For years now, the Korea Brand Reputation Research Institute has been releasing monthly brand reputation rankings for Korean celebrities in different categories, most notably boy/girl groups and group members. The lists are supposed to be a reflection of which K-Pop groups and idols are the most popular at the given time based on data collected to determine how much they’re discussed online and how much they’re “worth” in regard to advertising.
Since NewJeans debuted in mid-2022, they quickly rose in the ranks on multiple brand reputation ranking charts such as the girl group and singer categories. By December 2022, they jumped from their first ranking at #12 to #1 on the girl group brand ranking, and from #8 to #3 in the singer brand ranking.
Throughout the entirety of 2023, there were only four months that the powerhouse rookie group didn’t rank at #1 on the girl group brand reputation ranking chart. And it seemed accurate, because the members were everywhere and their music was making waves in the K-Pop industry and even in the international music scene. One would think, given their momentum and continued success, that this would still be the case for the charts in 2024 so far, but you’d be surprisingly mistaken.
While the group started out in January at #2 on the girl group chart and #9 on the singer chart, those have been their highest rankings on both so far this year. For the former chart, they went from #2 to #7 in February, a quick uptick to #5 in March, then back to #7 in April, a sudden drop to #20 in May, and most recently, ranked at #23 in June, by far their lowest ranking. The singer brand reputation ranking shows a similar trend, though much more drastic — they’re currently ranked at #90 there.
Columns: Month | Girl Group Brand Reputation Ranking | Singer Brand Reputation Ranking
Interestingly, their sudden and significant drop on the chart happened around the time that the feud began between HYBE Labels and ADOR CEO Min Hee Jin, who is the creative genius behind NewJeans. There has been plenty of suspicion in the past that the brand reputation ranking charts are basically complete nonsense and heavily biased, and many fans think NewJeans’ drop is a clear indication that it’s true.
Considering just how much NewJeans and its members are still discussed online and how many brand deals they’re earning, netizens find their current positions at #23 and #90 to be inaccurate at best and intentionally rigged at worst. Here’s how people are reacting to this news.
Do you think the chart is rigged?
Source: Pann Choa
