Brand reputation rankings provide a monthly snapshot of which artists are capturing the public’s attention In the competitive world of K-Pop. The Korean Business Research Institute has released its October 2024 brand reputation rankings for individual boy group members, revealing some significant shifts and standout performances. ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo claimed the top position with a remarkable increase in his brand value, while other popular idols like Kang Daniel, BTS’s Jin, and EXO’s Baekhyun also made strong showings in the top five.
Understanding Brand Reputation Rankings
The Korean Business Research Institute determines these rankings by analyzing big data collected from various sources. The institute examines consumer participation, media coverage, interaction, and community engagement for hundreds of male idol group members. For October 2024, the analysis period spanned from September 19 to October 19, during which the institute collected 70,976,778 data points across 730 individual boy group members. This represents a significant 29.20% increase compared to September’s data volume, indicating growing public interest and online conversations about these artists.
The brand reputation index is more than just a popularity contest—it reflects real-time public interest and can be influenced by factors like new music releases, television appearances, fashion engagements, and social media activity. The final score combines four key components: participation index, media index, communication index, and community index, providing a comprehensive view of each idol’s digital footprint and public perception.
October’s Top Performing Idols
Cha Eun Woo’s Rise to First Place
ASTRO’s Cha Eun Woo secured the number one position with an impressive brand reputation index of 4,362,188 for October. This represented a substantial 65.88% increase from his September score of 2,629,693. His appearance at the YSL Paris Fashion Week 2024 likely contributed to this surge in attention. In the detailed analysis, his highest-ranking related terms included “advertising model,” “chiseled,” and “face genius,” while his most popular keywords were “reveal,” “selected,” and “flawless.” The positivity-negativity analysis revealed that 92.87% of reactions to Cha Eun Woo were positive, indicating overwhelmingly favorable public sentiment.
Strong Contenders in the Top Five
Former Wanna One member Kang Daniel climbed to second place with an extraordinary 156.08% increase in his brand reputation index, jumping from 1,594,520 in September to 4,083,183 in October. This dramatic rise coincided with his release of a new single titled “Electric Shock”, demonstrating how new music releases can significantly impact these rankings.
BTS’s Jin secured the third position despite a slight drop in ranking, achieving an 18.29% increase in his brand reputation index. His score rose from 2,949,770 in September to 3,489,228 in October. The global superstar is preparing to release his highly anticipated first solo album “Happy”, which will include a track featuring Wendy from Red Velvet, generating considerable excitement among fans.
Fellow BTS member Jimin maintained his fourth-place position with an outstanding 91.77% increase in his brand reputation index. His score jumped from 1,465,040 in September to 2,809,455 in October. Jimin recently earned a nomination at the 2024 MTV EMA for the Best Kpop award, contributing to his increased visibility and media coverage.
EXO’s Baekhyun rounded out the top five with a spectacular 145.89% surge in his brand reputation index, soaring from 792,346 in September to 1,948,310 in October. The EXO member recently released his fourth mini album “Hello, World” with lead track “Pineapple Slice”, accompanied by a music video that garnered significant attention from fans and media alike.
Group-Wide Brand Performance
While individual members were making waves, their groups also showed strong performance in the separate group brand reputation rankings for October. BTS continued their reign at the top of the group list with a brand reputation index of 7,663,180. High-ranking phrases in the group’s keyword analysis included “Spring Day,” “Spotify,” and “birthday,” while their highest-ranking related terms included “record,” “donate,” and “selected.” BTS’s positivity-negativity analysis revealed a score of 91.94% positive reactions.
SEVENTEEN held onto their second-place position with a brand reputation index of 5,500,082, marking a 10.68% increase in their score since September. Stray Kids similarly maintained their third-place position with a brand reputation index of 3,484,943, representing a 4.72% rise from the previous month. Meanwhile, BIGBANG took fourth place with a brand reputation index of 2,503,119, and EXO came in at a close fifth with 2,459,139, marking a 14.74% increase since September.
Notable Rankings and Trends
Beyond the top five individual performers, several other idols secured notable positions in the October rankings. BTS’s Jungkook placed sixth, followed by Wanna One’s Park Ji Hoon at seventh. SEVENTEEN’s Jeonghan took the eighth position, while NCT’s Doyoung and RIIZE’s Wonbin rounded out the top ten. The presence of multiple members from groups like BTS, SEVENTEEN, NCT, and THE BOYZ throughout the top fifty indicates strong brand power for these groups collectively.
Check out the top 30 for this month below!
- BTS
- SEVENTEEN
- Stray Kids
- BIGBANG
- EXO
- SHINee
- THE BOYZ
- BOYNEXTDOOR
- NCT
- CORTIS
- ALPHA DRIVE ONE
- Super Junior
- TWS
- ENHYPEN
- ZEROBASEONE
- INFINITE
- ATEEZ
- MONSTA X
- RIIZE
- BTOB
- Wanna One
- TREASURE
- ASTRO
- VERIVERY
- HIGHLIGHT
- TVXQ
- VIXX
- ONF
- AHOF
- EVNNE
The rankings also reflect the enduring popularity of senior artists, with members from Super Junior, SHINee, and Highlight maintaining strong positions alongside newer generation idols. SHINee’s Key placed eleventh, Highlight’s Yoon Doojoon took twelfth, and Super Junior’s Kyuhyun secured the fourteenth position.
The brand reputation rankings for October 2024 demonstrate the dynamic nature of popularity in the K-Pop industry, with new music releases, award show nominations, and high-profile fashion events serving as significant catalysts for changes in public attention and engagement. These metrics offer valuable insights into which artists are successfully connecting with audiences through their various activities and projects.
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