customers by inviting them to walk the runway during Paris Fashion Week in 2024. This sense of participation creates a deeper emotional bond and turns consumers into brand ambassadors.

Emotional Connections Through Storytelling

At the core of K-pop fandoms is an emotional connection. Fans are deeply invested in the personal stories of their idols, which makes the experience more than just about the music. Similarly, luxury brands can tap into their rich histories and craftsmanship to create emotionally resonant stories. Signé Chanel, a documentary that offers a behind-the-scenes look at Chanel’s creative process, is an excellent example of how storytelling can forge emotional connections. By humanizing the brand and focusing on its artisans, Chanel strengthened its bond with consumers.

Building Belongingness While Remaining Exclusive

K-pop fandoms strike a delicate balance between inclusivity and exclusivity, making fans feel like they belong to something special while still maintaining the allure of being part of an elite group. This is exemplified by the Korean concept of Ouri (우리), which emphasizes collective belonging. Luxury brands should adopt a similar approach, creating exclusive but accessible communities where consumers feel like they are part of something unique. The emotional bond can be further deepened through the concept of Jeong (정), which is built through trust and shared experiences over time.

Modern Community-Building: Lessons from Apple and Ba111od

Apple and Swiss watch brand BA111OD provide excellent examples of how to build communities around luxury products. Apple turned its product launches into cultural events where customers felt they were part of a larger narrative, transcending mere product ownership. Similarly, Ba111od has successfully engaged its community by involving customers in product development, creating a loyal fan base that feels personally invested in the brand’s journey, they even call it the WE COMMERCE (i told you about the ouri - the WE). Both brands demonstrate that fostering a sense of belonging and participation is key to creating long-lasting loyalty.

Leveraging K-pop Ambassadors—A Missed Opportunity

Many luxury brands have partnered with K-pop idols like Jennie from BLACKPINK for Chanel or BTS members for Louis Vuitton. However, these partnerships often fail to tap into the deeper emotional connection that drives true fandoms. To fully leverage the power of K-pop, luxury brands need to go beyond celebrity endorsements and focus on building genuine emotional bonds through ongoing engagement and storytelling.

The Missed Opportunity: Logos as Modern Symbols

Luxury logos have long been symbols of status, much like religious icons. However, they should also represent more than wealth—they should symbolize community and shared values. Just as K-pop idols unite their fans through common causes and missions, luxury brands must reframe their logos as emblems of belonging and emotional connection. The logos should be symbols of shared purpose, rather than just exclusivity.

Pivotal Moment

Luxury brands are at a pivotal moment. With sales slowing and consumers shifting away from pure status symbols, brands must evolve to build stronger emotional connections with their audience. By learning from K-pop fandoms, luxury brands can transition from being exclusive symbols of status to vibrant communities that inspire loyalty and engagement. The future of luxury lies in fostering meaningful experiences and dedicated communities—just as K-pop fandoms have successfully done.

Disclaimer All images used in this analysis belong to their respective owners and the brands mentioned, I do not claim ownership of them.

The analysis expressed in this article is my own and do not necessarily reflect the views of any organizations or individuals I am affiliated with.

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