Chart of the Day: BTS endorsements can increase brand interest in SG by 50%

From McDonald’s meals to high-end Louis Vuitton fashion, more Singaporeans search for these brands online when they collaborate with the Kpop group.

Grammy awarded Kpop group BTS’ endorsement of a McDonald’s chicken nugget meal set took the world by storm, and Singapore is no exception.

A study by iPrrice Group looked into how much a collaboration with these Korean heartthrobs affects online search interest from Singaporeans for six different brands from 2018 to 2021.

Interest in the group and its endorsements rose steadily over the years, peaking in 2020 when South Korean electronics company released a BTS edition of the Galaxy S20+ smartphone. Google searches from Singapore rose by 53% compared to the previous year.

High-end fashion brand Louis Vuitton also saw a 46% surge in interest from Singaporeans when BTS became its brand ambassador.

Coca-cola saw a 14% hike in interest from Singaporeans in January 2021, whilst Fila saw a 16% spike in 2019.

Jungkook is a "bias" or a favourite member, of 26% of Singaporean BTS fans based on Google searches from December 2020 to May 2021. This was followed closely by V (25%), Jimin (20%), Jin (10%), Suga (8%), RM (7%), and J-Hope (3%).